
Member Reviews

This book inspired to be kinder and to keep an eye out for the hidden depths in people in front of me. But as inspired as I was by this book, I felt it could have been more practical and actionable. Wonderful at helping diagnose the problem, but not sure it really changed me and spurred to change my relations with others. Still, a wonderfully inspiring book and hope I can still grow into a super communicator one day.

I really enjoyed reading “Supercommunicators” by Charles Duhigg. This book is packed with great stories and practical advice on how to become a better communicator. I loved the emphasis on pausing before speaking (something I find hard to do). I also loved his point that understanding whether you need to help, hug, or just listen can make a huge difference in connecting with others.
This book is a great reminder how small changes in the way we communicate can lead to much deeper and more meaningful conversations. The blend of engaging stories and actionable advice makes this book a valuable read for anyone looking to improve their communication skills. Definitely worth picking up!

I really enjoyed the author's book "The Power of Habit" and was thrilled to get an ARC from #Netgalley of his new book - "Supercommunicators". After reading the description, I decided to use this as a work team book discussion. I manage our people development and recruiting teams this book was so full of practical tips. The team enjoyed the types of conversations, the instructions for having them and all the supporting stories. We also talked quite a bit about the power of asking great questions and how that skill develops you as a leader. Highly recommend for individuals and team discussions.

I really liked this one a) because I work in communications & b) because communication is where so many things can fail.
"Supercommunicators" by Charles Duhigg explores the dynamics of effective communication, emphasizing the impact it can have on personal and professional relationships.
3 key takeaways:
📚 Layers of Conversation: Duhigg identifies three types of conversations: practical, emotional, and social. This framework helps in recognizing the underlying purposes and emotional currents of conversations, allowing for more meaningful interactions.
👂🏻Empathetic Listening and Questioning: By shifting from fact-based to open-ended questions, conversations can move beyond superficial exchanges to deeper, value-driven discussions. This not only fosters connection but also encourages an exchange of ideas and emotions.
🖊️ Practical Tools for Better Communication: Understanding the psychological underpinnings of how people interact and using this knowledge to create more effective dialogue. The emphasis is on building skills that allow individuals to express themselves clearly and understand others more fully.
whether in personal situations or business settings, the insights offered in this book can lead to more impactful & rewarding interactions.

Wouldn’t we all love to communicate better no matter what our roles are in life? The author summarizes it best in this book, “Because whether we call it love, or friendship, or simply having a great conversation, achieving connection—authentic, meaningful connection—is the most important thing in life.”
This book gives practical advice for improving your communication in every aspect of life. Would definitely recommend!

I loved this! This is certainly a book I recommend to anyone in the business world / people leaders. A great follow up to The Power of Habit!

How well do you communicate??? Want to improve?? Read this book.
How well do we connect with others while communicating? This was easier when I worked and most of the time we had common goals. Now I am retired and have not felt like I communicate as well as I used to. Reading this book has made me recognize the art of communicating, so I can improve.
This book provides practical information with examples on communicating with others. Sometimes we are so busy sharing our ideas that we forget to connect with others. Listening is so important. Being an active listener.
This is a great book to read once through and then keep on your shelf for reference in the future.

Supercommunicators is an excellent book on the art of communicating well. This is the first book that I read written by Charles Duhigg and I am impressed at his gift for combining storytelling and science.
Duhigg uses many research studies and real life examples from the CIA, NASA, Netflix, and a jury room to illustrate supercommunicatiors and how to improve your communication in all areas of life. The book begins describing that within every conversation, there are discussions that move from analytical to emotional to identity based. Then he talks about communication challenges and advises how to identify different conversations and how to navigate them. Duhigg looks at controversial topics including gun control, race and vaccines and demonstrates how to use principles to show how supercommunication can allow meaningful connections between people.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed Duhigg’s book on being a super communicator! Super communicators have an ability to communicate and connection with folks far better than most! I appreciate the brevity of this book and took away a few great tips! Highly recommend!

We all communicate, some of us just do it better than others. In this book, Charles Duhigg takes us on a journey through many situations in which communication is more than a requirement, it's an art form. This book is not just about being a better talker but also a better listener and student of other people. It breaks down major conversation types and how to lean into them for work, dating, or just better connections overall.

If you haven't read Brene Brown or other business self-help books, you may find this helpful, but for me there were too many long stories -- and the info was so similar to other books. Basically, you have to connect with people to get them to listen to you.

As a communications professional, I really enjoyed this book. The practical “A guide to using these ideas” at the end of each section are particularly valuable and I can see myself going back to those summaries in the future. The focus is on uncovering what a conversation is really about, how our emotions and how we feel come into play, and how are (many) social identities influence the discussion. In particular, what stood out to me is going deeper— for example, instead of asking “where are you from?” I could ask “What was your favorite part of where you grew up?”

