Customer Reviews

Pragmatics of Human Communication: A Study of Interactional Patterns, Pathologies, and Paradoxes

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I read this book some 30 years ago, as a graduate student. I was then highly impressed by its cogency and readability. Rereading it now, I have nothing to change in my highest rating of this unusual book. Now that I am going back to teaching, I will certainly use it if there is a Spanish translation available. I have read other works by Watzlawick, but this one remains without a doubt his best. I wish he'd write a new edition, since I am sure he's accumulated countless experiences and ideas in the years that have elapsed. I highly recommend this book to all people interested in interaction and communication.

This book has the trappings of a typical academic, scholarly work, with ten zillion references and each chapter broken down into sections (1.1, 1.2, etc.) discussing a specific topic in each section. By section 1.2 (not far into the book!), I was becoming put off, because the author launched into a discussing of "the mathematical concept of functions." As I "sat through" this explanation, I was wondering "why the hell am I reading about mathematical function in a book titled the Pragmatics of Communication." Still, I stuck with it, and later in the book, the author tied everything together. I stuck with it because the book is so readable, and the points the author makes are so eye-opening, that I truly enjoyed reading it. I suspect you will, to, regardless of the level of your interest in academic or scholarly works! One thing about a great book - you get an appetite for more! Unfortunately, based on other reviewers comments, other Watzlawick works do not rise to the level shown here, so if you have to chose one, chose this one!

How could I be the first person to rate this universal masterpiece? This is one of the 5 to 10 books that should be read by everybody. It has some absolute value, regardless of the historical or personal contingencies of the reader. If you miss it it will only be your fault...

This book has had a profound influence on my life. Not a day goes by that I do not use the knowledge of interactional patterns that I gleaned from Watzlawick et al. I have used these concepts in my therapy practice, in everyday life, in fights with my wife, and in understanding both historical and current world events. The writing is clear and understandable. The concepts are elegant. This is a must read for any student of human behavior.

This book is one of the best on human interaction. It shows us why we fall into certain patterns and end up trapped in our own interaction cycles. If you are looking for insight about what is really going on in relationships, this is a great book. It is slightly technical but the majority is understandable to most people without much expertise in communication or psychology. A book that is even more understandable and insightful is Rhythm, Relationships, and Transcendence by Toru Sato. Both authors are excellent and are forerunners in the field of relationships right now. I'd recommend both very much!

The last chapter of this book, which I read over 30 years ago, and still remember to this day, is a true stunner, especially the last sentence. The truth therein is timeless. When I finished it, I remained seated and awestruck for a long time, contemplating a cosmic truth which has never left me to this very day. The specific memory is carved in stone, so to speak.

Ever heard of "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" by Robert Pirsig? Well, POHC goes even further - towards a mathematical truth about our very existence. This book is far more than its title suggests. Quite simply it is the second most important book I've EVER read... and Pirsig's is not the first, either.

If you have the intelligence to absorb it, this book will probably change the very foundation of what you call "me"... it will fundamentally challenge your mind. Read it if you have confidence in your OWN intellect.

BTW - for a reference point, I was the only student in my class at Western Michigan University who apparently understood the implications of this book. It was a 400 level Communications course with 28 students, and the course was "built" around the book.

This book opens a new door to your life. It shows us how interpersonal interaction can be very simple if you grasp a few basic things. This book has made my relationships simple and easy. If you are having trouble with relationships, read this book! And when you are ready for one more step, read "The Ever-Transcending Spirit" by Toru Sato. This book will take you one step further in your development!

The way various approaches (from cybernetics, systems & game theories etc) are so admirably synthesized here is to a considerable extent traceable back to the works of Gregory Bateson (as can be appreciated from reading his "Steps to the Ecology of Mind").

However, the relative lack of originality is compensated by the degree of integration and condensation achieved in "Pragmatics" - probably a higher one than any other single writing in "the Palo Alto school" before or after (has intended, including "Steps...")

So above anything else, this together with Bateson's foundational work makes an excellent complementary reading.

I bought the book wanting to know something more about the world of communication and was delighted to find references to my youth interests: logics and mathematic and to my more recent one: spirituality. What was of a particular interest, even if it might be considered a bit partial, was the importance the authors put on paradoxes both as the root for patology and cure. In this latter respect references are given to zen sayings and their relationships to actual therapeuthical episodes.
A problem stemming for the emphasis put on the interrelated cause of neurosis is that individuals tend to be quite neglected: so giving the feeling that people having no stable relationships with other people must be either totally healty or... incurable.
Already bought two other books from the same author.

A very intresting book. After I have got this book, I acquired all the other books by the author and found that this book is probably his best one. A must read for those who are interested in knowing the interactions between communication and paradoxical psychotherapy.