Conflicted: Why Arguments Are Tearing Us Apart and How They Can Bring Us Together

Product Description Bringing valuable lessons from the cutting edge of communication science, Conflicted does for our verbal communication what Thinking Fast and Slow did for our inner decision-making. 'One of my favourite writers . . . Beautifully argued, desperately needed.'MALCOLM GLADWELL'Invaluable. The world will be a better place if everyone reads this book, and because it's so entertaining they probably will.'PHILPPA PERRY'Essential.' THE TIMES'Fascinating.' FINANCIAL TIMESWhat is the secret of happy relationships?How do companies build collaborative cultures?What lies behind some of the greatest scientific and creative breakthroughs?The surprising answer is: conflict.Insight and empathy spring from the clash of different perspectives. In a world where it's easier than ever for people to share their opinions, we should be reaping the benefits of diverse views. Instead, we too often find ourselves mired in hostility or - worse - avoiding disagreement altogether. Ian Leslie argues that this is because most of us never learn how to air our differences in a way that leads to progress.Conflicted draws essential lessons on how to disagree well from world-class experts: interrogators, hostage negotiators, divorce mediators, diplomats and addiction counsellors. It tells inspiring stories of productive disagreements, from the invention of the aeroplane to the success of The Rolling Stones, and combines them with fascinating insights from the science of human communication.Whether it's at work, at home, or in public, confronting our differences is the only way to make the most of them. Conflicted is about how to do that successfully. 'A cool bath of sanity in a world of frenzied hot takes.'HELEN LEWIS'Perspective-shifting in important ways.'OLIVER BURKEMAN Review One of my favourite writers . . . Beautifully argued. Desperately needed. -- Malcolm Gladwell Invaluable. The world will be a better place if everyone reads this book, and because it's so entertaining they probably will. -- Philippa Perry Perspective-shifting in important ways. -- Oliver Burkeman Ian Leslie's writing is a cool bath of sanity in a world of frenzied hot takes. -- Helen Lewis ― Sunday Times bestselling author of DIFFICULT WOMEN What a brilliant idea . . . to help us engage in dialogue by learning how to disagree. Ian Leslie is a master at this sort of book and it shows here. -- Daniel Finkelstein ― author of EVERYTHING IN MODERATION Ian Leslie is one of our most brilliant science writers, and Conflicted is his best yet. It's full of wisdom and surprise and is exactly what we need in a world where disagreement itself feels like it's coming under threat. -- Will Storr ― author of SELFIE This book is full of good insights, stories and practical advice that, taken to heart, will do everyone good. -- Margaret Heffernan ― author of WILLFUL BLINDNESS Eloquent, thoughtful advice . . . If you want to argue better, Leslie's manual will be invaluable . . . wise and useful. -- James Marriot ― The Times Essential . . . immediately relevant. -- Iain Martin ― The Times Fascinating . . . [Leslie is] a cool and thoughtful writer in culture and psychology . . . This is a reminder of what we sacrifice by not fighting wisely. -- John Gapper ― Financial Times Conflicted is a fascinating deep dive into disagreement: how it goes wrong, and how it can go right. Its powerful insights are wrapped in gripping stories. Read this book. It could not be more timely. -- Harlan Coben ― #1 New York Times bestselling author Conflicted is not merely fascinating, it's important. It's the right book at the right time, and Ian Leslie is clearly the right author for the job. And if you encounter ideas that make you squirm-and you probably will-remember, that's part of the point. -- David Epstein ― bestselling author of RANGE Important and hugely enjoyable ... Curious is, appropriately enough, a deeply fascinating exploration of the human capacity for being deepl