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How to Have Impossible Conversations

A Very Practical Guide

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How to Have Impossible Conversations

By: Peter Boghossian, James Lindsay
Narrated by: Peter Boghossian
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About this listen

From politics and religion to workplace negotiations, ace the high-stakes conversations in your life with this indispensable guide from a persuasion expert.

In our current political climate, it seems impossible to have a reasonable conversation with anyone who has a different opinion. Whether you're online, in a classroom, an office, a town hall—or just hoping to get through a family dinner with a stubborn relative—dialogue shuts down when perspectives clash. Heated debates often lead to insults and shaming, blocking any possibility of productive discourse. Everyone seems to be on a hair trigger.

In How to Have Impossible Conversations, Peter Boghossian and James Lindsay guide you through the straightforward, practical, conversational techniques necessary for every successful conversationwhether the issue is climate change, religious faith, gender identity, race, poverty, immigration, or gun control. Boghossian and Lindsay teach the subtle art of instilling doubts and opening minds. They cover everything from learning the fundamentals for good conversations to achieving expert-level techniques to deal with hardliners and extremists. This book is the manual everyone needs to foster a climate of civility, connection, and empathy.

"This is a self-help book on how to argue effectively, conciliate, and gently persuade. The authors admit to getting it wrong in their own past conversations. One by one, I recognize the same mistakes in me. The world would be a better place if everyone read this book."—Richard Dawkins, author of Science in the Soul and Outgrowing God

©2019 Peter Boghossian and James Lindsay (P)2019 Hachette Audio
Civics & Citizenship Communication & Social Skills Political Science

Critic Reviews

"This is a self-help book on how to argue effectively, conciliate, gently persuade. The authors admit to getting it wrong in their own past conversations. One by one, I recognize the same mistakes in me. The world would be a better place if everyone read this book."—Richard Dawkins, author of Science in the Soul and Outgrowing God

"In a Free Republic there would be no 'impossible conversations', which begs the question: are we truly free anymore? After reading, listening and conversing with Peter and James, I am convinced that they are the Galileo's, I. Kant and even William Tynsdale of our time."—Glenn Beck

"I thought I knew all I needed to know about conversations and arguments. I was wrong. I just knew a lot about debates and rows. In their insightful and highly readable new book, Peter Boghossian and James Lindsay offer all kinds of ingenious pathways to constructive dialogue. At a time when public discourse has degenerated into mud-slinging and when campuses favour every kind of diversity except viewpoint diversity, this is an invaluable contribution. I guarantee that reading it will make you more—much more—persuasive."—Niall Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow, The Hoover Institution, Stanford

What listeners say about How to Have Impossible Conversations

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Very good

One of the best books I've listened to. Very useful. One of the very rare few I'll listen to again.

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1 person found this helpful

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Great book. I am learning so much from it.

This is a book which in order to understand it will require study and practice.
Well worth it.
If everyone had these skill sets how much of a better world we would have.

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live changing ideas

everyone who doesn't read this really is doing themselves a disservice.
it's not just good but important and it's even short!

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Fantastic, very informative. Chapter four really

helped me understand why I do struggle with conversations.


Excellent listening for everyone, thanks.

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4 people found this helpful

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A SIMPLE GUIDE OF USUAL CONVERSATIONS

Not a good reference book, doesn't worth the investment. Basically he just have usual conversations.

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Unable to finish

Basic in content and style is juvenile 'If someone says this.....' 'Reply by saying xyz'. Unfinshanle and believe me I tried.

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