Communication isn’t what it used to be. With the advent of technology, social media, and the like, many people turn to electronics for most of their communication needs and as a result, good old- fashioned conversation has gone by the wayside. This can have lasting, negative consequences and Reclaiming Conversation was written to address this trend and emphasize a return to face- to- face talk as the best means to communicate. Text messages, email, and social media are in widespread use and this book is correct in its assessments that these means of communication, however useful and convenient they may be, are being overdone in the modern world. I can see this around me every day, both at work and at home. Talking one- on- one is increasingly viewed as a chore and most people would rather just type a message on a screen and hit send. The book talks at length about why this is not good for society in general. It leads to shallow, and often misunderstood communication plus it leads to loss of empathy, since most of us cannot fully understand the human emotions behind each statement. Using various forms of punctuation in our electronic communications can help, but it still isn’t as good as a face to face talk. People often keep their cell phones out in the open, where everyone can see them and are quick to check them with every passing beep. In some instances, this has completely replaced ordinary conversations, with some individuals actually having back and forth talks with people, via text or email, that go on for hundreds of messages. Families have, in some cases, even resorted to using communication apps as a replacement for family discussions. I agree with the book’s stand that these forms of electronic communications were never intended to be taken this far. The effects of such an overreliance on electronic communications can be felt at home, at work, at school, and in many other places and the results are negative overall. Some members of the younger generation in particular do not even know how to converse in the usual manner. They have lost this skill, if they ever had it at all. One good thing about this book is that, while it certainly encourages everyone to put down their cell phones and talk directly to people, it doesn’t go to extremes. Technology has definitely made life better and the book is in no way suggesting that we give up our cell phones, social media accounts, and tablets completely. What the book is suggesting is that we learn to better manage these various means of electronic communication. A quick message via text is fine. What isn’t good is carrying on a regular conversation via text when it would be much better, and more effective, to talk to a person directly. This book attempts to cover several of the areas where electronic communication has been taken to excess, including areas I would not have thought about previously, like online dating, online classes, and surveillance of online activity. I agree with the book’s overall message, but much of it is repetitive and I feel like the book could have been cut down by about 100 pages without losing its focus. It gets to be too much and, as I read, I noticed the exact same themes coming up again and again. Conversations are not what they used to be. Many individuals have taken the use of electronics to extremes and they send messages via text, email, and social media more often than they speak face to face. This is a trend that I hope we, as a society, can get under control and Reclaiming Conversation is a good tool for learning more about the problems of excessive electronic communication and its long- term effects. I could do with a little less repetition, but this book is an important one and its core message is one from which we could all benefit.