Often, out of embarrassment, we just stay quiet. Occasionally we explode. And typically, we stumble about, looking for the right words – dreading that we didn’t find them and thereby causing more hurt than we should.

This is a book to help us locate the best possible words to get across a range of life’s most difficult messages. With twenty case studies drawn from relationships, friendships, work, our families and service situations, we are gently shown what we might – in an ideal world – find ourselves saying to make our intentions known while causing minimal harm. We are guided, among other topics, to how best to end a relationship, how to make it up with a child and how gently to let down a friend who wants more.

We laugh, we recognise our troubles – and we’re introduced to a range of deeply empathetic ways to navigate some of our most acute social dilemmas.

• An essential guide to delivering a range of life’s most difficult messages.
• Twenty key case studies from: relationships, friendships, work, family & strangers.
• Beautifully produced, premium gift format.
• Part of a series of giftable essay books from The School of Life. Other titles include: How to Find Love; On Confidence; Why You Will Marry the Wrong Person.

Hardback book | 181 x 110 mm | 96 pages | 20 colour illustrations