Why don’t you understand the person in front of you? Because you’re not listening. Why do harmless questions end in heated discussions? Why does your partner feel attacked by a simple “What time is it?” And why do trivial office conversations escalate into endless power games? The answer is simple: because no one really communicates – they just talk. Vera F. Birkenbihl clearly shows you in this book why you (yes, you) keep falling into communication traps. You will learn:

• How your self-esteem sabotages your communication – and why a harmless “We need to talk” can sound worse than a termination.
• Why your brain is a manipulative deceiver – and how you constantly convince yourself that the other person is “just difficult.”
• How you provoke arguments without realizing it – and which simple tricks from Birkenbihl’s communication lab can turn any conflict into a constructive discussion.

This book is not a soft advice guide for people who just want to express themselves a little better. It is precise training for anyone who finally wants to understand what really happens in conversations – and how to never again look foolish when a harmless sentence becomes a powder keg. Read this book, and you will never argue over trivial matters again. Promise.