Patrick Fanning

Messages is a chronicle of communication in all of its forms; a self-help guide meant to improve your communication no matter what level it is currently at. It tells you about methods of communication and doubles as a workbook, where you can write down your current levels and try for improvements. I only have one problem with the book and it isn’t necessarily a bad thing; I feel as though I have read this before.

The information in the book is invaluable. It starts with skills related to show more listening because understanding another person begins there. It moves on to other forms of communication and talks about how important they are in the overall scheme of things. Take Body Language, for instance, 70% of a message is tied up in how you stand and your posture and so on.

All in all, this book was really informative and well-done. As I said, the only real trouble I had with it was that it seems really familiar. Then again, I did read another book that covered these topics by Alan Alda a while back. That might be where this feeling comes from. show less

How to Communicate is a lucid introduction to human relationships. Although people talk to others, the basics of human communication are sometimes lost to a great number of people. They pay attention only to what was said and don’t notice the posture of the person or the timbre of their voice. Most communication is wrapped up in these little cues, and as I said, many fail to take notice.

The authors put together a number of situations that could arise in your day-to-day life. For instance, show more asking for a pay raise, getting a better deal for a used car, getting into fights with a significant other or child. All of these situations are covered in this book.

The book is slightly old, but the only way you can really tell is because they talk about ‘tape decks’ in cars. The advice is pretty timeless, so that doesn’t really add or subtract from the book, I merely thought it was interesting. show less

The kind of simplicity that brings real happiness is not about complex principles but about evaluating one's thoughts and feelings and rebuilding one's life around personal truths. Using practical techniques that lead to real change, the authors help readers examine their values and prioritize their goals. Through a series of exercises ranging from simple tasks to soul-searching, the authors guide readers in finding a true center of focus between work and home, discipline and pleasure, show more relationship and solitude. show less

When Anger Hurts Your Kids brings together the practical lessons of a 2-year study of 285 parents. You'll learn how to tell if your family has anger problems, how to combat the eighteen mistaken beliefs that fuel anger, and how to practice the art of problem-solving communication skills that will let you feel more effective as a parent and let your kids grow up free of anger's damaging effects.