Every Conversation Counts: The 5 Habits of Human Connection That Build Extraordinary Relationships

Former TV host Meghji draws on his career as an interviewer in this brisk and timely take on making the most of social encounters. He discusses such topics as active listening, adding depth to small talk, and using “assertive empathy” to show interest in another’s “personal reality” during difficult conversations. His approach encourages the virtues of attention, empathy, vulnerability, and appreciation, and has many similarities to the classic How to Win Friends and Influence People, but the context is thoroughly modernized, with significant consideration to how the pandemic era has changed relationships. A particularly salient chapter, greatly aided by Meghji’s experience in broadcasting, explores how to foster connection through the awkward medium of video calls; he suggests trying to make eye contact with the camera, not the computer screen, and to disable your view of your own video. Readers looking to have more meaningful interactions would do well to pick this up. (Feb.)