What Not To Say

Stay away from awkward exchanges and consult this clever compendium for things you should never, ever say. Learn what not to say at a job interview ("How strict is your sexual-harassment policy?"), what not to say to a cat lady ("Dogs are so much friendlier!"), and what not to say to anyone else you don't want to offend ("Don't take this personally, but..."). A book of quotes you probably shouldn't quote Knock Knock books make great gifts for men and women who want to be their wittiest self Hardcover; 4.25 x 6.25 inches; 128 pages

In this humorous guide, John C. Holbert and Alyce M. McKenzie provide helpful and practical advice for avoiding the common mistakes that many preachers make in their sermons. Useful for preachers, students, and teachers alike, What Not to Say addresses how to use language about God, how to use stories in preaching, and what not to say (and what to say) in the beginning, middle, and end of sermons. A companion video with preaching illustrations is available online at wjkbooks.com.

"How many times have you uttered a standard, knee-jerk phrase when trying to counsel a young child or respond to irritating behavior? Even when it's clear our typical verbal reactions and directives aren't working, many adults just don't know what to say instead. Changing the way we talk may be a daunting prospect, but What not to say: tools for talking with young children succeeds in steering parents, teachers, nannies, and others in how to revamp their communication with 1- to 6-year-olds. By understanding the importance of what children hear from us and utilizing the book's practical tools, readers can begin to think twice and alter how they typically speak to the children in their lives. Confrontations and misunderstanding can be turned around with clarity, honesty, consistency, and humor." --Publisher description.

The nation's premier communications expert shares his wisdom on how the words we choose can change the course of business, of politics, and of life in this country In Words That Work, Luntz offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the tactical use of words and phrases affects what we buy, who we vote for, and even what we believe in. With chapters like "The Ten Rules of Successful Communication" and "The 21 Words and Phrases for the 21st Century," he examines how choosing the right words is essential. Nobody is in a better position to explain than Frank Luntz: He has used his knowledge of words to help more than two dozen Fortune 500 companies grow. Hell tell us why Rupert Murdoch's six-billion-dollar decision to buy DirectTV was smart because satellite was more cutting edge than "digital cable," and why pharmaceutical companies transitioned their message from "treatment" to "prevention" and "wellness." If you ever wanted to learn how to talk your way out of a traffic ticket or talk your way into a raise, this book's for you.

Winner of the 2016 Scotiabank Giller Prize and the Governor General's Literary Award for Fiction, shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, and longlisted for the 2017 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, this extraordinary novel tells the story of three musicians in China before, during and after the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. Madeleine Thien's new novel is breathtaking in scope and ambition even as it is hauntingly intimate. With the ease and skill of a master storyteller, Thien takes us inside an extended family in China, showing us the lives of two successive generations--those who lived through Mao's Cultural Revolution in the mid-twentieth century; and the children of the survivors, who became the students protesting in Tiananmen Square in 1989, in one of the most important political moments of the past century. With exquisite writing sharpened by a surprising vein of wit and sly humour, Thien has crafted unforgettable characters who are by turns flinty and headstrong, dreamy and tender, foolish and wise. At the centre of this epic tale, as capacious and mysterious as life itself, are enigmatic Sparrow, a genius composer who wishes desperately to create music yet can find truth only in silence; his mother and aunt, Big Mother Knife and Swirl, survivors with captivating singing voices and an unbreakable bond; Sparrow's ethereal cousin Zhuli, daughter of Swirl and storyteller Wen the Dreamer, who as a child witnesses the denunciation of her parents and as a young woman becomes the target of denunciations herself; and headstrong, talented Kai, best friend of Sparrow and Zhuli, and a determinedly successful musician who is a virtuoso at masking his true self until the day he can hide no longer. Here, too, is Kai's daughter, the ever-questioning mathematician Marie, who pieces together the tale of her fractured family in present-day Vancouver, seeking a fragile meaning in the layers of their collective story. With maturity and sophistication, humour and beauty, a huge heart and impressive understanding, Thien has crafted a novel that is at once beautifully intimate and grandly political, rooted in the details of daily life inside China, yet transcendent in its universality.

Have you ever tried to communicate important information to someone, only to have them become defensive, or argumentative? This can be a big problem, because often the conversation turns into a debate, with the other person either shutting down or defending the very behavior you want them to change! In "What To Say," psychologist, Dr. Bill Crawford goes way beyond "good communication skills" & uses the latest brain science to show readers what is really happening when others are being resistant, and why trying to explain things to them rationally or defending your position doesn't work! He then gives specific examples of "what to say" (and what not to say) to ensure that those you are wanting to engage shift from the resistant brain to the receptive brain so that they can truly hear and understand what you are wanting them to know.

"Carl Alasko has found that with the right guidance, anyone can learn effective communication skills. In Say This, Not That, Alasko presents readers with simple instructions for what to say . . . and what not to say"--

THE PERFECT GIFT FOR ANYONE WHO IS, MIRACULOUSLY, STILL IN A RELATIONSHIP Be prepared and know exactly what not to say when... ... he's about to spend £200 on a chef's knife ... he gets his guitar out ... he launches into his one anecdote yet again What Not to Say to Your Husband is the first book in a brand-new series by comedy-writing duo Jason Hazeley (co-author of the Ladybird Books for Grown-Ups series) and comedy writer Nico Tatarowicz. This compendium of questions and comments you shouldn't say to your partner in a wide range of critical moments - at your wedding reception, as he's getting dressed for a fancy do, when you're at a family reunion - is a hilarious tonic for our times. Fully illustrated with Sarah Sumeray's dark and witty line-drawings, this book might not make your husband irritate you less, but it might just save your marriage.