Communication is one of the most essential human skills, but rarely are we taught about how to do it effectively. This book does a deep dive into how to communicate effectively in any situation and shows how, for the most part, people are poor communicators who do not the understand fundamental principles of communication and influence. Indeed, the world is full of examples of poor communication that does nothing to enhance a person, an organization or a movement's cause. In fact, quite the reverse.The book covers key factors that influence communication style and then provides insights and practical exercises to improve all aspects of communication, from message creation to delivery, from the concepts to important verbal and non-verbal practices. Dr. Rankin uses research to expose many communication myths and no, communication is NOT 93% non-verbal. Rankin uses examples from business and other walks of life, like spouse and parental communication, to show how and why to craft influential messages. As the author points out, communication is often egocentric and thus frequently self-defeating. Readers will learn about the seven key principles of influence, as well as different communication styles, like story-telling, neuro-linguistic programing and hypnotic language patterns. These concepts are necessity for aspiring leaders, managers, as well as parents, educators, doctors, well---everyone."Quite simply one of my favorite books on effective communication. Rankin makes his points with humor, storytelling and some (for me) pleasant surprises such as the connection between communication and spirituality and the difference between being assertive and being manipulative. I especially like the content on persuasiveness including why it is so important in getting what you want and how we can improve our chances of persuading others to consider our ideas and requests. If you're looking for books that can help you communicate more effectively, I recommend putting this one on your short list."-- Kenneth Laurence Neal"The ego is the thermal underwear of our psyche," writes Howard Rankin in this highly readable, entertaining and yet profound guide to effective communications. "It allows our innermost processes to be kept within, keeping us warm, comfortable and protected from the harsh elements of the outside world...""The problem with most of our communication," he continues, "is that it is given and received with too much thermal underwear. We keep the barriers up, not extending ourselves, and not letting the other person in."The upshot: "If meaningful communication is hard to find, so is meaning...Communication is a spiritual issue. It is spiritual not just in the fact it requires personal extension and understanding, but that it is a prerequisite for articulating the meaning in our lives. Communication skills are therefore the most valuable personal resource."This book is full of gems like this. As a writer, I particularly enjoyed Rankin's discussion of story-telling. "Human beings are programmed to make sense of the world around them. Uncertainty is far too unsettling for the human mind, and we will go to great lengths to construct explanations, even if they are detrimental to us, rather than put up with the unknown...We are thus programmed to tell ourselves stories for the sake of our sanity. Communication _is_ story-telling."But perhaps the most useful part of the book -- the section I will return to again and again -- are his 20 suggestions for escaping the "cage" of our own egos. His is a great list, but his message is that we must continually develop -- and experiment with -- our own.--Dan Forbush