Top Communication books recommended by experts

At MentorCruise, we are all about making the most out of the experience of others. As part of that, we've connected and asked dozens of experts and professionals about their favourite Communication books – and here are the answers.

Table of Contents

Fundamentals of Communication

Understanding the concepts of Communication starts with understanding the fundamentals. On your way to mastery, it's crucial for you to understand how certain concepts were derived, and why things work like they do. Starting with these resources is the best way to do so.

Talking to Strangers

Talking to Strangers (2019) is a powerful exploration of how little we know about the people we don't know. It explores how we misjudge and misunderstand strangers, sometimes with terrible consequences, making a powerful case for more tolerance and patience in our dealings with others.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Good Arguments: How Debate Teaches Us to Listen and Be Heard

Bo Seo's Good Arguments translates the wisdom of competitive debate so you can learn to disagree more productively. You'll discover some of the core principles of debate – as well as which exercises professional debaters use to improve the way they think and speak.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

What Every BODY is Saying

What Every BODY is Saying by Joe Navarro is a fascinating read on nonverbal communication. Navarro, a former FBI agent, provides insights on body language, facial expressions, and behavior interpretation to help you better understand people and situations.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Changing the Conversation: The 17 Principles of Conflict Resolution

From Joost Elffers, the packaging genius behind the huge New York Times bestsellers The 48 Laws of Power, The 33 Strategies of War, and The Art of Seduction, comes this invaluable manual that teaches seventeen fundamentals for turning any conflict into an opportunity for growth. Beautifully packaged in a graphic, two-color format, Changing the Conversation is written by conflict expert Dana Ca…

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Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone

Drawing on his experience as a psychiatrist, business consultant, and coach, author Mark Goulston combines his background with the latest scientific research to help readers turn the “impossible” and “unreachable” people in their lives into allies, devoted customers, loyal colleagues, and lifetime friends. Just Listen does this by providing simple but powerful techniques readers can use to rea…

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Simply Said: Communicating Better at Work and Beyond

Simply Said is the essential handbook for business communication. Do you ever feel as though your message hasn't gotten across? Do details get lost along the way? Have tense situations ever escalated unnecessarily? Do people buy into your ideas? It all comes down to communication. We all communicate, but few of us do it well. From tough presentations to everyday transactions, there is no scena…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Additional Communication Reading

These books are not required for you to learn Communication, but they are highly recommended for you to deepen your knowledge.

Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

Made to Stick distills years of research and communication science into an easy-to-remember mnemonic and blueprint for creating 'sticky ideas'; ideas that get understood, remembered and that change something – minds or behaviours.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

How to Listen with Intention: The Foundation of True Connection, Communication, and Relationships

How to Listen with Intention is ultimately a book about relationships. A relationship must be give-and-take - are you taking more than you are giving? Are you making people feel comfortable opening up to you? Are you listening well, or unwittingly being a conversational/relationship narcissist?

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

You're Not Listening: What You're Missing and Why It Matters

In 'You're Not Listening', Kate Murphy explains why we're not listening, what it's doing to us, and how we can reverse the trend. Listening is about curiosity and patience – about asking the right questions in the right way. Improvisational comedians and con men are much better at it than most of us.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts

Falling in love is easy. Staying in love—that’s the challenge. How can you keep your relationship fresh and growing amid the demands, conflicts, and just plain boredom of everyday life? In the #1 New York Times international bestseller The 5 Love Languages®, you’ll discover the secret that has transformed millions of relationships worldwide. Whether your relationship is flourishing or failing,…

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Compassion

Nonviolent Communication (NVC) is a framework for interacting with other people and ourselves with empathy and compassion. The author, Marshall B. Rosenberg, was drawn to the idea of encouraging compassion after witnessing the deadly 1943 Detroit race riots as a child

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High

Whether they take place at work or at home, with your neighbors or your spouse, crucial conversations can have a profound impact on your career, your happiness, and your future. With the skills you learn in this book, you'll never have to worry about the outcome of a crucial conversation again.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

This list is curated by MentorCruise and can include Amazon affiliate links. Have any other suggestions? Add here.

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