Actively listening is a form of communication that shows you truly care. Here are the best active listening books to help you master this impactful skill.
It’s a beautiful thing to speak to someone and feel like you’re truly being heard.
Active listening is a gift that we receive, but it’s also a gift that we can give to others.
Here are the best books about active listening to help you become a more curious listener and a better communicator.
These active listening books will help you identify areas where you can improve your listening skills, in order to comprehend more of what others say and to reflect this understanding in your response.
When you master the techniques offered in these books, you’ll be surprised at the difference it makes in your everyday interactions, making you a more approachable colleague, family member, or friend.
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Here are the best books on active listening to add to your reading list:
Validation, a.k.a. "I hear you" is one of the key ingredients behind active listening.
In this book, author and relationship coach Michael S. Sorensen, uncovers the whats, whys, and hows of this valuable communication skill.
Whether you’re looking to improve your relationship with your spouse, navigate difficult career conversations, or connect on a deeper level with friends and family, this active listening book will guide you closer to your goal.
You'll learn how to:
This book is charming, conversational, and easy to read - yet the insights it provides can have a powerful effect on the way you view and approach relationships in every area of your life.
Read this book: get hard copy on amazon
Active Listening Techniques is a book that contains 30 practical communication tools to help you ensure that the people around you feel heard, respected, and understood.
The skills you'll learn will not only help you become a more engaged listener, they'll also help you get your message across, cultivate healthier relationships, and even achieve greater career success.
You will discover:
Read this book: get hard copy on amazon
One person talks; the other listens.
Or at least that's how it's supposed to go...right?
This witty book by psychology professor Michael P. Nichols explains how most of us think of ourselves as better listeners than we actually are, and teaches us how to master the lost art of listening.
The strategies in this book have helped thousands of readers break through conflicts and transform their personal and professional relationships.
You'll find answers to questions such as:
Moreover, it contains vivid examples and practical exercises that bring the ideas to life in real-life contexts, so you can gradually become more aware of your thoughts each time you're in a conversation.
Read this book: get hard copy on amazon | get the free audiobook
Getting through to someone is both a fine art, and a critical one.
This is especially true in tense situations, where things can go from bad to worse if you can't break through emotional barricades and get your message registered.
In this book, author Mark Goulston draws on his experience as a psychiatrist, business consultant and coach, to help readers turn the “impossible” and “unreachable” people in their lives into allies, devoted customers, loyal colleagues, and lifetime friends.
Just Listen reveals how to:
Whether you're dealing with coworkers, friends, family, or complete strangers, the first step to persuading anyone to do anything is getting them to hear you out. This book on active listening will provide you with the tools to do exactly that.
Read this book: get hard copy on amazon | get the free audiobook
We live in a world where social media constantly encourages us to lead the conversation and share our experiences.
On the other hand, there doesn't seem to be enough emphasis on actually listening to others.
And it’s making us lonelier, more isolated, and less tolerant than ever before.
You're Not Listening is a book where Kate Murphy, New York Times contributor and a listener by trade, explains why we’re not listening, what it’s doing to us, and how we can reverse the trend.
She explores the psychology, neuroscience, and sociology of listening while also introducing us to some of the best listeners out there - including a CIA agent, focus group moderator, bartender, radio producer, and top furniture salesman.
Overall, Murphy offers a sincere, passionate, and illuminating perspective on the current state of society and provides a rousing call-to-action to help readers enact positive change on a personal level.
Read this book: get hard copy on amazon | get the free audiobook
Listening: The Forgotten Skill is a popular written guide and program for turning effective listening into a powerful business tool.
It's one of the best books on active listening because it uses an interactive learning approach and contains various worksheets, charts, and self-tests that help you monitor your own progress.
You'll learn how to:
The active listening skills you acquire through this book will help you navigate the sort of misunderstood and misdirected messages that lead to millions of dollars' worth of mistakes in organizations.
Read this book: get hard copy on amazon | get the free audiobook
If we want to connect with people and truly understand what they're going through, we have to be able to engage in compassionate, mindful listening.
In The Compassionate Connection, Dr. David Rakel draws on his clinical experience and the latest scientific research to describe the power of human connection and the ways it can be used to boost health and well-being.
Many times we find ourselves interrupted and inundated with tasks and stresses that make us feel disconnected from others.
When we learn to practice the healing power of compassion, we not only strengthen our bonds with others - we also do emotional and physical good for ourselves.
The tools in this book provide a pathway for improving the quality of our connections - whether between doctor and patient, husband and wife, parent and child, or boss and employee.
Read this book: get hard copy on amazon | get the free audiobook
4 Essential Keys to Effective Communication is a book that provides tips on overcoming the communication barriers that we often face when dealing with those close to us.
You will learn skills to help you:
In addition, the book comes with a 12-Day Communication Challenge and Action Guide at the end, so you practice each skill individually and create a solid plan for your personal growth.
Read this book: get hard copy on amazon | get the free audiobook
Listening is harder than it looks - but it's the difference between business success and failure.
In Power Listening, Bernard Ferrari, top executive adviser, explains how poor listening leads to bad decisions in organizations - and demonstrates how good listening habits can be developed and mastered.
Here are some of his key insights on the topic of good listening:
As you read this active listening book, you'll discover how to "turn a tin ear into a platinum ear" by asking thoughtful questions, affirming your conversation partner, and showing that you're truly present.
Read this book: get hard copy on amazon | get the free audiobook
Crucial Conversations is a book that's designed to prepare us for the difficult conversations that we just can't avoid.
Those moments where your friend is hot-headed and desperate to speak with you, as well as those moments where you're the one who really needs to get something off your chest.
It shows you how to put away any feelings of anger, defensiveness, or resentment, so you can open up the lines of communication and work towards a mutually agreeable solution.
You'll learn how to:
This engaging book will enhance your conversational abilities and emotional intelligence across a wide range of areas, including the way you approach negotiations both at work and in your personal life.
Read this book: get hard copy on amazon
Every minute that you spend improving your active listening skills will greatly pay off in the long run. Why?
Because the simple fact is that we don't learn from talking; we learn from listening.
While there's definitely a place for contribution, we gain so much more from absorbing the wisdom and experiences that surround us.
So, thank you for "listening" to me as I shared some of the best books about active listening. I hope you found something that peaked your interest.
Now over to you, so to speak :)
=> Get a free active listening audiobook of your choice here.
Enjoy!
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