W03 - Recommendation: "The Art of Communication"

Last week I read Tuo Buhua's "Methods of Communication." As a book about communication, it is written in a plain, fluent style and is very readable. Its strength is that it comes from practice and returns to practice; I think it’s well suited as basic skills training material. Below I briefly outline the book’s structure—if interested, you can buy it or borrow it from me.

For popular non-fiction to sell well it needs to deliver both impact and practical relevance.

It begins by delivering provocative ideas to provide fresh insights and spark reading interest. For example, communication is an "infinite game" whose ultimate aim is to link more constructive relationships into your web of life, nourishing that web so it keeps growing. The biggest problem in communication is that people assume communication has already happened.

Next comes the methodology. I mainly reviewed this section, which sketches a complete narrative framework and distills many communication techniques and guiding principles.

Structured listening. Communication is not about eloquence or rhetorical flourish; it’s about listening. Listening requires attention to what is heard—information can pass from one ear to the other and the listener may retain only half of it; what matters is what that retained half actually is.

Listen to words and tone. The biggest variable in communication is people, and the book breaks communicators down into basic types. Comparing people to different animals makes them easy to visualize and remember.

Active responses. By analyzing complex situations in communication, this section reduces them to two techniques: emotional acceptance and affirmative responses. These are especially useful in awkward situations you can’t resolve or when the other party may be acting maliciously.

Three core communication principles—openness, sense of purpose, and constructiveness. These foundational principles run through all scenarios and are explained in detail in the book. I believe these three points address the most critical questions in communication: how to make others want to talk with you, what to talk about, and what benefits can result.

Finally, the book offers extensive case studies of scenarios. It can serve as a practical communication handbook you consult as needed. For example, for workplace situations: how to break the ice, how to coach, how to discuss performance—listening to multiple perspectives brings clarity.