I haven't read a good social psych book in a while and a book by Duhigg was probably going to hit right. This one is about the connections we make with one another, especially and specifically on tougher topics-- he discusses guns, vaccines, and COVID in the story but a bevy of other examples from an executive at Netflix and an FBI agent.
Ultimately Duhigg's message is that there are rules to follow when it comes to the "secret language" of connecting. They are about paying attention to what the conversation IS that's occurring, figuring out the goals of those you're talking to but also sharing yours as well, sharing feelings and asking about others', and understanding the identities and how/why they're important to the discussion.
Duhigg also included analysis of couples' and the differences between happy and unhappy ones related to how they communicated (and the videos they used of them to analyze).
Either way, plenty of things to unpack around the major elements of connection! I know THREE people who would be interested in reading the book.

This is a fantastic book about how to make better connections with others. Duhigg has a beautiful way of making complicated things plain and simple. And doable.
In this book, he writes clearly about the three types of conversations we typically have:
1. The “What’s this really about?” Conversation
This one is practical. It deals with facts. It is helpful when we need to make a decision and move on.
2. The “How do we feel?” Conversation
When we need to connect on an emotional level, this is the conversation to have. It invites awareness of our emotions, beliefs, and memories.
3. The “Who are we?” Conversation
We tap into a broader, more social mindset with these conversations. These help us acknowledge social differences rather than pretending they don't exist.
He also shares 4 Rules for Conversations because he says we are always in a conversation—be it practical, emotional, or social.
1. Pay attention to what kind of conversation is occuring.
2. Share your goals, and ask what others are seeking.
3. Ask about others’ feelings, and share your own.
4. Explore if identities are important to this discussion.
It’s not a literal checklist to tick off (although it can be, in the most serious of conversations), but it’s a mindset to facilitate greater communication. It can mean asking more questions, owning up to our own mistakes and feelings, and being more open about who we are.
I'll refer to this book again for communicating better with those I care about. It's full of practical tips and advice.
My thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the review copy of this book.

Communicating with others is hard! Don't let that reality pass you by. It's not the typical stuff we focus on most like how to be a great presenter, or lean in and nod your head, that causes the big challenges.
What Charles Duhigg points us to in #Supercommunicators is the missing links about what kinds of conversations are we having, talking about the feelings that undergird our reality, how to ask good questions, and so much more in this awesome release!
Go pick up a copy and spend time digging into it, you won't regret it as the book challenges you to go to another level in connecting with other humans!

The first few pages are so intriguing. I was compelled to read and learn more of this unique approach to listening. Listening involves much more than merely nodding agreement or using specific body language. Connections and emotions are key. You're sure to learn something unexpected from reading this book.

Duhigg provides some great ideas on how to think about communication differently, and he backs that up with tools that can provide great impact to one’s effectiveness as a communicator. Definitely worth reading!

This book was just okay for me and not as compelling as his book The Power of Habit. I had trouble reading more than a few pages at a time so this ended up taking me a while to finish (and I’m usually a go through the book in a day or two kind of reader). He presents some good ideas, especially useful reminders for someone like me whose strengths aren’t empathy and connection but takes a long time doing it. The examples he used were okay but seemed to go on and on and in one case I don’t feel it even supported the point he was making (Netflix case study). I don’t think I wasted my time but it wasn’t the enjoyable reading experience I get from books usually. Thanks to Random House Publishing for an early copy to read through NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily as my honest opinion because I love books and authors. This book came out in February 2024 so is available now.

Duhigg studies “supercommunicators” - people who know how to how to have good, effective conversations, make others feel at ease, and have fruitful connections that accomplish goals. Eg - a specific jury foreperson that convinces everyone to acquit, an educator who helps people on both sides of the gun issue form real relationships and understand each other, a prostate cancer specialist who learns to improve how he counsels his patients.
This isn’t a self-help book - it’s more like a book of behavioral psychology, negotiation, and interpersonal dynamics. He uses complex real-world cases to underscore his four rules to have better conversations and form deeper connections and constantly reinforces them with examples and sample questions. Truly excellent writing!

Let me start out by saying that this is NOT my genre. Most nonfiction I read is about business and/or product and doesn’t really fall into the “personal development” category. I’ve just never found a nonfiction book in that category that really does it for me in terms of making me reevaluate my personal choices or bestows some great knowledge I’ll carry with me regarding my personal psyche.
Supercommunicators was no exception to the above feelings. However, it certainly had moments that made me want to rethink some of that. Charles Duhigg writes really well and it’s so abundantly obvious that he cares about the subject matter and about the people he interviewed as research for the book. The stories he helps to tell are interesting and compelling and I found myself wanting MORE examples, MORE interviews instead of the “just the facts, ma’am” aspects that parts of the book offered.
That’s a hot take for me. Usually I’m a “one example and move on” kind of reader but with what Duhigg wants us to take away, I found it easier to understand the point when hearing other peoples’ experiences. The black-and-white bulleted and seemingly step-by-step instructions of HOW to be a Supercommunicator fell flat for me. The stories from other Supercommunicators made those chapters of this book soar.
Overall, a very solid read from Duhigg and I’ll definitely be referencing some of the stories in here for years to come so for that, I’m grateful to have spent time reading this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC!