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How to Speak / How to Listen
Drawing on decades of experience as an educator and philosopher, Mortimer J. Adler gives a short course in effective communication, invaluable for salespeople, negotiators, teachers, and families seeking better communication among themselves.
280 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
382 people are currently reading
3890 people want to read
About the author
Mortimer J. Adler
595 books1,055 followersNumerous published works of American educator and philosopher Mortimer Jerome Adler include
How to Read a Book
(1940) and
The Conditions of Philosophy
(1965).
This popular author worked with thought of Aristotle and Saint Thomas Aquinas. He lived for the longest stretches in cities of New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and San Mateo. He worked for Columbia University, the University of Chicago, Encyclopædia Britannica, and own institute for philosophical research.
Born to Jewish immigrants, he dropped out school at 14 years of age in 1917 to a copy boy for the New York Sun with the ultimate aspiration to a journalist. Adler quickly returned to school to take writing classes at night and discovered the works of Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, John Locke, John Stuart Mill, and other men, whom he came to call heroes. He went to study at Columbia University and contributed to the student literary magazine, The Morningside, (a poem "Choice" in 1922 when Charles A. Wagner was editor-in-chief and Whittaker Chambers an associate editor). Though he failed to pass the required swimming test for a bachelor's degree (a matter that was rectified when Columbia gave him an honorary degree in 1983), he stayed at the university and eventually received an instructorship and finally a doctorate in psychology. While at Columbia University, Adler wrote his first book: Dialectic, published in 1927.
In 1930 Robert Hutchins, the newly appointed president of the University of Chicago, whom Adler had befriended some years earlier, arranged for Chicago’s law school to hire him as a professor of the philosophy of law; the philosophers at Chicago (who included James H. Tufts, E.A. Burtt, and George H. Mead) had "entertained grave doubts as to Mr. Adler's competence in the field [of philosophy]" and resisted Adler's appointment to the University's Department of Philosophy. Adler was the first "non-lawyer" to join the law school faculty. Adler also taught philosophy to business executives at the Aspen Institute.
Adler and Hutchins went on to found the Great Books of the Western World program and the Great Books Foundation. Adler founded and served as director of the Institute for Philosophical Research in 1952. He also served on the Board of Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica since its inception in 1949, and succeeded Hutchins as its chairman from 1974. As the director of editorial planning for the fifteenth edition of Britannica from 1965, he was instrumental in the major reorganization of knowledge embodied in that edition. He introduced the Paideia Proposal which resulted in his founding the Paideia Program, a grade-school curriculum centered around guided reading and discussion of difficult works (as judged for each grade). With Max Weismann, he founded The Center for the Study of The Great Ideas.
Adler long strove to bring philosophy to the masses, and some of his works (such as How to Read a Book) became popular bestsellers. He was also an advocate of economic democracy and wrote an influential preface to Louis Kelso's The Capitalist Manifesto. Adler was often aided in his thinking and writing by Arthur Rubin, an old friend from his Columbia undergraduate days. In his own words:
Unlike many of my contemporaries, I never write books for my fellow professors to read. I have no interest in the academic audience at all. I'm interested in Joe Doakes. A general audience can read any book I write—and they do.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortimer...
This popular author worked with thought of Aristotle and Saint Thomas Aquinas. He lived for the longest stretches in cities of New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and San Mateo. He worked for Columbia University, the University of Chicago, Encyclopædia Britannica, and own institute for philosophical research.
Born to Jewish immigrants, he dropped out school at 14 years of age in 1917 to a copy boy for the New York Sun with the ultimate aspiration to a journalist. Adler quickly returned to school to take writing classes at night and discovered the works of Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, John Locke, John Stuart Mill, and other men, whom he came to call heroes. He went to study at Columbia University and contributed to the student literary magazine, The Morningside, (a poem "Choice" in 1922 when Charles A. Wagner was editor-in-chief and Whittaker Chambers an associate editor). Though he failed to pass the required swimming test for a bachelor's degree (a matter that was rectified when Columbia gave him an honorary degree in 1983), he stayed at the university and eventually received an instructorship and finally a doctorate in psychology. While at Columbia University, Adler wrote his first book: Dialectic, published in 1927.
In 1930 Robert Hutchins, the newly appointed president of the University of Chicago, whom Adler had befriended some years earlier, arranged for Chicago’s law school to hire him as a professor of the philosophy of law; the philosophers at Chicago (who included James H. Tufts, E.A. Burtt, and George H. Mead) had "entertained grave doubts as to Mr. Adler's competence in the field [of philosophy]" and resisted Adler's appointment to the University's Department of Philosophy. Adler was the first "non-lawyer" to join the law school faculty. Adler also taught philosophy to business executives at the Aspen Institute.
Adler and Hutchins went on to found the Great Books of the Western World program and the Great Books Foundation. Adler founded and served as director of the Institute for Philosophical Research in 1952. He also served on the Board of Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica since its inception in 1949, and succeeded Hutchins as its chairman from 1974. As the director of editorial planning for the fifteenth edition of Britannica from 1965, he was instrumental in the major reorganization of knowledge embodied in that edition. He introduced the Paideia Proposal which resulted in his founding the Paideia Program, a grade-school curriculum centered around guided reading and discussion of difficult works (as judged for each grade). With Max Weismann, he founded The Center for the Study of The Great Ideas.
Adler long strove to bring philosophy to the masses, and some of his works (such as How to Read a Book) became popular bestsellers. He was also an advocate of economic democracy and wrote an influential preface to Louis Kelso's The Capitalist Manifesto. Adler was often aided in his thinking and writing by Arthur Rubin, an old friend from his Columbia undergraduate days. In his own words:
Unlike many of my contemporaries, I never write books for my fellow professors to read. I have no interest in the academic audience at all. I'm interested in Joe Doakes. A general audience can read any book I write—and they do.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortimer...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
September 17, 2008
Listen to How I Speak would have been the better title for Adler's didactic abortion How to Speak, How to Listen. A book that styles itself as a how to speak and listen, there is very little content of this kind. Instead, Adler moralizes ad nauseum on a completely different problem: why it is important to speak and listen. This discussion is not out of place, but Adler gives it so much focus, and conveyed in a patronizing tone, that the question of why composes nearly the entire book--far out of proportion with what was due.
To compound the annoyance, Adler embarks upon a twice bold, half intelligent, completely unilluminating systemization of types of talk: persuasive, informative, social, et cetera. This might have been suited as a preliminary for the sole purpose of outlining the book's course. But Adler returns obsessively to his system, as if he were immersed in a pathbreaking program to remake the intellectual landscape of discourse--defining and categorizing like a latter-day Aristotle. This was a bizarre excursus that should not have even been started, but once begun was too feeble and misshapen to make any distance or do any work, and had to be nursed for the entire journey.
When finally one passes beyond the nerve grating, eminently forgettable ramblings on significance and arrives at the promised material--how to speak and listen--all there is, is a sorry assortment of recommendations, either patently obvious or uselessly abstract. This was anticlimatic in the extreme. By this point the reader is too tired, enervated, and irritated to bear any more disappointments. If Adler, perhaps, hadn't taken the long meandering course the let down wouldn't be so large. But like a long treasure hunt that returns no treasure, the reader feels ready to mutiny.
If this entry sounds shrill or callous that was not my intent--it's been several days since I finished the book and any courtesies that are owed have since faded from memory. I can applaud Adler for his ability to reduce the discussion to simple terms, so that his lessons are easily received. But this does not exonerate him from the fundamental error of offering on substance for all of his sound, or the irritating digressions and circumlocutions that lead to no where.
