SPEAK EASY

In this self-professed consolidation of popular communication, assertiveness, career and leadership-training best practices, Friedlander bridges the gap between business and personal communication by offering a synthesized approach that can be used at the office or home.

Friedlander’s comprehensive handbook is designed to guide the reader through a step-by-step, broad-based methodology for improving personal and professional communication. Starting with the basics, she organizes the material into functional sections that gradually build on a logical progression of ideas, with each of the 13 chapters ending with a five-point summary meant to maximize knowledge transfer. Context-sensitive anecdotes, practical exercises, illustrative examples and clearly highlighted takeaways fill out a user-friendly presentation that delivers what it promises–self-awareness, self-expression and enhanced communication. The “world of work” is the primary context for examining the nature of good communication skills, but Speak Easy effectively widens its net to pull in a varied target audience composed of diverse roles and lifestyles. The book approaches its topic in a balanced yet unexpected way. The author brings together the nuts-and-bolts of communication, but then connects this to the emotional component of human interaction, illustrating the pitfalls, potholes and dead ends that can result from a badly chosen word, or worse, an uncontrolled verbal meltdown. As obvious as these hazards might appear, helping the reader to see that words, actions and feelings work together to create successful communication is a strategy that unifies the book. In a marketplace glutted with self-help guides, how-to tomes and handbooks for dummies and idiots, Speak Easy rises above the cacophony of business and personal-growth gurus who promise the moon to offer clear, practical and actionable personal change that can actually make a difference. Easily readable, visually presented and impeccably organized, this work will provide valuable reading for any business, family or individual.

Will help those who want to untie their tongues and avoid the hazards of miscommunication.