Everyone Communicates Few Connect by John Maxwell

This is a manual on connecting with others. There is a lot of value of in this book and I recommend it.

In today’s media driven environment, we are often bombarded with words, images, programs and other attempts to sway us to a certain point of view. Most of this onslaught goes unnoticed and we fail to pay any attention. John Maxwell points out that “Connecting with others is the ability to identify with people and relate to them in a way that increases your influence with them.” Most communication directed our way doesn't connect.

John lays out Five Principles and then Five Practices on connecting with others spending a chapter on each. At the end of each chapter is a summation that provides practical points for connecting one-on-one, connecting in a group and connecting with an audience. I found these summations especially helpful and concise.

The only issue I have is that it appears that the bulk of the information in the chapters themselves seems to focus on connecting with an audience. But this is a minor complaint.

As far as I can tell this is the first book that John has put out on his blog for a period of time for comment prior to publication. He used more than seventy quotes, anecdotes and stories and made over a hundred corrections and improvements based on net feedback. It was a lot of fun to be reading along and find a quote from a guy I knew in high school.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”