Small Talk - How to Connect Effortlessly with Anyone

Strike Up Conversations with Confidence and Make Small Talk Without the Fear of Being Awkward

By: Betty Bohm

Narrated by: Andy Cross, Kerem Bayrak, Michele Lambert

Length: 2 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's Summary

Want to talk to that attractive person on the train home from work, but have no idea what to say?

Do you secretly dread going to parties?

Afraid you won't fit in at your new job because you don't "do" small talk?

Like it or not, we live in a world driven by social interaction. The more real connections we can make with others, the more doors we open for deep satisfaction at work, our social life and our love life.

Small talk is a critical first step in making those connections. Yet we have all been left to figure out how to master this skill on our own. It's no wonder so many people struggle with small talk, but you no longer have to be one of them.

No matter how long you've struggled or even if English isn't your native language, this guide will show you how to unlock the power of small talk to confidently connect with anyone.

Conquer the social fears holding you back.

©2014-2015 Jandalman Publishing (P)2015 Jandalman Publishing

Worthless

I have no idea how this book exists. It reminds me of a paper written by 5th grader on the principle of conversation

Absolute drivel

Would you try another book from Betty Bohm and/or the narrators?

No

What do you think your next listen will be?

not sure yet

Would you be willing to try another one of the narrators’s performances?

no

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment

Any additional comments?

Got halfway through and it spent that time going on and on stating the obvious on how society views small talk. Then occasionally forensically breaking down a conversation about things like the weather. Provided nothing of value to me

A Work with Socio-Linguistics Interwoven into it

If you could sum up Small Talk - How to Connect Effortlessly with Anyone in three words, what would they be?

Socializing through language

What was one of the most memorable moments of Small Talk - How to Connect Effortlessly with Anyone?

Starting a conversation with strangers was always problematic since I was not sure what was appropriate to say. This audio-book has several scenarios covering this. When I was going through them, I couldn't help experiencing deja vu.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Context, performance models, and supersegmental features of the langauge

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. There is a lot to learn from this audio-book. So, listening to it over and over is a necessity.

Any additional comments?

According to Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development theory, learning happens when we see a clear need for it through the performance of more experienced and expert members of the community. This might be mistaken for imitation. But, human cognition is too complex to be reduced to such a simple mechanism as imitation. This audio-book clearly shows what skills in socializing we are missing, and through modeling those skills, this audio-book facilitates learning the nuances of socio-linguistics and enables us to have smoother encounters with other human beings--something which is much needed in this modern world.

Very low level of information

not what I expected. the book was very very basic and I could have written it myself. I thought personally that many of the examples in the book were not "small talk" but rather polite exchanges of words that was too short to be small talk. this is Smaller Talk

Small talk

If you could sum up Small Talk - How to Connect Effortlessly with Anyone in three words, what would they be?

Small talk. We all do it, and we all want to do it well.. Within this book you will find a great review of the subject written with a nice flow and I particularly enjoyed the section on what to do during the inevitable awkward moment! A very helpful book.

Helped me to be less afraid to go to meetups!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I sure would! Why? I am generally not the one who starts a conversation with a stranger. Now, after this weekend listening to this small talk guide, I feel confident to do so! I probably will not master it straight away, but that is not the point for me. I now have an approach, for example, to work on my credibility and how I come across. Very valuable stuff!

Who was your favorite character and why?

I loved the multiple speakers setup, and made it entertaining, too!

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

This question is for me irrelevant for this audio book, but again, I'd like to highlight the unique approach of this audiobook with multiple speakers. So often had I bought other "technical" books which were only narrated by one person, and honestly made it therefore quite boring for me to listen, so I stopped.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

To be honest, I had a slow start, so, no, I did not listen to it in one go. I had to "get warm" with it, but once I did and I got to dig more and more into the different examples, I finished listening all in one go!

Small talk made easy for you

If your like me and struggle to start small talk with people you need to listen to this audio book.

Small Talk not only gives you the tactics but examples on how to use them.
I found the example of conversations very helpful.

You will learn a lot about small talk and be able to interact with people you don't know with ease.

Get this audio book now it's worth it. I promise.

Do you smile at strangers?

Would you consider the audio edition of Small Talk - How to Connect Effortlessly with Anyone to be better than the print version?

The audiobook does a great job using multiple voices for the examples that they first provide, then break down the example to really show elements.

What did you like best about this story?

Really was the use of multiple voice actors.

Any additional comments?

I can understand the negative comments. This book is on a subject that is very natural to many people, yet there is a very quiet majority that are not great at connecting with people, or simply have a very negative viewpoint of small talk. I prefer deep conversations, and can be annoyed with small talk. This book showed me a slightly different way to look at those conversations as a filter to figure out and get to deep conversations quicker & with the right people. Basically, if you are an extrovert - the reason this book might appeal to you is to understand how more introverted people struggle with small talk & help them out. For introverts - this books can show you steps you can take to connect with more people, at that deep level you desire by using small talk to figure out who to go deeper with. Remember to smile at strangers ;-)

Great short listen to get better at it

What did you love best about Small Talk - How to Connect Effortlessly with Anyone?

I hate small talk most of the time.
I am not bad at it, just find it silly and superficial.
Betty's book helped me review my take on small talk and I can see how I can now enjoy it more and be better at it.
No more being awkward and shying away from meeting new people, just because I think there is nothing in the small talk or I have nothing to talk about.
Hoping for new genuine connections and opportunities, now that I am so much better and it, and more importantly know why use it.
The tips in this book are simple, and at first seem to be too easy (they are not hard) but provide you with clear and immediate results.

