Don't judge a book by it's cover. Or, not by its' title either. Ok, I was guilty of both, so this book was not what I expected. I should mention that I am not a great conversationalist and often struggle to make small talk with people I meet. I am familiar with Malcom Gladwell and have read a handful of his books. I thought this book would provide the data and anecdotal based advice I could use to improve my ability to talk with others. That's not what I got.
I should be clear, Talking to Strangers is a great book. I would highly recommend it, especially for people who wish to gain insight into why communication between people breaks down. More specially, how communication between strangers breaks down ... tragically. The research is bookended by the story of Sandra Bland and discusses Bernie Madoff, Neville Chamberlain, Sylvia Plath, and Amanda Knox along the way.
Gladwell books have a common tone. The books hold advice, but they are not self-help tomes. He chooses his anecdotes carefully and backs them up with other data and research. I like that he names names. Books of this type often refer to "a successful fortune 500 company" or "a national leader" without indicating who it is. When that happens I am inclined to think one of two things … the material is fiction or the subject does not agree with the assessment. That does not happen here. In fact, if you listen via Audible, you will hear actual recording from many of the subjects.
So I did not come away better prepared to strike up a conversation. But I learned a lot about communication regardless.