To compound the annoyance, Adler embarks upon a twice bold, half intelligent, completely unilluminating systemization of types of talk: persuasive, informative, social, et cetera. This might have been suited as a preliminary for the sole purpose of outlining the book's course. But Adler returns obsessively to his system, as if he were immersed in a pathbreaking program to remake the intellectual landscape of discourse--defining and categorizing like a latter-day Aristotle. This was a bizarre excursus that should not have even been started, but once begun was too feeble and misshapen to make any distance or do any work, and had to be nursed for the entire journey.
When finally one passes beyond the nerve grating, eminently forgettable ramblings on significance and arrives at the promised material--how to speak and listen--all there is, is a sorry assortment of recommendations, either patently obvious or uselessly abstract. This was anticlimatic in the extreme. By this point the reader is too tired, enervated, and irritated to bear any more disappointments. If Adler, perhaps, hadn't taken the long meandering course the let down wouldn't be so large. But like a long treasure hunt that returns no treasure, the reader feels ready to mutiny.
If this entry sounds shrill or callous that was not my intent--it's been several days since I finished the book and any courtesies that are owed have since faded from memory. I can applaud Adler for his ability to reduce the discussion to simple terms, so that his lessons are easily received. But this does not exonerate him from the fundamental error of offering on substance for all of his sound, or the irritating digressions and circumlocutions that lead to no where.
February 15, 2016
5 stars = Yearly re-read
4 stars = Re-read eventually
3 stars = Very Good
2 stars = OK
1 stars = Pass on this one.
0 stars = Couldn't finish it.d.
4 stars = Re-read eventually
3 stars = Very Good
2 stars = OK
1 stars = Pass on this one.
0 stars = Couldn't finish it.d.
August 27, 2013
I read this book just before I joined university. It instructs one how to make a good speech. I vied for class rep using the ideas from this book and won by a landslide.
Adler also breaks down some of the great speeches like Mark Anthony's 'Friends, Romans, Countrymen' speech in Shakespeare's 'Julius Caesar'.
A must-have for those aspiring to excel at public speaking... and listening.
Adler also breaks down some of the great speeches like Mark Anthony's 'Friends, Romans, Countrymen' speech in Shakespeare's 'Julius Caesar'.
A must-have for those aspiring to excel at public speaking... and listening.
March 7, 2017
The book 'How To Speak and How to Listen' doesn't live up to it's promise. Its a good book for sure, and the initial part of the book looks very promising. But much of the points that have been elaborated in the author's earlier and more widely-read work, 'How to Read A Book' is being reiterated once more here, despite the author stressing that speaking and listening is harder and more important than the former! Surely that implies a better and thorough treatment of the topic on the author's part.
Appendix I and II are illuminating in their own rights - until the readers realized that it's presence was originally meant to serve as an example on how a speech should be written or structured. That is, it's main purpose is to drive home the book's main points -which now is really hard to locate in between the lines anyway as the points that was mentioned earlier was put out rather abstractly- not as a philosophical/intellectual exercise per se.
That being said, it still is a highly pleasurable reading.
Appendix I and II are illuminating in their own rights - until the readers realized that it's presence was originally meant to serve as an example on how a speech should be written or structured. That is, it's main purpose is to drive home the book's main points -which now is really hard to locate in between the lines anyway as the points that was mentioned earlier was put out rather abstractly- not as a philosophical/intellectual exercise per se.
That being said, it still is a highly pleasurable reading.
July 20, 2013
“How to Speak How to Listen” was an excellent book that challenges one to listen and not simply hear. “Listening”, like reading is an art that has rules and can greatly benefit an individual who is seeking understanding. “Speaking” is also considered in Adler’s book and he gives practical advice that helps equip the speaker to not simply “talk” but actually communicate ideas and understanding in a cogent and intelligible manner. Like writing, speaking is an art that can be improved upon and Alder helps one develop those skills. Finally, Adler digs into the art of conversation, which entails both speaking and listening. He will challenge you by showing that “experience and reading” while are necessary to grow in understanding are not complete without “conversation.” Conversation ought to be enlightening and enjoyable.
Appendix II is worth the price of the book itself. Adler shows and tells you how he conducts seminars for executives. On the surface this might sound a bit too specific of information for the average reader who is not concerned with giving a seminar to executives but I’m convinced the layman can benefit greatly from such information. Essentially, the seminar that Adler conducts involves a reading of selected works which are then discussed at length. Adler shows an individual how to get the most out of such a discussion.
The executive seminar not only gives you the skills for conducting such discussion groups or even simple book clubs, but also gives one a deeper understanding of the great ideas of “equality” “liberty” “justice” and “property” through utilizing different readings and by asking questions. What does equality mean? Are we talking about “political equality” or “economic equality” or simply “equality in the sense of having dignity as a human”? These are the issues that are turned over and over again throughout the goldmine of an appendix. Who would have thought that “democracy” and “capitalism” could generate so much discussion? Well, maybe that was already known, but Adler shows you how to intelligently and civilly discuss such matters of great importance.
Appendix II is worth the price of the book itself. Adler shows and tells you how he conducts seminars for executives. On the surface this might sound a bit too specific of information for the average reader who is not concerned with giving a seminar to executives but I’m convinced the layman can benefit greatly from such information. Essentially, the seminar that Adler conducts involves a reading of selected works which are then discussed at length. Adler shows an individual how to get the most out of such a discussion.
The executive seminar not only gives you the skills for conducting such discussion groups or even simple book clubs, but also gives one a deeper understanding of the great ideas of “equality” “liberty” “justice” and “property” through utilizing different readings and by asking questions. What does equality mean? Are we talking about “political equality” or “economic equality” or simply “equality in the sense of having dignity as a human”? These are the issues that are turned over and over again throughout the goldmine of an appendix. Who would have thought that “democracy” and “capitalism” could generate so much discussion? Well, maybe that was already known, but Adler shows you how to intelligently and civilly discuss such matters of great importance.
November 28, 2015
This is Classic that ought to be taught in high-schools. Mortimer J Adler has left no stone unturned in exploring and thus effectively articulating the challenges faced by most of us on effective listening and speaking. I have read a lot of books on how to speak, speak without fear,which, incidentally is more common in the "How to" publishing world. This Book is very different, sort of dry & academic if you are not used to reading/listening to a subject that is so common yet so ignored and unexplored. Once you are able to hold past that intellectually challenging narrative, you will be totally consumed by the varied exposition the book offers, you'd be in awe at the very science of speech and listening. Its a shame that i did not read this book 20 years ago, by the way, after I heard the audio version of the book bought a paperback edition to read it one more time. One word of caution though, please do not listen to this audio book while driving car or commuting in a public transportation system with ambient noise; listen to it when your mind is most active, sitting still, preferably. For, the authors have done a wonderful job in gifting us insights that are hitherto oblivious to most of us. After having listened to this audio book, i went back to my Library to read the works of Aristotle, especially, Ethics, for now i realized what a piece of Art these classical texts are, thanks in part to Mortimer J. Adler, for enlightening and showing the way to some real intellectual pursuit i drifted off reading junk on the internet.
February 7, 2017
My reading process of this book run smoothly like the flow of the river after joining Worldview of Islamic Series seminar (WISE). We used to organise and participate in the seminar and the seminar is just the same as what Mortimer Adler means – it has tutorial sections for every philosophical text (in our case, we use Prof. al-Attas' works), the tutor asks and discusses with the participants in about 2 hours (not 50 minutes as the usual talk) and the level of the tutor is just a little bit better than the participants to enhance more productive discussion and decrease the intellectual gap. So, this is what they mean by the Socratic's method.
