How many of us can honestly say we have never instantly regretted something we said, or been guilty of paying more attention to our smartphone than to the person talking to us?   9781292013640_final_coverTalk is our most precious commodity but in the digital era, at a time when ‘iContact’ often takes precedence over eye contact, it seems we are increasingly at risk of losing the skills of effective and successful face-to-face conversing.   This is the fear of communication expert and internationally bestselling author James Borg. As he points out in his new book, Talkability, words have the power both to heal and wound. If we don’t take the time to craft what we say before actually saying it then it can have a detrimental impact on our working and personal relationships that no number of conciliatory emails will patch up.   Talkability sets out to help readers regain control over the art of speaking, teaching everything you need to know to quickly and easily master conversation in every area of life.   The comprehensive guide is the fourth entry in Borg’s acclaimed series of effective communication handbooks published by Pearson, following the number one bestseller Persuasion, the award-winning Body Language and the highly-acclaimed Mind Power.   As with his other books, which have been translated in total into a whopping 77 languages, Talkability keeps things light and entertaining while teaching handy new tricks and techniques at the same time.   In short, it dissects the way conversations work, the common pitfalls to avoid and a wealth of simple yet powerful ways to improve our verbal skills and daily interactions. Whether it’s engaging with loved ones or partners at home, our wider social circle, work colleagues or bosses in the office - or all of the above – Borg’s guide provides the tools to boost your chatter the right way.   The first section of the book is entitled ‘Talk Essentials’ and covers the nuts and bolts of verbal communication, including how we encode and decode meaning, and ‘paralinguistics’ - the way we say something can speak just as loudly as the actual words we use.   The second section, ‘Saying It Right’, gets down to the practical application of verbal communication and covers a wide variety of topics from closed and open questions, the power of the pause, dealing with gossip, and the rising epidemic of uptalk (AKA ‘Australian intonation disease’) to the importance of listening , the etiquette of eye contact, tips to build rapport, how to diffuse tension and anger when conversing - especially when you need to broach a difficult subject - and the best approach to disagreeing with someone without being disagreeable.   Readers will more than likely recognise personality types such as the ‘mono-hog’, somebody who turns every conversation into a monologue leaving no room for two-way communication. Not only does Borg provide insights as to how to avoid becoming this type of selfish conversationalist, but he also suggests ways for those on the ‘receiving end’ to subtly enter the discussion without appearing rude.   Throughout there are fascinating off-shoots such as investigating the language of politicians, shooting down the heavy reliance on jargon in the workplace and in the doctor’s surgery, and the differences in how men and women communicate.   Armed with these new-found skills and the understanding that a moment’s forethought before speaking can make a world of difference to the end results, readers can look forward to greater success in everything from the job application and board meeting to family disputes or that all-important first date.   As Borg notes, we all make choices - albeit subconsciously - about the way we get our message across, so whether in a personal or professional capacity we all have the option to make more informed choices… if we just put a little effort into our conversations.   Talkability by James Borg (Pearson) is out now, priced £12.99 in paperback.