what matters most. The book provides information on how to have hard conversations, improve listening and problem solving skills. It is applicable in our personal and business life.

Essential Information:

Difficult Conversations How to Discuss What Matters Most
Stone, D., Patton, B., & Heen, S. (1999) New York, New York: Penguin.
ISBN0-670-88339-5

Outline of the Thesis:
General Subject Matter: Business communication
Theme: Communication during uncomfortable conversations.
Thesis: The author explores what makes some conversations difficult, why people avoid having difficult conversations, and why people often manage difficult conversations poorly. The author then provides information on how to handle these situations. …show more content…

If a person choses to walk away, they should clarify why, describing their interests, feelings and choices.

Strengths and Weaknesses:


Strength
The strengths of this book are many. I found it to be an easy read. It breaks conversations down and gives great examples that keep things understandable and applicable across myriad circumstances. It's useful in working through partner relationships, parent-child relationships, and employer-employee relationships.

Weakness
One weakness I found in the book is the author provides limited data on how well they have found this approach to work. I also feel that both parties involved in the conversation would have need to read the book to achieve optimal benefit. Survey of Topics covered and Other Information:

I found the most important theme throughout the book was to be an active listener. This requires being present and focused on the speaker. From listening you may not change your opinion of the situation but you will gain a greater perspective into what the others person is saying. This will improve relationships and likely more positive outcomes in the future. Research shows that we only remember between 25 percent and 50 percent of what we hear. (Carlson, 2013) When we are involved in a difficult conversation people are