Let's Talk
How English Conversation Works

A tremendous amount of attention has been given over the years to writing, good and bad, and some as well to oratory, but most people have probably never seen an extended discussion of conversation, which is a mode of communication most people use more than either of the other two. Certainly none of......more

This isn't David Crystal's finest work, but it's a lighthearted and informative look into the hidden rules and structures of conversation in English. The book meanders a bit (much like any worthwhile conversation), but it's full of interesting tidbits and insights into conversational aspects like tur......more

Very accessible introduction into the art of conversation and some of its features, which allows readers of any degree of knowledge of the English language to enjoy this book. ‘Let’s talk’ doesn’t go into as much depth as some readers may like, only scratching the surface of some of the technical el......more

The whole thing is excellent apart from the fact that it only scrapes the surface of most of the points. Not enough detail is gone into which left me feeling frustrated. This is quite a slim book and it could have easily been twice the length with more detail, including transcripts, and more explana......more

I genuinely admire David Crystal and his work and so I feel really bad for giving just three stars, but I really didn’t enjoy the book and don’t want to pretend otherwise. It had to force myself to finish it since I was getting bored after a few pages..........more