Kate Murphy's study of how people fail to listen to one another is a relevant topic of discussion. This is something that has been studied in generations prior. In Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People," published in 1936, he explored this subject, among many others. Unfortunately, as Murphy points out, our digital culture has further closed us off from each other despite making contact easier. Her writing is fluid and compelling, so even if self-help books are not your preferred genre, her book will captivate you.