Introduction: We need to talk (or for the busy reader, the concise manifesto)
Hello : on conversation's casting couch
Small talk, big deal? : on striking up a tune
Pay heed : on the acrobatics of attention
The rest is silence : on not speaking
Fit subjects : on topics in search of good homes
Into the groove : on steering controls
Do go on : on wrangling boredom
Wit to woo : on humour as social engineering
How to tell a good lie : on the detection of untruths
Pillow talk : on the languages of love
The fine art of flattery : on love in measured doses
Shop talk : on conversation as work
Choppy waters : on navigating difficult conversation
Shut-up shop : on how to wage a word war
Are you receiving me? : on stitching conversation into your life.
