Orem Library

"Have you ever been at a cocktail party when all of a sudden you feel like an outsider in the conversation because you have absolutely no idea what the person is talking about? You're standing around with a glass of wine and someone starts talking about how the stock market did that day leading to the career highs of Ben Bernanke and the best way to short a stock. You stand there completely silent because you know nothing about the stock market, let...

"Today most of us communicate from behind electronic screens, and studies show that Americans feel less connected and more divided than ever before. The blame for some of this disconnect can be attributed to our political landscape, but the erosion of our conversational skills as a society lies with us as individuals. And the only way forward, says Celeste Headlee, is to start talking to each other. In We Need to Talk, she outlines the strategies...

A study of the mother-daughter relationship examines every aspect of this complex bond and shows how to improve communication within a family by developing an understanding of the other's point of view.

"Many people need help navigating conversational minefields such as politics and religion-without getting blown up. Mingling with the Enemy is a vital guide for "surviving" contentious arguments, promoting civil discourse, and finding common ground in any social setting-from cocktail parties to PTA meetings. With this go-to guide, readers will learn how to successfully intermingle, listen, and diffuse heated arguments or disagreements while remaining...

Cutting through all the white noise, chatter, and superficiality our cell phones and social media cause, one of Tibet's highest and most respected spiritual leaders offers simple and practical advice to help us increase our attentions spans, become better listeners, and strive to appreciate the people around us. In this easy to understand and helpful book, Sakyong Mipham provides inspiring ideas and practical tips on how to be more present in your...

"We all had teachers who scolded us over the use of um, uh-huh, oh, like, and mm-hmm. But as linguist N.J. Enfield reveals in How We Talk, these "bad words" are fundamental to language. Whether we are speaking with the clerk at the store, our boss, or our spouse, language is dependent on things as commonplace as a rising tone of voice, an apparently meaningless word, or a glance-signals so small that we hardly pay them any conscious attention. Nevertheless,...