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That's Not What I Meant  By  cover art

That's Not What I Meant

By: Deborah Tannen
Narrated by: Deborah Tannen
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Publisher's summary

You know the feeling: You thought you said exactly what you wanted to, but somehow a different message comes across. You end up feeling misunderstood...and the relationship that you're building -- at home, on the job, on a date, or in an interview -- slips a little further out of your control.

Talk is the key to any relationship and conversational style is the key to any conversation. In That's Not What I Meant!, Dr. Tannen helps you recognize your own conversational style and understand the styles of others.

Whether you are dealing with a person who's too quiet or someone who's a conversational bulldozer, learning to understand conversational style will help you deal with any situation. Through this understanding, you can prevent small differences from sparking big arguments, really hear what was said -- and what wasn't.

That's Not What I Meant! will give you the tools to save any conversation -- or relationship.

©1987 Deborah Tannen (P)1991 Simon & Schuster

What listeners say about That's Not What I Meant

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Short and sweet

More of an introduction on communication rather than an actual book... needed to be longer !

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Nice book. Wish it was longer.

It’s a book that helps me understand why miscommunication happens. Wish there is a fix for it. 😅

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Some communication tips

This extremely short work discusses some of the miscommunication issues that can arise in conversation due to differences coming from gender, culture or individual traits. It provides a handy look at how to reinterpet people's communications that may otherwise seem nonsensical.

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Insightful, As Always

Excellent information, excellent advice, but not enough of it. I didn't realize this was a severely abridged version of Tannen's work, or I would have looked for it elsewhere.

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3 people found this helpful

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Good read

Insightful on how we all have different communication styles and some good general suggestions on how to avoid miscommunication.

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    2 out of 5 stars
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Miscommunicated Title

This is an extremely abridged version yet doesn't say that in the title like most books do. For the topic of communicating clearly, this missed the mark. Wish I could get my credit back.

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3 people found this helpful

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not the full book

this is not the full book at all. i wish i could get my credit back!

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1 person found this helpful