I. What conversations are made of. Tools of the trade: your voice, face and body
Greetings and introductions
How to introduce yourself
Opening lines and small talk
The heart of the conversation
Follow the four steps in order
II. Ten rules of conversation. Tell the truth
Ask questions and listen to the answers
Don't take advantage of people
Don't dwell on appearances
Disagree in a civilized fashion
III. Rescue conversations from blunders. Everybody blunders
How to respond to someone else's blunder
How to respond when someone insults you on purpose
IV. Make conversations count. How to say please
How to say congratulations
How to receive a compliment
How to say "I don't like what you did"
How to say "I commiserate"
How to accept and apology
V. Change situations into conversations . During a chance encounter
On the bus or in the bleachers
At a coffee hour a cocktail hour
At a wake or Funeral, and afterward
VI. Conversations with younger and older people. How to talk with children
How to talk with teenagers and young adults
How to talk with grown-ups
How to talk with your in-laws
How to talk with parents of your significant other
How to talk with much older people
VII. Conversations between men and women. Topics of conversation: his, hers, theirs
Two views of one conversation
VIII. Conversations with all kinds of people. How to talk with people who speak a different language
When physical difficulties interfere with conversation
Conversations with all kinds of minds
IX. Conversations on the telephone, over the internet, and on paper. Conversations on the telephone
When a conversation is better on paper
