Book Review: The Six Conversations

Dr. Holleman is an associate teaching professor at Penn State, a speaker, and an author. In her introduction, she mentions her research on happiness and well-being, not only for herself, but to see others thrive. She starts with her story as a young girl, always asking questions and talking, often to the extent of frustrating those around her. If they wouldn’t listen, she would talk out loud to herself!

Primarily, this book is about the art of conversation. She references studies on the epidemic of loneliness on college campuses. A Harvard study indicated 61% of young people report feelings of ‘serious loneliness,’ made worse during COVID-19. How do we reconnect? It seems many people of all ages don’t know where to start the conversation and may even wonder why they should.

To spark this revival, Dr. Holleman cites Four Mindsets for a loving conversation: Be Curious; Believe the best; Express concern; Share your life. She then dives into these four, sharing stories and great examples.
Throughout the book, she provides very practical conversation starters, questions to ask, what to look for during the conversation, and how to be encouraging. Simple things like asking questions about what someone is celebrating or what they’re thankful for. Rather than giving advice, ask what they think they should do!

The book is broken down into three parts. Very practical and upbeat! Recommended! – CMW