If it is so Good to Talk, Why is it so Hard?: Rediscovering the Power of Conversation Paperback – 20 Feb. 2018

A very thought provoking look at the way we communicate or not as the case may be, Ian has some interesting idea about how to avoid misunderstandings and deal with them when they occur.There are techniques included that will help you prepare for that dreaded conversation so you get the right outcome for both parties.Highly recommend this book if you think your communication or conversation techniques need to improve to get better outcomes.

…why indeed is it often so hard to talk? This book reminds us that at the end of the day it all comes down to awareness and effective communication. Full of real life insights and very practical advice, this book helps us to rediscover the power of conversation both in a professional and private context. Given the author’s extensive professional background with family businesses, this book is particularly relevant to anyone involved in family business dynamics.

This is a great book - The authors writing style is engaging and conversational which given the title of the book is perhaps not surprising. However, it is a difficult skill to master and one that Ian has done very well.The subject matter is fascinating and the book provides insights into why families may find tricky or challenging conversations so difficult. the book also gives the reader practical ways to think and reflect on things to help overcome this.I highly recommend the book if you either work in or with family business or if you just want to be able to communicate more effectively.

Ian Marsh’s new book on rediscovering the power of conversation belongs on the bookshelf right alongside books like Nancy Kline’s Time to Think, Doug Stone & Shiela Heen’s Difficult Conversations; possibly also add Byron Katie’s (creator of “The Work”) Loving What Is.Marsh is a retired litigation lawyer now communication coach and mediator who also works with family businesses. He synthesizes a vast array of information into a very readable and easy to assimilate explanation of how we are wired, our cognitive biases, self-serving memory, fight flight freeze or tend response, neuroplasticity, the power of curiosity, story, forgiveness, community, all directed to helping us stay open in conversation with the other.The book places a big emphasis on building up self-awareness and mindfulness of your own physiological and emotional responses and has reflection practices through-out for the reader to work through. The tone is conversational; it is like having a fireside chat with the author.I think it will be very popular with mediators, coaches & counselors, others involved in conflict resolution work; church groups. It is a very good book for improving trust and communication within a family. It would be a great book for a family “book club”. Really it can be read by any one who is looking to work on themselves.What surprised me as I read it was the thought “I must get my teenage children to read this” because as they become mature adults I want them to have the skills for important conversations and to understand what it means to be a human.

This is cutting-edge. Ian Marsh gives us the state-of-the-art for 2019. In this superb book, the author provides much practical hands-on steps we can adopt in our lives and practices (I'm also a mediator) and the science to back them up. The author is also tremendously engaging and personable, sharing personal applications from his own life in brief boxes labeled "Life story." I found the author someone I liked and he is a kind and brilliant guide.