Of course this book elaborates more about the other prerequisites for holding a 'real' seminar such as how the tutor illustrates the diagram on the whiteboard to shape our framework properly other than describing ad hominem that may occur while we respond to any part of the discussions and so on.
What is more interesting about our seminar is our tutor just quoting Adler (on how meeting of minds is quite difficult to happen which is also said in this book) with the other quotations from Noam Chomsky on language, Dorothy Sayers on learning and Prof. al-Attas' works (Prolegomena, Islam and Secularism, Islam and the Philosophy of Science) on philosophy.
Of course this book elaborates more about the other prerequisites for holding a 'real' seminar such as how the tutor illustrates the diagram on the whiteboard to shape our framework properly other than describing ad hominem that may occur while we respond to any part of the discussions and so on.
What is more interesting about our seminar is our tutor just quoting Adler (on how meeting of minds is quite difficult to happen which is also said in this book) with the other quotations from Noam Chomsky on language, Dorothy Sayers on learning and Prof. al-Attas' works (Prolegomena, Islam and Secularism, Islam and the Philosophy of Science) on philosophy.
May 25, 2015
Я ожидал совсем другую книгу прочесть.
Под таким заголовком и после знакомства с книгой "Как читать книги" ожидалось увидеть нечто похожую работу автора, но уже в рамках психологии. А здесь же встретился с некой публицистической работой с примесями и размышлениями Адлера исходя из его жизненного опыта и деятельности.
Нет не всё так уж и плохо, есть и книге очень многого весьма полезного. Возможно людям более практическим по жизни она будет весьма интересна, возможно даже и очень. Но в этом также её и проблема как мне кажется. И если бы не маниакальная в хорошем смысле данного слова педантичность автора в подходе к данной книги я бы возможно оценил её не больше чем на три бала. Он просто монстр в своём деле!
Одним слово книга на любителя. Любителя эрудированного и, повторюсь, практичного.
Под таким заголовком и после знакомства с книгой "Как читать книги" ожидалось увидеть нечто похожую работу автора, но уже в рамках психологии. А здесь же встретился с некой публицистической работой с примесями и размышлениями Адлера исходя из его жизненного опыта и деятельности.
Нет не всё так уж и плохо, есть и книге очень многого весьма полезного. Возможно людям более практическим по жизни она будет весьма интересна, возможно даже и очень. Но в этом также её и проблема как мне кажется. И если бы не маниакальная в хорошем смысле данного слова педантичность автора в подходе к данной книги я бы возможно оценил её не больше чем на три бала. Он просто монстр в своём деле!
Одним слово книга на любителя. Любителя эрудированного и, повторюсь, практичного.
September 2, 2021
Without continued learning throughout all the years of one's adult life, no one can become a truly educated person, no matter how good the individual's schooling has been.
Welp, as with not judging a book by its cover, you also can't judge a book by its title alone. I liked Adler's guide on reading well along with his goal of making the classics mainstream, and I was looking for pointers on how not to stutter when arguing with family. But How to Speak How to Listen isn't much of a book on speaking and listening in everyday conversation as it is orating and notetaking in lecture halls, seminars, and forums, with most of the logic stemming from How to Read a Book. From time to time, I do have fantasies a la the Freedom Writers where I'm an eccentric teacher in a classroom, desks are arranged in a circle, bouncing ideas off students during a discussion on Euthyphro or something, so I managed to get some nuggets out of this book.
I have a sneaking suspicion Adler wrote these self-help books moreso with the purpose of shutting down a couple of widespread misapprehensions. In one section, he kills the materialist fantasy that the Singularity will ever happen, "all wizardry of man's technology will never be able to shape matter into truly thinking machines." Appendix I, used as an example for how to outline a speech, is a talk Adler gave at the American Association of Neurological Surgeons arguing the insufficiency of examining the brain to explain all of human thought. Appendix II, the example seminar structure, was an address delivered "to enable the participants to come to a better understanding of 'democracy' and 'capitalism'... and... of their opposites--'totalitarianism' and 'communism'" which includes a swift take down of Marx. Technocrats and material determinists beware.
Suffice it to say, I am now a Mortimer J. Adler stan (fandom name pending). He is an Aristotle fanboy, believes adolescents shouldn't be allowed to choose a specialization until they are educated in the liberal arts, and supports compulsory public service. He also has strong convictions in his own contentious ideas like the inevitability of a peaceful, one-world government within in the next few millennia. Unfortunately for him and us all, instead of from the Holy See, this government will be run out of Judith Butler's private but gender-neutral bathroom stall at Berkeley. Alas.
Welp, as with not judging a book by its cover, you also can't judge a book by its title alone. I liked Adler's guide on reading well along with his goal of making the classics mainstream, and I was looking for pointers on how not to stutter when arguing with family. But How to Speak How to Listen isn't much of a book on speaking and listening in everyday conversation as it is orating and notetaking in lecture halls, seminars, and forums, with most of the logic stemming from How to Read a Book. From time to time, I do have fantasies a la the Freedom Writers where I'm an eccentric teacher in a classroom, desks are arranged in a circle, bouncing ideas off students during a discussion on Euthyphro or something, so I managed to get some nuggets out of this book.
I have a sneaking suspicion Adler wrote these self-help books moreso with the purpose of shutting down a couple of widespread misapprehensions. In one section, he kills the materialist fantasy that the Singularity will ever happen, "all wizardry of man's technology will never be able to shape matter into truly thinking machines." Appendix I, used as an example for how to outline a speech, is a talk Adler gave at the American Association of Neurological Surgeons arguing the insufficiency of examining the brain to explain all of human thought. Appendix II, the example seminar structure, was an address delivered "to enable the participants to come to a better understanding of 'democracy' and 'capitalism'... and... of their opposites--'totalitarianism' and 'communism'" which includes a swift take down of Marx. Technocrats and material determinists beware.
Suffice it to say, I am now a Mortimer J. Adler stan (fandom name pending). He is an Aristotle fanboy, believes adolescents shouldn't be allowed to choose a specialization until they are educated in the liberal arts, and supports compulsory public service. He also has strong convictions in his own contentious ideas like the inevitability of a peaceful, one-world government within in the next few millennia. Unfortunately for him and us all, instead of from the Holy See, this government will be run out of Judith Butler's private but gender-neutral bathroom stall at Berkeley. Alas.
September 5, 2008
This is a very enjoyable read as you learn how to better communicate. Adler shares an entertaining personal story in about every chapter. The appendix has an invaluable guide to leading book discussion groups. It has changed the way I lead colloquia and the results have been transformational. The depth of increased understanding is remarkable and potentially life changing. If you want the climax of your book groups to change from "where's the cookies?" to brilliant epiphanies, take a look at this book. Also, you'll see rhetoric in a whole new light after reading this.
April 6, 2014
Lots of interesting and helpful pointers, but not as good a book as I expected--but then my expectation was very high. Still, his advice regarding note taking, how to conduct a seminar and how to minimise the strength of emotion in debate are exceedingly useful.
Liked it.
Liked it.
December 26, 2022
He's awfully hard on chimps and bottle-nosed dolphins for not being able to speak, but I'll forgive the grump in his old age. A fine compliment to books such as How to Read a Book, The Trivium, and Everyone Poops.
