I'm a non-fiction author and YouTuber who tries to take complex topics and explain them simply for people to understand and realize why they're important. When this book was recommended by Anne Janzer in her amazing book Writing to be Understood, I knew I had to check this book out from Alan Alda. Even if you're not a writer, this book can benefit just about anyone. Whether you're a parent who needs to explain things to your children, or you're doing a presentation at work, this book has a ton of wisdom about how you can do so effectively. 

A lot of this book had to do with improv training and how it helped scientists and students become better presenters, but you're not going to need to practice improv to benefit from this book. The basis of this book is about having a healthy amount of empathy and knowing how to communicate with other people while also putting yourself in their shoes. As someone who has also done a lot of public speaking, I can say that a lot of the information in this book works in a variety of scenarios whether it's in person or in written word.

I listened to this on audio-book and Alan Alda's voice brought to life the topic and research that this book covers - you can tell he's sincerely interested in this subject matter and wishes to convey all he's learned. It is an interesting study in the science of communication, and provides unique techniques with surprising results from seemingly simple improvisation classes.

RATING: 3 STARS

A funny collection of essays from an actor that can do both comedy and drama. If you like Alan Alda, you will most likely enjoy his thoughts and stories. I read this for book club, or most likely would have passed on it. I am glad I read it, but will probably not read any of Alda's other books.

Alan Alda is an accomplished actor, of course. But I didn't know he's generally fascinated with empathy, learning and communication. He takes a lively, unexpected and, of course, humorous route to tell us what he has discovered. Naturally, this means the whole book is a series of stories, about surprises, failures, insights and triumphs. It's a very fast read, but I feel enlightened now that I've finished it. And I really appreciate Alda's dedication to helping all of us, but especially scientists and educators, figure out how to communicate effectively.