Quirky Cat
Written on Jan 6, 2020
Have you ever felt like there’s a disconnect when you’re sitting down and having a conversation with somebody? Almost like the other person isn’t listening to you – just waiting for you to finish talking so they can have their moment to talk?
That’s a concept that Kate Murphy addresses here in You’re Not Listening. Murphy strongly believes that society as a whole has lost the ability to listen to one another. And in the process, that means we’ve lost the ability to connect.
Murphy uses examples set in all situations in order to add context to her (very well thought out) argument. Here she lays out all of the evidence for us losing the connection – and what we can do to fix it. It’s a powerful read, and one that people are rightly saying could change your perspective.
“This is a book in praise of listening and a lament that as a culture we seem to be losing our listening mojo.”
If I had to pick one non-fiction novel to read this year, I’m glad it was You’re Not Listening. Kate Murphy’s arguments and thought-provoking discussions about listening and our society's disconnect from it made for a fascinating read.
I know what you might be thinking right now: that it’s yet another book in a line of many (countless, really) books talking about communication. This book is not like the others. This isn’t a self-help book. Nor is it a book intent on browbeating you.
It is the insight of one woman, Kate Murphy, and everything she’s picked up after her years spent listening. You see, Murphy’s job is to listen. She’s a reporter, and based on what she has managed to wrangle out of people, she’s a talented one at that.
Kate Murphy’s career did give her a unique insight on the matter, and I really appreciated all of her real-life examples that she’s experienced. It really grounded her whole argument, while making it feeling utterly human at the same time. It was not something I expected to find within these pages. But it worked very well.
You’re Not Listening was a fascinating read, and I’m glad I stepped out of my preferred genres to give it a chance. Kate Murphy created a sound argument here, filling the pages with her insight and experience.
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