June 17, 2017
Mortimer Adler is the author of one of my favourite books -- 'How To Read A Book,' which is the ultimate guide in learning how to read in such a way that you extract the full value of the text. Whether books of poetry, science, philosophy, history or mathematics; stories, tragedies, fairytales or instructional books, he shows step-by-step how to get more out of your reading by teaching you how to: ask the right questions, of the author and of yourself; understand what is being said, how and why; focus only on the important points, and therefore not waste time; to critique, and why its important; to take notes; speed reading, slow reading and much more. What's great is that he ends the book with a chapter on each of the different subject areas (poetry, science, history, etc), and explains how each one requires a different sort of mindset -- questions, reading speed, critique, and so on. It is probably the most comprehensive, analytical and practical book ever written about reading.
In 'How to Speak How To Listen,' Adler has applied his methodology, techniques and meticulous attention to detail to the area of communication -- namely, conversation. He discusses the different types of conversation; why it's fundamental to our existence; how to do it well, and how not to; when one type should take priority over another; it's role in teaching and education; and the importance of listening, and why it's a lost art. Again, he breaks each idea down into logical, well thought-out prose; and gives step-by-step instructions backed up by clear examples, that you can immediately apply to your conversations.
Adler's references to the ancient greeks can at times be off-putting, especially if you're unfamiliar with the topic; so too can his repetitive, almost monotonous tone that, at times, can get annoying. Just gloss-over or skip these parts -- I did; having read a couple of books on this topic, I suspect that because I'm familiar with much of what he says, I didn't feel the need to strain through samey arguments.
If you're just getting started on the topic, want to become a better communicator, or are unfamiliar with Adler's ideas and want an introduction to his work, this read is a good place to start. On the other hand, if you're a skilled communicator, have read a few other books on the topic, or have no patience for methodical and repetitive writing, you may want to pass.
In 'How to Speak How To Listen,' Adler has applied his methodology, techniques and meticulous attention to detail to the area of communication -- namely, conversation. He discusses the different types of conversation; why it's fundamental to our existence; how to do it well, and how not to; when one type should take priority over another; it's role in teaching and education; and the importance of listening, and why it's a lost art. Again, he breaks each idea down into logical, well thought-out prose; and gives step-by-step instructions backed up by clear examples, that you can immediately apply to your conversations.
Adler's references to the ancient greeks can at times be off-putting, especially if you're unfamiliar with the topic; so too can his repetitive, almost monotonous tone that, at times, can get annoying. Just gloss-over or skip these parts -- I did; having read a couple of books on this topic, I suspect that because I'm familiar with much of what he says, I didn't feel the need to strain through samey arguments.
If you're just getting started on the topic, want to become a better communicator, or are unfamiliar with Adler's ideas and want an introduction to his work, this read is a good place to start. On the other hand, if you're a skilled communicator, have read a few other books on the topic, or have no patience for methodical and repetitive writing, you may want to pass.
May 27, 2017
As with "How to Read a Book", Mortimer J. Adler wrote another must-have-in-every-library expository work.
How to Speak, How to Listen is a book that delves deeply yet simply in a topic that in our age and time is starting to lose importance. We no longer in schools and universities teach how to speak properly, definitely not how to listen - or how to read for that matter. This is producing a new generation that is unable to communicate verbally - nor in writing either.
This book starts from a premise that speaking and listening are even more important that writing and reading, for they are the distinguishing factor that distinguishes humanity from other living creatures. A fruitful conversation where someone speaks and another - or more - listen and end up changing their minds through agreement, counter-arguing for a change of the other side's mind, or at least reaching an agreement to disagree is a hallmark of humanity, and is the foundation of civilization.
The book's handling of both topics; speaking and listening, is quite exhaustive yet simple and easy to follow. On speaking he touches upon the topics of: Rhetorical Talks, Sales Talk & Persuasive Speech, Lectures & Instructive Speech, and on how to deliver a speech. When it comes to listening he focuses on the skills of silent listening and on how to write while listening.
But then he combines the two in a chapter titled "Two-Way Talk" where he discusses forums and seminars, and touches upon the "talking for pleasure", yet he focuses on the "meeting of the minds" as the ultimate goal of a fruitful discussion, whether it results in an agreement or a disagreement, the important result is that an understanding is reached.
The book's appendices contain examples of a written speech, and of two seminars to further grant benefit to those who wish to follow the author's guidelines.
A must-read.
How to Speak, How to Listen is a book that delves deeply yet simply in a topic that in our age and time is starting to lose importance. We no longer in schools and universities teach how to speak properly, definitely not how to listen - or how to read for that matter. This is producing a new generation that is unable to communicate verbally - nor in writing either.
This book starts from a premise that speaking and listening are even more important that writing and reading, for they are the distinguishing factor that distinguishes humanity from other living creatures. A fruitful conversation where someone speaks and another - or more - listen and end up changing their minds through agreement, counter-arguing for a change of the other side's mind, or at least reaching an agreement to disagree is a hallmark of humanity, and is the foundation of civilization.
The book's handling of both topics; speaking and listening, is quite exhaustive yet simple and easy to follow. On speaking he touches upon the topics of: Rhetorical Talks, Sales Talk & Persuasive Speech, Lectures & Instructive Speech, and on how to deliver a speech. When it comes to listening he focuses on the skills of silent listening and on how to write while listening.
But then he combines the two in a chapter titled "Two-Way Talk" where he discusses forums and seminars, and touches upon the "talking for pleasure", yet he focuses on the "meeting of the minds" as the ultimate goal of a fruitful discussion, whether it results in an agreement or a disagreement, the important result is that an understanding is reached.
The book's appendices contain examples of a written speech, and of two seminars to further grant benefit to those who wish to follow the author's guidelines.
A must-read.
December 28, 2023
One of the most boring books I've read or listened to in this case as I had the audiobook version...
I only have it a chance due to highly recommended book " how to read a book "
( which I've yet to read by the way) but after getting a good opportunity to taste the authors work easily and passively via audio - boy did I get a headache and bored out my mind
In the end it was hopeless to the point I realise as the audiobook played I'd stopped listening in many parts as my interest decreased more
Lets hope his How To Read A Book work is more engaging and better ...
To Our Continued Success!
Seemy
https://Waseem.tv/Blog
👆🏼 P.S -
If you found this review helpful - I’d like to invite you to discover more on our blog. Where the community share some of our most important insights to level up each others knowledge 💡- from experience in studying books like this, training programs, podcasts and much more - visit the blog link above to find out more.
P.P.S 😅 - You probably noticed from my profile that I’ve reviewed a LOT of books over the years now - if you love seeking knowledge like me I’d love to connect with you further as a like minded person (send me a friend invite! 😀) - Also if you are curious - here is my preferred and recommended resource for seeking timeless wisdom - Check it out via the website invite link below 👇🏼 (You’ll be able to claim some awesome books for free 📚)
https://Waseem.tv/GoodReadsBookInvite
I only have it a chance due to highly recommended book " how to read a book "
( which I've yet to read by the way) but after getting a good opportunity to taste the authors work easily and passively via audio - boy did I get a headache and bored out my mind
In the end it was hopeless to the point I realise as the audiobook played I'd stopped listening in many parts as my interest decreased more
Lets hope his How To Read A Book work is more engaging and better ...
To Our Continued Success!
Seemy
https://Waseem.tv/Blog
👆🏼 P.S -
If you found this review helpful - I’d like to invite you to discover more on our blog. Where the community share some of our most important insights to level up each others knowledge 💡- from experience in studying books like this, training programs, podcasts and much more - visit the blog link above to find out more.
