Genderspeak: Men, Women, and the Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense by Suzette Haden Elgin

From the Publisher

Communications guru Suzette Haden Elgin bridges the gender gap. In this groundbreaking book, the internationally acclaimed author of The Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense helps you anticipate and avoid the frustrating conversational knots in which men and women all too often find themselves entangled. Picking up where other authors leave off, Suzette Haden Elgin arms you with her proven techniques for dealing effectively with verbal confrontation in your personal and professional lives. She zeroes in on how to:
* Identify the differences between women's and men's perceptions of the world and avoid the dangerous semantic traps they create
* Distinguish between innocent and willful misunderstandings—and what to do about them
* Read body language and use it as a powerful communications tool
* Recognize and put an end to the treacherous verbal games people play
Strikingly true-to-life dialogues and scenarios illustrate each point, covering nearly every argument and misunderstanding you've ever had with somebody of the opposite sex. Empowered with Elgin's proven techniques for dealing with these situations, you'll be prepared to take full control of any verbal confrontation with your co-workers, friends, and family.

Publishers Weekly

Elgin ( The Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense ) offers a counter to Deborah Tannen's You Just Don't Understand . Elgin argues that men and women, in fact, speak the same language and can successfully communicate with one another in the workplace, family and intimate relationships. Though she agrees that men and women perceive the world differently, she sees language and communication as a way to bridge those differences rather than as the greatest barrier. Structured around her ``Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense'' system, this volume demonstrates how to tackle various situations in which men and women often end up in verbal conflict. Each chapter includes a narrative conflict case study, analysis, discussion of communication techniques and review of the original case. The issues Elgin traces out are very up-to-date (two-career-family problems, sexual harassment), her advice is straightforward and clear and the techniques seem smart and reasonable. Though, as she admits, her system assumes quite a bit of cultural homogeneity, it offers a practical and useful guide for treading the minefield of communication between men and women. BOMC, QPB and Fortune Book Club selections; author tour. (June)

Ilene Rosoff - WomanSource Catalog & Review: Tools for Connecting the Community for Women

For doing verbal battle with the opposite sex, this is the book I'd want to have by my side. I found the audio of Suzette Haden Elgin's first book, The Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense, exceedingly useful in countering everyday conversational barbs; this book is even better, turning the focus to the gender arena. It's amazing how easy it is to fall into conversation traps rooted in differences between men's and women's perceptions of the world. The example dialogs given here will hit you where you live, especially for women who find themselves feeling trapped or misunderstood in exchanges with men. All of us can use these techniques to defuse and avoid verbal minefields, on the job–and everywhere else.

Product Details

• Table of Contents

Table of Contents