Plus, I can be way less bored now, striking up convos with complete strangers while traveling or waiting for something, and viola, now we are friends.

Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no i haven't

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Small talk is not for the shallow people only ;)

Great help for that sometimes awkward small talk!

What made the experience of listening to Small Talk - How to Connect Effortlessly with Anyone the most enjoyable?

I love how there are three different voices, it really embeds the story and how to apply it in my mind.

What did you like best about this story?

It included techniques I could apply right away

Any additional comments?

It's fine to open up and talk to anyone, much easier than I made it out to be!

Boredom and repetitiveness

I am compelled to write a review on this audiobook so other people do not come to the same trap. The purchase of this book was triggered by my interest to improve my social skills and find ways to engage people. I was disappointed after purchasing this because the narrator is boring to death. It reminds me of Hal in 2001 Space Odyssey movie. Pretty much monotone and lacking energy.

The contents seem to repeat with no much examples and overall a disappointing experience. Try to find other options such as "Fine art of small talk" which is much better and easier to enjoy

Get small talking now

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Simple clear and engaging, very helpful explanations and relevant examples. I especially like that it is not just tips of things to say but explores considering other peoples perspectives and motivations which can lead you to rethink your own mindsets.
Betty's enthusiasism for human interaction shines through and her positivity and encouragment turns making small talk from an unnerving prospect into an oportunity to be taken and learnt from.
A good pace, well spoken and easy to listen to and understand.

The title oversells this book's practical value

Would you try another book written by Betty Bohm or narrated by the narrators?

It is signifcantly less likely that I would try another Betty Bohm book as a result of having tried this one. The narrator (Cross) was on the other hand very good, and that might encourage me to try another book he reads.

Would you ever listen to anything by Betty Bohm again?

Unlikely

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Not so much the narration as the actors (Bayrak and Lambert) who played out the scenarios - they helped to bring the discussions to life.

What character would you cut from Small Talk - How to Connect Effortlessly with Anyone?

N/A

Any additional comments?

This was a very disappointing book. Whilst well read by the narrator, and providing acted scenarios which brought them to life, it really provided little to no practical assistance. All the author really did was provide a number of examples of small talk and comment on what role each line played in the conversation. There was no discussion of those roles however, why they are important, when to employ/not to employ them, etc. For example, often there is a line in the dialogue which is described as showing agreement, sometimes emphatic agreement. You might accordingly infer that agreeing with the conversation partner is valuable in small talk. But the book does not say that, there is no explanation of when it is or is not helpful, no practical guidance as to using agreement in a small talk situation, or strategies for dealing with situations where you do not agree with a statement, but do not wish to offend the other party making the statement. In short, it did not seem to me that this book even came close to living up to its bold tag line.

Good new perspective on the benefits of small talk

What did you like most about Small Talk - How to Connect Effortlessly with Anyone?

I'm generally shy and tend to avoid small talk because it doesn't feel comfortable or natural to me, but this book has helped to shift my mindset a bit and put the concept of small talk in a new light where I can appreciate the potential benefits I may be missing out on by avoiding small talk situations.

Any additional comments?

I also liked the cast recording as it made the dialogue examples feel more real.

The power of small talk

"Small Talk" delivers so many practical lessons for any level of English speaker. As a native English speaker it might be easy to take for granted or forget the power of small talk since we use it as a tool to transition into and out of daily scenarios. This book brings greater awareness to not only the techniques of small talk, but also a greater understanding of the associated human bahaviour. These are particularly helpful lessons for someone keen to sharpen their interaction skills as small talk is not always about talking, it also has much to do with social judgement and perspective.

Practical!

If you could sum up Small Talk - How to Connect Effortlessly with Anyone in three words, what would they be?

Practical, helpful, encouraging

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

no

Any additional comments?

The author does a wonderful job of showing in detail how to improve conversational skills. I am a shy person who sometimes struggles to make small talk. After listening to this book I have already started using some of the strategies mentioned, with good results.

I had to get the audiobook to anchor the practice

Would you listen to Small Talk - How to Connect Effortlessly with Anyone again? Why?

I bought the book a couple of months ago and it has been a life changer.
I always thought that I would never need to read a book on small talks since I am an introvert and don't mind it actually.

I thought I wasn't into small talks...until I read this and my relationships really changed. I found myself engaging conversation in public transportation and amazingly not only about the weather (I even closed a customer deal and met some very interesting people).

I love the audiobook because it makes the example so much more lively and easier to remember what to do in which situations. There are 3 different voices so that you can really follow the interactions of the conversation.

What other book might you compare Small Talk - How to Connect Effortlessly with Anyone to, and why?

I'd say How to win friends and influence people from Dale Carnegie is a must for the principles and this book from betty Bohm is complementary as it illustrates in modern situations and concrete examples.

It made me realize how powerful is my mind!

Would you listen to Small Talk - How to Connect Effortlessly with Anyone again? Why?

It's the first time i find an audible book that can help me to start talking to anyone

Any additional comments?

This book help me understand that it's all in our minds and how we face to different people. It's really not that hard to let us feel comfortable enough to just talk to someone about whatever we think is important or funny for us.

A handy practical guide for absolutely everyone

If you could sum up Small Talk - How to Connect Effortlessly with Anyone in three words, what would they be?

Recommended for anyone

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Dialogues with different voices made it more "real"

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

My reaction was, "hey why didn't I think of (doing) it before?"

Very Informative

Not my cup of tea however don't knock it. i still rated it high as there is still information that enriches conversation. i personally didn't feel like it made much of a difference in my day to day life but who knows it might do in future, just try it.