Talk

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What to expect

Brought to you by Penguin.

The leading Harvard professor shows how we can all become better at conversation – and why this will help us all thrive

Conversation is at the heart of our relationships and our decision-making. From meeting a colleague to saying goodnight to our loved ones, our days are filled with verbal communication -- but the science of everyday conversation is little known. We may spend time thinking about difficult exchanges, but research shows that there’s room to improve seemingly easy interactions too.

In Talk, Harvard professor Alison Wood Brooks shows how simple changes in how we communicate can enhance our relationships, our performance at work and our lives; who we talk to affects our happiness; and how to talk across differences. Her original research, based on thousands of conversations from sales calls to speed dating, provides fascinating insights.

For instance:


  • We spend much more time thinking about what we'll wear to an occasion than thinking about what we'll say when we get there
  • The author’s own research on the surprising power of questions reveals the superpower of follow-up questions – especially when dating
  • Managers who were randomly assigned to make one joke in one conversation were more likely to be voted into leadership positions


Learning to converse even a little more effectively can make a big difference. Through her original TALK framework – Topics, Asking, Levity and Kindness – Wood Brooks will give you the tools that her MBA students say transforms their lives. Bringing together psychology, linguistics, sociology and neuroscience, Talk will show how we can use science to help us enrich our lives, one conversation at a time.

© Alison Wood Brooks 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

Critics Review

It’s hard to overstate the importance of conversation in life and at work. In this brilliantly-crafted new book, author Alison Wood Brooks explains when and why conversations breakdown, drag on, or otherwise disappoint, and when and why they flow effortlessly to build mutual understanding. TALK will be a welcome gift for anyone who wants to have better, more effective, and more rewarding conversations with friends, family, colleagues, and even strangers.
Novartis Professor of Leadership, Harvard Business School; Author of FT Business Book of the Year Right Kind of Wrong
Appropriately enough, reading TALK is like having a conversation with the world's best conversationalist. Alison Wood Brooks brings to life the science of conversation, in which she is a world expert, with the utmost warmth, empathy, and joy. The perfect combination of stories and science, maxims and examples, this book has raised my game as a conversationalist. I'm recommending it to everyone I know
#1 NYT Bestselling author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
TALK is a rigorously researched, evidence-based book by a leader in the field. On top of this, it's a joy to read — a killer combination.
NYT Bestselling author of Expecting Better, Cribsheet, The Family Firm, and The Unexpected
Alison Wood Brooks has crafted a thing of beauty; a thorough look at how we communicate, why we communicate, and how to unlock the power of communication with this fantastic book TALK. We will all be quietly planning talk topics, asking more questions, bringing joy, and finding empathy towards one another after reading this book. There are too many ah-ha moments to count in this book so just do yourself a favor and start reading it!
Grammy-Nominated & Tony Award-Winning creator of Freestyle Love Supreme
TALK is, by far, the most useful book I’ve read in a long time. Just two chapters into it, I found myself having more enjoyable and meaningful conversations with everyone from receptionists to the person I live with. The writing is witty and wise, and each chapter is crammed with fascinating stories and astonishing research discoveries. Get this book!
Harvard Business School professor emerita and coauthor of Retiring: Creating a Life that Works for You
For many, one of the lost arts in modern life is conversation. Alison Wood Brooks’ wonderful new book TALK: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves has the solution. Read this book, and your life will improve.
Harvard Professor and #1 New York Times bestselling author
In TALK, Alison Wood Brooks, one of behavioral science’s superstars, teaches us how to have more productive, engaging and humane conversations. Witty, science-driven and filled with compelling insights and stories, TALK is a modern classic.
author of Chatter
Builds a convincing case for practicing and better understanding the elements that shape good conversation. Lucid and pragmatic, this unlocks some of the mysteries of human communication.
Publishers Weekly

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