Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
by Chip Heath, Dan Heath · Random House
Six-principle account of why some messages are remembered and others are not: simple, unexpected, concrete, credible, emotional, story. Built on Chip Heath's Stanford research into idea transmission, with before-and-after rewrites showing how to restructure an explanation.
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More resources on Communication Skills
toastmasters.org
Toastmasters.org is the official site of Toastmasters International, a nonprofit network that helps people improve public speaking and leadership through local clubs and a structured education program. It provides program descriptions, Pathways learning resources, club finder, event information, and practical tips for speeches and leadership development.
Interpersonal Communication
Wharton professor Maurice Schweitzer's four-week course on cooperation, trust, deception, and persuasion in professional settings. Learners finish able to build trusting relationships, detect deception, construct apologies, and choose media that fit a given message.
The Power of Vulnerability
Researcher Brene Brown reports on six years of qualitative work on shame and connection, arguing that people who feel worthy of belonging are those willing to be vulnerable. Viewers get a research account, not a set of techniques.
Think Fast, Talk Smart: The Podcast
Stanford Graduate School of Business podcast hosted by strategic communication lecturer Matt Abrahams, interviewing researchers and practitioners. Episodes give concrete techniques for speaking without preparation, managing anxiety, giving feedback, and structuring a message for a specific audience. Transcripts available.
Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well
Companion to Difficult Conversations covering the receiving end. Sorts feedback into appreciation, coaching, and evaluation, names the truth, relationship, and identity triggers that make it hard to hear, and gives methods for extracting value from badly delivered criticism.
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High (3rd Edition)
Framework for dialogue when opinions differ, stakes are high, and emotions run strong. Covers noticing when safety breaks down, separating facts from the stories we tell, and stating a position without triggering defensiveness or silence.