P.P.S 😅 - You probably noticed from my profile that I’ve reviewed a LOT of books over the years now - if you love seeking knowledge like me I’d love to connect with you further as a like minded person (send me a friend invite! 😀) - Also if you are curious - here is my preferred and recommended resource for seeking timeless wisdom - Check it out via the website invite link below 👇🏼 (You’ll be able to claim some awesome books for free 📚)
https://Waseem.tv/GoodReadsBookInvite
April 3, 2024
After listening to this book, I feel that I need to take some stars away from some of my reviews over the last few weeks concerning communication. Dr. Adler brings such a depth to the conversation that it seems an audio book as this aught to be followed by a careful reading. His mind is a beautiful mind to try on. That, to me, is what books are, a chance to try on someone else’s mind for a time. One cannot go wrong choosing Adler to meditate on and ruminate with. If you are thinking about reading or listening to this book, please do.
May 5, 2011
A really fascinating book. Adler offers some interesting insight on how to listen well and how to craft a speech, distinguishing persuasive speech between "sales talk" and "lecture." Sales talk seeks to motivate hearers to some kind of action, whereas lecture seeks to change the mind. Helpful tips on how not to engage in one-way, uninterrupted speech (how we sometimes view lectures), whether as the speaker or the listener. Adler is a fun read.
October 1, 2016
This wasn't nearly as good as his How to Read a Book. Mostly related to academic situations rather than everyday life.
March 2, 2014
Great book. This should be a book that every person needs to read.
May 19, 2014
While I found some of the examples and style of writing to be a bit out-of-fashion, this was quite a useful book.
February 24, 2021
Mortimer J. Adler's sequel to How To Read a Book comes across as a bit weak and could benefit from being less theoretical. His writing style is very Aristotelian which both makes it easy to follow but also feeds into the overly theoretical.
Takeaways:
- Make sure you understand the points laid out by your conversation partner before introducing counter arguments.
- Consider the level of pathos, ethos and logos needed in your arguments and how it would vary according to your audience.
- If called upon to give a monologue write out the entire speech and transfer it into short bulletpoints. (These could be turned into PowerPoint slides)
Critique:
It is apparent that How to Speak How to Listen, which was published in the 80's, is a book of a different age speaking to a white male audience before the emergence of the internet.
Conclusion: How to Speak How to Listen gives the appearance of being a tutorial in to engage in such activities but doesn't lend itself to a practical application of the skills which remains mostly theoretical. I would recommend this books to students in the dawn of their higher learning since the book contains many thoughts on how to get the most of lectures and following discussions.
Personally I found some chapters such as the ones on Two-way Talk enlightening but there were a lot of obsolete chapters.
Takeaways:
- Make sure you understand the points laid out by your conversation partner before introducing counter arguments.
- Consider the level of pathos, ethos and logos needed in your arguments and how it would vary according to your audience.
- If called upon to give a monologue write out the entire speech and transfer it into short bulletpoints. (These could be turned into PowerPoint slides)
Critique:
It is apparent that How to Speak How to Listen, which was published in the 80's, is a book of a different age speaking to a white male audience before the emergence of the internet.
Conclusion: How to Speak How to Listen gives the appearance of being a tutorial in to engage in such activities but doesn't lend itself to a practical application of the skills which remains mostly theoretical. I would recommend this books to students in the dawn of their higher learning since the book contains many thoughts on how to get the most of lectures and following discussions.
Personally I found some chapters such as the ones on Two-way Talk enlightening but there were a lot of obsolete chapters.
December 24, 2020
This book reads like Gilbert Gottfried’s old Groucho.
Read
July 27, 2024In summary: be a demanding reader (and listener).
September 11, 2018
Adler mais uma vez expõe de uma maneira muito elegante e, principalmente, simples, uma coisa por tantos considerada banal (e pela maioria, inerente), que é a comunicação.
O livro, como um todo, aborda conceitos interessantes que podem (e devem) ser aplicados para que a comunicação humana, de uma maneira geral, consiga progredir. Além de expor detalhadamente (através de sua própria e extensa experiência) as diferentes formas que a fala assume e, em seguida, conselhos muito bons para um melhor aproveitamento da nossa escuta: práticas que nos ajudam a extrair o máximo e de maneira mais proveitosa o que nós é dito.
De uma maneira geral, a sensação que se tem é de que ele poderia ter se aprofundado mais no assunto, usando mais exemplos, embasamento científico, mas é de se esperar que um livro de 83 tenha algumas lacunas no conhecimento científico, além de, é claro, excluir por completo a comunicação virtual, tão presente no nosso dia a dia.
No final das contas, é possível dizer que o livro fornece as fundações para uma comunicação mais inteligente e, para mim, a conclusão é bonita, digamos. Recomendo fortemente a sua leitura para todos que buscam uma comunicação mais eficiente e que gostam de um viés mais teórico (filosofico) nas abordagens práticas.
O livro, como um todo, aborda conceitos interessantes que podem (e devem) ser aplicados para que a comunicação humana, de uma maneira geral, consiga progredir. Além de expor detalhadamente (através de sua própria e extensa experiência) as diferentes formas que a fala assume e, em seguida, conselhos muito bons para um melhor aproveitamento da nossa escuta: práticas que nos ajudam a extrair o máximo e de maneira mais proveitosa o que nós é dito.
De uma maneira geral, a sensação que se tem é de que ele poderia ter se aprofundado mais no assunto, usando mais exemplos, embasamento científico, mas é de se esperar que um livro de 83 tenha algumas lacunas no conhecimento científico, além de, é claro, excluir por completo a comunicação virtual, tão presente no nosso dia a dia.
No final das contas, é possível dizer que o livro fornece as fundações para uma comunicação mais inteligente e, para mim, a conclusão é bonita, digamos. Recomendo fortemente a sua leitura para todos que buscam uma comunicação mais eficiente e que gostam de um viés mais teórico (filosofico) nas abordagens práticas.
November 22, 2024
by writing and speaking, on the one hand, and by reading and listening, on the other. These four uses of language fall into two parallel pairs.
In the case of both reading and writing, the essential element in the requisite skill consists in knowing how to improve one’s reading or writing. That essential element plays no part in the skill to be attained in speaking and listening, because speaking and listening are transient and fleeting like performing arts, as writing and reading are not.
it is impossible to acquire skill in conversation— in talk or discussion— without learning how to speak and how to listen well.
While all discussions are conversations, not all conversations are discussions, for they are often carried on with no particular objective and with little or no direction or control.
Grammar, logic, and rhetoric are the three arts concerned with excellence in the use of language for the expression of thought and feeling.
The Greek word ethos signifies a person’s character. Establishing one’s character is the preliminary step in any attempt at persuasion. The persuader must try to portray himself as having a character that is fitting for the purpose at hand.
you must portray yourself as being the kind of person who knows what you are talking about and can be trusted for your honesty and good will. You must appear attractive and likeable to them as well as trustworthy.
Only after they are persuaded to trust you, can they be persuaded by what you have to say about anything else.
You can do it by telling stories about yourself, the effectiveness of which will be heightened if they provoke laughter and the laughter is about you. You can do it more indirectly by underestimating your credentials to speak about the matter at hand, thus allowing the listeners to dismiss your underestimation as undue modesty. You can also do it by suggesting your association with others whom you praise for certain qualities that you hope your listeners will also attribute to you.
pathos consists in arousing the passions of the listeners, getting their emotions running in the direction of the action to be taken.
