The Art of Conversation: Magic Key to Personal and Social Popularity

by James A. Morris Jr.

Following the simplest suggestions and rules found in this book can make you a truly outstanding conversationalist - and bring you popularity and success with people that you never thought possible!

Genres: Self Help

192 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1976

Reviews

[goatmilksoda]

Honestly fairly solid advice, but take it with a grain of salt.
The most common criticism I hear about this book is the fact that it's outdated. Yes, that is true, but it shows through the examples more than the actual advice. The dialogue is stereotypical, clunky, and near robotic. And yes, I think some of it's even a bit sexist. But, it's an older book and examples aren't meant to be recreated or taken literally, they're just there to explain better. A vast majority is solid advice and is also very basic, I think it's a good starting place if you need it. But again, take everything with a grain of salt. Think about what you're reading and think critically.

[Collin Kannenberg]

A bit dated as it is from the 70 but it did still provide some helpful tips. While the examples were dated, the general strategies still apply.

[Lisa Lewis Lewis]

Quite dated, with examples such as: "Show your friend how to use your new calculating machine," but overall some helpful tips.

[Jessie Adamczyk]

It is incredibly interesting time capsule but I really can't rate it well...

[Jacob O'connor]

Some reminders, some encouragement, but very little in the way of new ideas. I can only recommend this to those who haven’t put much thought to the topic.

[SmarterLilac]

Just okay. Not bad and not totally worthless, but I like Debra Fine's books a lot better. Morris writes with a blunt directness that makes learning about conversation less about nuance and more like a contact sport. Also, with a copyright date of 1976, this work is very dated. (That was probably the most painful thing about reading it.)