The Argument Culture
Moving from Debate to Dialogue

Since I'm writing this as the presidential election heats up, I only grieve that Tannen's book hasn't really made a dent in the obnoxiousness of political/cultural debate in this country. To avoid all the lies and innuendo of the next ten weeks I turn off my tv and my radio so I don't have to poison......more

I love Deborah Tannen. I devoured her previous books on communicating (my favorite being 'You just don't understand' on differences in communication style between men and women). This book is different from her previous work, but fascinating nonetheless. Tannen's key point is that America has change......more

This book presented the author's concern that our culture, especially our journalism, is saturated with the concept that it is only disagreement that makes a subject interesting. Too little content in our news and in our lives.......more

I loved loved loved this book. It's helped shape my view of the world and how language is framed, especially in the US and also elsewhere. Highly recommended.......more

Written about 20 years ago, this book is more relevant than ever. Tannen describes how we continuously reinforce a culture of critique and vitriol. She demonstrates how framing issues as having two sides limits both the breadth and nuance of discussion and encourages a competitive rather than invest......more