Logos— the marshalling of reasons— comes last. Just as you cannot bring motivating passions into play, feelings in favor of the end result you are seeking to produce, until you have first aroused favorable feelings toward your own person, so there is little point in resorting to reasons and arguments until you have first established an emotional mood that is receptive of them. Reasons and arguments may be used to reinforce the drive of the passions, but reasons and arguments will have no force at all unless your listeners are already disposed emotionally to move in the direction that your reasons and arguments try to justify.
Above all, the persuader should avoid lengthy, involved, and intricate arguments.
because uninterrupted speech and silent listening are more difficult to do well than writing and reading, they are both rendered more effective when instructive speech is followed by two- way talk— by conversation or discussion, by questions and answers,
If you cannot rely upon the fact that some favorable impression of your character and competence has been conveyed to your audience in advance of your speaking to them, you must do whatever is necessary to establish your authority to speak on the subject chosen.
For effectiveness in persuasion, it is not enough to be clear, cogent, and coherent, however desirable all these qualities are. The thinking you have done privately and are now publicly articulating in your speech must have emotional force as well as intellectual power. The minds of your audience must be moved as well as instructed, and their emotions, stirred by your own, are needed to do the moving.
Taxis concerns the organization of a speech— the order of its three component parts. The first of these is its proem, its opening or introduction; the second, the main body of the speech; and the third, its peroration, its closing or conclusion.
When someone looks you directly in the eye, that tends to hold your attention. It is impolite to turn your eyes away.
Everyone, when they are young, has a little bit of genius; that is, they really do listen. They can listen and talk at the same time. Then they grow a little older and many of them get tired and listen less and less. But some, a very few, continue to listen. And finally they get very old and they do not listen anymore. That is very sad; let us not talk about it.
Listening, like reading, is primarily an activity of the mind, not of the ear or the eye. When the mind is not actively involved in the process, it should be called hearing, not listening; seeing, not reading.
effective listening is much more difficult than effective reading;
Writing while listening is productive and desirable. Talking while listening is counterproductive.
In politics, in business negotiations, in selling, delivering a persuasive speech is never enough. It should always be followed by a question and answer session in which the persuader can both answer questions raised by his audience and raise questions, especially good rhetorical questions, that elicit the answers he wishes to get from them.
Language is the instrument that we use, and must use for the most part, in communicating with one another. If language were a perfect or translucent medium through which one person could see into the mind of another, it would facilitate human conversation to the point where it closely resembled the perfect telepathy of angels. Unfortunately, language is the very opposite. It is a very imperfect medium of communication— cloudy, obscure, full of ambiguities and pitfalls of misunderstanding.
Saying what you mean is one of the hardest things in the world to do. Listening to what others say in order to discern what they mean is equally hard.
A judicious selection of the persons with whom to talk about certain matters is as important as a judicious choice of the right time, place, or occasion for conversation about them.
Objective truth, in contrast, consists in that which is true, not just for you or for me, but for everyone everywhere.
certain number of don’ts to be observed, sensible strictures that are too frequently violated.
1. Don’t digress or change the subject if the conversation is going well.
2. Don’t pry into another person’s private life; and don’t ask questions that are too intimately personal.
3. Don’t indulge in malicious gossip.
4. Don’t speak about confidential matters if you really expect them not to be repeated to others.
5. Don’t just chatter or repeatedly embellish your speech needlessly with social noises such as “you know,” “I mean,” and “as a matter of fact.”
6. Don’t say “Look” when you mean “Please listen.”
number of things worth recommending, such as the following:
1. Ask others about themselves; at the same time, be on guard not to talk too much about yourself.
2. Keep your voice modulated. Laugh when moved to do so, but avoid raucous laughter, and don’t giggle at your own remarks.
3. Listen to whoever is speaking and make it apparent that you are listening by not letting your eyes wander or your attention be diverted.
4. If another person joins the conversation, bring him briefly up to date on what is being discussed and encourage him to join the conversation.
5. At dinner parties, break the ice by turning to the person sitting next to you and asking some question that is calculated to elicit an answer that can then become the subject of conversation. It does not make much difference what you ask if it succeeds in getting the other person to speak.
Examples can be useful, but only to illustrate what you are saying, never to prove it. They should be well chosen for the purpose of making a general statement of your point more intelligible.
Our emotions play an important role in everything we do and say, but they do not help us to talk sense or to converse in a profitable and pleasurable manner. When you find yourself getting annoyed, angry, or overexcited in the course of an argument, leave the room and give yourself time to cool off.
Argument is not aggression. There is no point at all in trying to win an argument simply by putting your opponent down or beating him up.
There is certainly no point in winning an argument for personal or emotional reasons that impel you to try to get the better of the other person when your mind either knows now or will recognize later that he was right and you were wrong.
The meeting of two minds may consist in their understanding of one another while still in disagreement or it may consist in their coming into agreement as a result of their understanding one another.
The virtue of docility (i.e., of teachability), which is the cardinal virtue in all forms of learning, should predispose them to examine new views before they adopt or reject them and also to be openly receptive of them for the sake of examining them.
Shared thoughts and feelings, understood agreements and disagreements, make humans the only animals that genuinely commune with one another.
Outside the bonds of family life, friends and lovers face the same ultimate alternatives. Their friendship and love endure as a genuine communion only as long as they are both able, and also persistent in their effort, to engage in profitable and pleasurable conversation with one another.
Improvement in the quality of public discussion and political debate can be achieved only by improvement in the quality of the schooling that the people as a whole receive.
International wars begin when diplomatic conversations between nations fail. They are presaged by newspaper reports to the effect that “conversations are deteriorating” or that they have “broken down.” Then, if the conflict of interests between nations is sufficiently serious, there is nothing left for them to do but fight to secure their national interests.
(1) As minds without bodies, angels know and will and love, but not in the same manner that we do. (2) Their lack of bodies has a number of striking consequences. (a) They do not learn from experience.
(b) They do not think discursively for they have no imaginations and memories.
(c) Their knowledge, which is intuitive, derives from innate ideas implanted in them at the moment of cheir creation.
(d) They speak to one another telepathically without the use of any medium of communication.
(e) Their minds, which are infallible, never go to sleep.
Man is the only animal with an extended historical tradition and with cultural, as opposed to merely genetic, continuity between the generations.
Man is the only animal that makes laws and constitutions for the associations he forms
Man is the only animal that makes machinery and that produces things by machinofacturing.
None of these things, and others like them, would be possible without conceptual thought and conceptual speech.
I am persuaded by everything I know that brain action by itself does not and cannot suffice to explain conceptual thought, because the essential character of such thought involves transcendence of all material conditions. The reach of the human mind to objects of thought that are totally imperceptible and totally unimaginable is the clearest indication of this.
Every man has a natural— an inherent human— right to be governed as a free man, that is, with his consent and with his participation in government through an effective suffrage. All should be politically equal even if they are economically unequal, because their equality as human beings, each with an equal right to freedom, entitles them to political equality.
that a democracy, with equality of conditions, can still preserve individual liberty by giving countervailing power to secondary agencies of government, in the form of private associations or corporations of all sorts that are not creatures of the central government.
legislation. In the case of despotic misrule the only remedy is rebellion.
Aristotle, the moralist, keeps reminding us that our aim is not just to live, but to live well; and so we should not accumulate wealth endlessly but only as much as we need in order to lead a good life.
