This book aims to act as a communication toolkit

The book highlights tools to keep in mind when asking someone out on a date, conversing with strangers and even breaking up

Extremely vigilant of the fact that a misunderstanding can break bonds, this writer kept wondering why relationships were marred by it so often. The answers appeared in writer Rega Jha's newsletter when she pulled out a Tennessee Williams gem from a 1955 essay, Person to Person. It read, "And so we talk to each other, write and wire each other, call each other short and long distance across land and sea, clasp hands with each other at meeting and at parting, fight each other and even destroy each other because of this always somewhat thwarted effort to break through walls to each other." The ‘why' we communicate was clear. Now, the ‘how' to do it better was step two.

Gupta believes that communication skills are crucial

Don't Shut Up by Youtuber Prakhar Gupta and Mudit Yadav, an executive coach on communication and leadership, can come as a handy toolkit to navigate relationships through communication. A starting point is listing out common obstacles faced by people between 18 and 35 years. The book then uses 23 situations, inspired by real instances in the authors' lives, played out as example-led solutions. New York-based Gupta covers making friends, conversing over a date, talking to parents, handling embarrassing situations, disagreeing and more. While Yadav, a Mumbai resident, takes readers through ‘the grown-up zone' with how to nail an interview, lead a meeting, network, build a personal brand at work and other topics helpful for professionals.

Prakhar Gupta and Mudit Yadav

Yadav shares that the aim was to create a handbook to address challenging moments. He continues, "Most potential readers of this book are knowledge workers, making a living through their ability to think and communicate. The thinking part is developed through their training of becoming subject experts. But when it comes to communication, most of it is based on passive learning. There is no formal education about what to say in challenging situations, and how to say it. This book hopes to partly remedy this malaise." Gupta adds, "All acts of communication are negotiation - establishing what is real and what is not. If reality is the territory, words, language and communication are the map. You need to be good at reading the map if you want to navigate it properly." Living by the thought that advice is rarer than rubies, explore this book and don't shut up, but respectfully.

Log on to: dontshutup.in
Cost: Rs 499 for the book