Why read An Effort to Understand?

Book cover of An Effort to Understand: Hearing One Another (and Ourselves) in a Nation Cracked in Half

Book description

"An insightful book packed with wonderful writing, practical advice, and hope for a better, kinder future." —Jonathan Eig, author of Ali: A Life

You're ready to give up. Throw up your hands and walk out the door. You don't know what else to say—to some dear family and close friends,…

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Interpersonal communication

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Why read it?

1 author picked An Effort to Understand as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Tim Muehlhoff

Author

As the co-director of the Winsome Conviction Project, I am committed to re-introducing civility back into our public disagreements. However, civility is often a misunderstood concept. Murray does a wonderful job pointing out what civility is not—mere niceness without purpose. He reminds us that civility is not the ultimate goal in our disagreements. Rather, it is a means of communication—rules we can agree on—that allows us to dig deep into the issues which easily separate us. If you find that politics are putting emotional distance between you and those close to you, then this is the book for you.

From Tim's list on to avoid an argument with someone close.