The ownership of all means of production by the state is even more concentrated than its ownership by the few under bourgeois capitalism.
In the case of both reading and writing, the essential element in the requisite skill consists in knowing how to improve one’s reading or writing. That essential element plays no part in the skill to be attained in speaking and listening, because speaking and listening are transient and fleeting like performing arts, as writing and reading are not.
it is impossible to acquire skill in conversation— in talk or discussion— without learning how to speak and how to listen well.
While all discussions are conversations, not all conversations are discussions, for they are often carried on with no particular objective and with little or no direction or control.
Grammar, logic, and rhetoric are the three arts concerned with excellence in the use of language for the expression of thought and feeling.
The Greek word ethos signifies a person’s character. Establishing one’s character is the preliminary step in any attempt at persuasion. The persuader must try to portray himself as having a character that is fitting for the purpose at hand.
you must portray yourself as being the kind of person who knows what you are talking about and can be trusted for your honesty and good will. You must appear attractive and likeable to them as well as trustworthy.
Only after they are persuaded to trust you, can they be persuaded by what you have to say about anything else.
You can do it by telling stories about yourself, the effectiveness of which will be heightened if they provoke laughter and the laughter is about you. You can do it more indirectly by underestimating your credentials to speak about the matter at hand, thus allowing the listeners to dismiss your underestimation as undue modesty. You can also do it by suggesting your association with others whom you praise for certain qualities that you hope your listeners will also attribute to you.
pathos consists in arousing the passions of the listeners, getting their emotions running in the direction of the action to be taken.
Logos— the marshalling of reasons— comes last. Just as you cannot bring motivating passions into play, feelings in favor of the end result you are seeking to produce, until you have first aroused favorable feelings toward your own person, so there is little point in resorting to reasons and arguments until you have first established an emotional mood that is receptive of them. Reasons and arguments may be used to reinforce the drive of the passions, but reasons and arguments will have no force at all unless your listeners are already disposed emotionally to move in the direction that your reasons and arguments try to justify.
Above all, the persuader should avoid lengthy, involved, and intricate arguments.
because uninterrupted speech and silent listening are more difficult to do well than writing and reading, they are both rendered more effective when instructive speech is followed by two- way talk— by conversation or discussion, by questions and answers,
If you cannot rely upon the fact that some favorable impression of your character and competence has been conveyed to your audience in advance of your speaking to them, you must do whatever is necessary to establish your authority to speak on the subject chosen.
For effectiveness in persuasion, it is not enough to be clear, cogent, and coherent, however desirable all these qualities are. The thinking you have done privately and are now publicly articulating in your speech must have emotional force as well as intellectual power. The minds of your audience must be moved as well as instructed, and their emotions, stirred by your own, are needed to do the moving.
Taxis concerns the organization of a speech— the order of its three component parts. The first of these is its proem, its opening or introduction; the second, the main body of the speech; and the third, its peroration, its closing or conclusion.
When someone looks you directly in the eye, that tends to hold your attention. It is impolite to turn your eyes away.
Everyone, when they are young, has a little bit of genius; that is, they really do listen. They can listen and talk at the same time. Then they grow a little older and many of them get tired and listen less and less. But some, a very few, continue to listen. And finally they get very old and they do not listen anymore. That is very sad; let us not talk about it.
Listening, like reading, is primarily an activity of the mind, not of the ear or the eye. When the mind is not actively involved in the process, it should be called hearing, not listening; seeing, not reading.
effective listening is much more difficult than effective reading;
Writing while listening is productive and desirable. Talking while listening is counterproductive.
In politics, in business negotiations, in selling, delivering a persuasive speech is never enough. It should always be followed by a question and answer session in which the persuader can both answer questions raised by his audience and raise questions, especially good rhetorical questions, that elicit the answers he wishes to get from them.
Language is the instrument that we use, and must use for the most part, in communicating with one another. If language were a perfect or translucent medium through which one person could see into the mind of another, it would facilitate human conversation to the point where it closely resembled the perfect telepathy of angels. Unfortunately, language is the very opposite. It is a very imperfect medium of communication— cloudy, obscure, full of ambiguities and pitfalls of misunderstanding.
Saying what you mean is one of the hardest things in the world to do. Listening to what others say in order to discern what they mean is equally hard.
A judicious selection of the persons with whom to talk about certain matters is as important as a judicious choice of the right time, place, or occasion for conversation about them.
Objective truth, in contrast, consists in that which is true, not just for you or for me, but for everyone everywhere.
certain number of don’ts to be observed, sensible strictures that are too frequently violated.
1. Don’t digress or change the subject if the conversation is going well.
2. Don’t pry into another person’s private life; and don’t ask questions that are too intimately personal.
3. Don’t indulge in malicious gossip.
4. Don’t speak about confidential matters if you really expect them not to be repeated to others.
5. Don’t just chatter or repeatedly embellish your speech needlessly with social noises such as “you know,” “I mean,” and “as a matter of fact.”
6. Don’t say “Look” when you mean “Please listen.”
number of things worth recommending, such as the following:
1. Ask others about themselves; at the same time, be on guard not to talk too much about yourself.
2. Keep your voice modulated. Laugh when moved to do so, but avoid raucous laughter, and don’t giggle at your own remarks.
3. Listen to whoever is speaking and make it apparent that you are listening by not letting your eyes wander or your attention be diverted.
4. If another person joins the conversation, bring him briefly up to date on what is being discussed and encourage him to join the conversation.
5. At dinner parties, break the ice by turning to the person sitting next to you and asking some question that is calculated to elicit an answer that can then become the subject of conversation. It does not make much difference what you ask if it succeeds in getting the other person to speak.
Examples can be useful, but only to illustrate what you are saying, never to prove it. They should be well chosen for the purpose of making a general statement of your point more intelligible.
Our emotions play an important role in everything we do and say, but they do not help us to talk sense or to converse in a profitable and pleasurable manner. When you find yourself getting annoyed, angry, or overexcited in the course of an argument, leave the room and give yourself time to cool off.
Argument is not aggression. There is no point at all in trying to win an argument simply by putting your opponent down or beating him up.
There is certainly no point in winning an argument for personal or emotional reasons that impel you to try to get the better of the other person when your mind either knows now or will recognize later that he was right and you were wrong.
The meeting of two minds may consist in their understanding of one another while still in disagreement or it may consist in their coming into agreement as a result of their understanding one another.
The virtue of docility (i.e., of teachability), which is the cardinal virtue in all forms of learning, should predispose them to examine new views before they adopt or reject them and also to be openly receptive of them for the sake of examining them.
Shared thoughts and feelings, understood agreements and disagreements, make humans the only animals that genuinely commune with one another.
Outside the bonds of family life, friends and lovers face the same ultimate alternatives. Their friendship and love endure as a genuine communion only as long as they are both able, and also persistent in their effort, to engage in profitable and pleasurable conversation with one another.
Improvement in the quality of public discussion and political debate can be achieved only by improvement in the quality of the schooling that the people as a whole receive.
International wars begin when diplomatic conversations between nations fail. They are presaged by newspaper reports to the effect that “conversations are deteriorating” or that they have “broken down.” Then, if the conflict of interests between nations is sufficiently serious, there is nothing left for them to do but fight to secure their national interests.
(1) As minds without bodies, angels know and will and love, but not in the same manner that we do. (2) Their lack of bodies has a number of striking consequences. (a) They do not learn from experience.
(b) They do not think discursively for they have no imaginations and memories.
(c) Their knowledge, which is intuitive, derives from innate ideas implanted in them at the moment of cheir creation.
