Vanessa Van Edwards

The powerful proven blueprint for confident conversations and meaningful connection, from the bestselling author of Cues and Captivate

Does the thought of small talk with strangers make you want to hide under the couch?
Do you crave close friendships but find yourself overanalyzing every social interaction afterward?
Do you want to be seen as confident, capable, and genuinely likable — without feeling fake or forced?
Are you tired of communication advice that makes you feel manipulative, rehearsed, or inauthentic?

If you feel like you were never taught the unspoken rules for how to interact with others, look no further. In Conversation, popular behavior researcher and bestselling people skills author Vanessa Van Edwards delivers a practical, science-backed playbook for transforming how you show up in any situation. Grounded in decades of research and written in clear, engaging language, Conversation gives you a powerful framework for mastering small talk, building instant rapport, and being the most memorable person in the room (in a good way!)

You’ll discover how to:
 

• Break the ice without being awkward
• Stop overthinking what to say next and tune in to your conversation partner
• Pose the 9 power questions that will level up any relationship
• Change the subject or end a conversation without damaging the relationship
• Decode people’s personality patterns so you’re never guessing how to respond
• Be authentically assertive so you come across as both credible and likable without sacrificing what makes you, you

If you’re ready to feel grounded instead of anxious, speak with authority without sounding rehearsed, and build relationships that elevate both your career and your personal life — this book will show you how.

Do you feel awkward at networking events? Do you wonder what your date really thinks of you? Do you wish you could decode people? You need to learn the science of people.
 
As a human behavior hacker, Vanessa Van Edwards created a research lab to study the hidden forces that drive us. And she’s cracked the code. In Captivate, she shares shortcuts, systems, and secrets for taking charge of your interactions at work, at home, and in any social situation. These aren’t the people skills you learned in school. This is the first comprehensive, science backed, real life manual on how to captivate anyone—and a completely new approach to building connections.
 
Just like knowing the formulas to use in a chemistry lab, or the right programming language to build an app, Captivate provides simple ways to solve people problems. You’ll learn, for example…
 
· How to work a room: Every party, networking event, and social situation has a predictable map. Discover the sweet spot for making the most connections.
· How to read faces: It’s easier than you think to speed-read facial expressions and use them to predict people’s emotions.
· How to talk to anyone: Every conversation can be memorable—once you learn how certain words generate the pleasure hormone dopamine in listeners.

When you understand the laws of human behavior, your influence, impact, and income will increase significantly. What’s more, you will improve your interpersonal intelligence, make a killer first impression, and build rapport quickly and authentically in any situation—negotiations, interviews, parties, and pitches. You’ll never interact the same way again.