It’s difficult to learn communication skills only from a book.
But it’s also difficult to learn practicing only, without any theory.

The best way, which is also the way that worked best fo rme, is to mix quality theory with practice.
For the theory part, these are the 7 best communication skills books you can find.

Just let me be precise here.
Most lists of communication skills books that I have seen online actually include books on general social skills.

But I like being precise.
So I have a different list of social skills books while this list is strictly focused on verbal communication.

So with our further ado, here’s the list:

7. Crucial Conversations

by Patterson, Grenny,  McMillan, Switzler
Summary | Kindle | Print | Audiobook

Crucial Conversations is one of the most popular titles in our best communication skills books list.

Among the biggest takeaways:

1. Make it Safe: people hold back out of fear. That’s why you must create an environment where people feel safe to speak and cared for;
2. Fill the Pool: I loved the image of “the pool”, or the shared space of meaning between speakers. The more you fill it, the more successful the conversation will be.

Do get ready for high stakes conversation, because paradoxically when it matters the most is also when we’re most likely to perform the poorest.

Quote: “When it matters the most it’s when people are most likely to avoid or get emotionally. Both major screw up ”

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6. Verbal Judo

by George Thompson, Jerry Jenkins
Summary | Kindle | Print

Thompson says that as long as you can manage to never take things personally, you’ll hardly need any verbal judo.

But even if you can manage that, I still think Verbal Judo will help you become a better communicator.

Here’s something I loved: start with negative. When you give a feedback, start with the negative first, then end on a positive note.

With an informal prose and plenty of examples, including straight from the streets (Thompson is a police trainer), Verbal Judo is worth its communication skills weight in gold.

Quote: “Say what you want. As long as you do as I say ”

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5. Eliminating Passive Aggressiveness

by Andrea Brandt
Summary | Kindle | Print | Audiobook

Unluckily I couldn’t find a statistics on how many people are passive aggressive.

And that’s probably because everyone of us, at times, resorts to passive aggressive communication.
Which is exactly the reason why Andrea Brandt makes it into the top 5 of our best communication skills books: you will communicate with passive aggressive people. And Brandt teaches you exactly how to recognize and how to deal with it.

It’s a great book with top advise and choke full of super helpful examples.
A real eye-opener in the communication genre.

Quote: “If you’re not assertive and if you’re bottling up anger, then you’re passive aggressive”

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4. How to Win Friends and Influence People

by Dale Carnegie
Summary | Print | Audiobook

Could anyone compile a reading list of best communication skills books without Dale Carnegie in it?

I didn’t think so either.

How to Win Friends might not be for you if you need more assertiveness since it’s all about finessing and make others feel good.

But I can hardly think of anyone who cannot stand to gain by applying the timeless principles of this huge classic.

Quote: “To be interesting, be interested “

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3. Difficult Conversations

by Douglas Stone, Patton, Heen
Summary | Kindle | Print

Difficult Conversations has been the very first communication skills book I’ve read.

And every page I turned I only grew more and more excited realizing I had a wisdom-bomb in my hands.

Difficult Conversations dissects conversations at the three most important levels: what happened, feeling and identity.
Difficult conversations are difficult because they are heavily emotions and, sometimes, can reach us at the core of who we are (identity, also read antifragile ego).

Quote: “Humans feel binary when conversations touch identities: either great & lovable or terrible & unworthy “

2. The Power of a Positive No

By William Ury
Summary | Kindle |Audiobook

In a between a book on how to become more assertive communicators and defend our boundaries and a top tier communication skills book on how to better engage with people in our lives.

And in both realms, it William Ury does a wonderful job.
It’s definitely one of my favorite communication skills books.

Quote: “Even in the face of the other’s provocations, keep showing respect, remembering that you give respect not because of who they are but rather because of who you are“

1. People Skills

By Robert Bolton
Summary | Kindle

It’s called “People Skills”, but it’s all about communication. To be precise, assertive communication.

It earns the current first spot on this “best communication skills books” because most people need some help in striking that balance between assertion and aggression.
And People Skills is one of the best I have read when it comes to assertive communication.

And it then adds some with great psychology and real life examples.

Quote: “Listening and assertion are the yin and yang of communication“

Final Words 

Guys, you can’t go wrong with any of these verbal communication skills books.
Finish to read these 5, apply the teachings and watch your communication skills go the next level.

One only thing left to do: subscribe and get updated when a new entry will crack into the must read list.

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