(d) They speak to one another telepathically without the use of any medium of communication.
(e) Their minds, which are infallible, never go to sleep.
Man is the only animal with an extended historical tradition and with cultural, as opposed to merely genetic, continuity between the generations.
Man is the only animal that makes laws and constitutions for the associations he forms
Man is the only animal that makes machinery and that produces things by machinofacturing.
None of these things, and others like them, would be possible without conceptual thought and conceptual speech.
I am persuaded by everything I know that brain action by itself does not and cannot suffice to explain conceptual thought, because the essential character of such thought involves transcendence of all material conditions. The reach of the human mind to objects of thought that are totally imperceptible and totally unimaginable is the clearest indication of this.
Every man has a natural— an inherent human— right to be governed as a free man, that is, with his consent and with his participation in government through an effective suffrage. All should be politically equal even if they are economically unequal, because their equality as human beings, each with an equal right to freedom, entitles them to political equality.
that a democracy, with equality of conditions, can still preserve individual liberty by giving countervailing power to secondary agencies of government, in the form of private associations or corporations of all sorts that are not creatures of the central government.
legislation. In the case of despotic misrule the only remedy is rebellion.
Aristotle, the moralist, keeps reminding us that our aim is not just to live, but to live well; and so we should not accumulate wealth endlessly but only as much as we need in order to lead a good life.
The ownership of all means of production by the state is even more concentrated than its ownership by the few under bourgeois capitalism.
September 27, 2021
I really enjoy Adler’s intellectual consistency. This man was a true genius of his time, undertaking a life’s goal of compiling the seminal works of the western canon. This brief “How-To” is as much a discourse on the philosophy of communication as it is a manual to improve rhetoric. I enjoyed his sections on persuasive speech and the distinctions between ethos/pathos/logos & Taxis/Lexis
December 1, 2016
This is the second book I've read by Mortimer J. Adler, the first being How to Read a Book, and I found How to Speak How to Listen just as well structured and informative, though not as dense. It was an easier read. A reason for this is that How to Speak How to Listen acts as a companion to How to Read a Book. The ideas in the first are built on in the second.
Much of Adler's structure in this book, especially the sections on listening, strongly correlates with his construction of ideas in How to Read a Book. Though it's easy to see the connections between these two activities, Adler is not unnecessarily redundant when writing about topics such as 'coming to terms' and 'being and active listener', partly because he points out the similarities as well as the differences between reading and listening.
One thing I appreciate most about Mortimer J. Adler is the way he creates distinctions. When there is an important topic to be discussed, he is not content to give a simple definition and move on. He painstakingly analyses terms in order for the reader to have an optimal understanding of what's being said. Not only does he define terms being discussed, but he opens up new levels of thinking about the everyday activities mentioned in his book titles. My favorite example of this from How to Speak How to Listen is when he distinguishes between three different types of teaching: didactic, coaching, and Socratic (ch.13), which further explains the importance of reading, speaking and listing and how it fits among these kinds of learning.
With all this said, I do not pretend to agree with Adler on everything. He always has a clear notion of where he stands and explains why he takes that approach, which I respect. However, our overall worldviews differ. This isn't always obvious in practical matters, such as when he instructs on taking book or lecture notes, but becomes more apparent in other areas of thought. My disagreement with him didn't surface much throughout this book, though, until the epilogue where he writes about the association between discussion and peace and wars in the international realm. Though since that is not the main point or a significant focus in this book, I leave that subject for a different time.
Overall I recommend How to Speak How to Listen for its structure, practical insights, and enlightening view on teaching and learning which happens both inside the classroom and in our everyday lives.
Much of Adler's structure in this book, especially the sections on listening, strongly correlates with his construction of ideas in How to Read a Book. Though it's easy to see the connections between these two activities, Adler is not unnecessarily redundant when writing about topics such as 'coming to terms' and 'being and active listener', partly because he points out the similarities as well as the differences between reading and listening.
One thing I appreciate most about Mortimer J. Adler is the way he creates distinctions. When there is an important topic to be discussed, he is not content to give a simple definition and move on. He painstakingly analyses terms in order for the reader to have an optimal understanding of what's being said. Not only does he define terms being discussed, but he opens up new levels of thinking about the everyday activities mentioned in his book titles. My favorite example of this from How to Speak How to Listen is when he distinguishes between three different types of teaching: didactic, coaching, and Socratic (ch.13), which further explains the importance of reading, speaking and listing and how it fits among these kinds of learning.
With all this said, I do not pretend to agree with Adler on everything. He always has a clear notion of where he stands and explains why he takes that approach, which I respect. However, our overall worldviews differ. This isn't always obvious in practical matters, such as when he instructs on taking book or lecture notes, but becomes more apparent in other areas of thought. My disagreement with him didn't surface much throughout this book, though, until the epilogue where he writes about the association between discussion and peace and wars in the international realm. Though since that is not the main point or a significant focus in this book, I leave that subject for a different time.
Overall I recommend How to Speak How to Listen for its structure, practical insights, and enlightening view on teaching and learning which happens both inside the classroom and in our everyday lives.
April 14, 2014
This restated most of the things I know. That said it is good to have something that reminds that you are doing things correctly (Smug face).
One part I really enjoyed from this book is the part where Adler talks about listening, I feel a lot people don't listen even today, heck it is even worse nowadays. I, myself is also at fault with this. I try to listen what person is saying most of the times, but when sometimes people say things that are utterly ridiculous, False, Negative, Ignorant and/or does not agree with my views I tend to interrupt their speaking. I know I should not, and I liked the Adler's advice when trying to refute their point rephrase what they have said and if that is what they are saying and then "Pounce".
Again this is a solid book for anyone who wants to be better speaker. it will definitely help if you are actively reading the book.
One part I really enjoyed from this book is the part where Adler talks about listening, I feel a lot people don't listen even today, heck it is even worse nowadays. I, myself is also at fault with this. I try to listen what person is saying most of the times, but when sometimes people say things that are utterly ridiculous, False, Negative, Ignorant and/or does not agree with my views I tend to interrupt their speaking. I know I should not, and I liked the Adler's advice when trying to refute their point rephrase what they have said and if that is what they are saying and then "Pounce".
Again this is a solid book for anyone who wants to be better speaker. it will definitely help if you are actively reading the book.
May 30, 2014
Primary, secondary, and tertiary education focuses on writing and to a somewhat lesser degree reading. But what about speaking and listening? In order of use, listening comes first, then speaking, followed by reading and writing. How does esteemed philosopher and polished author, Mortimer J Adler address this topic? Systematically, cogently, and thoroughly. The life-long professor starts by discussing the roles of ethos, pathos and logos in conversation. Adler adds illustrative events in his life to add depth as the book flows, and he caps it off with a stirring call for community via communication (an increasingly rare cultural commodity) in the final chapter. Mr. Adler is a brilliant mind, and, in my opinion, this short read was well worth the mental effort.
October 27, 2015
I read this book after having read "How to Read a book" from the same author. I liked this book too and found it to be an interesting follow up on "How to Read a book". Adler has good and precise ideas on how to do speeches and presentations, his descriptions stick to the ideas of being clear, attentive and engaged and I find that these ideas are too often taken for granted. I would not follow all of his argumentation and descriptions when related to the inclusion of emotions in speeches, but I do follow the general ideas he suggests. Naturally the book remains quite abstract but when this is the level you'd be looking for, it is a good read and worthwhile a more in depth read than I did until now.
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