Office small talk can feel like running a marathon in shoes two sizes too small. While it’s often necessary, some topics can make even the most patient among us lose the will to live. Navigating these ...

You either master the art of small talk or constantly dread it; there’s no in-between. By all means, small talk should not exist. Yet, we have kept it alive. There’s no reason why we should be ...

What do Americans think of small talk? “Most Americans dislike it. I would say most Americans want to avoid it,” said Matt Zajechowski spokesman for Northstar Inbound, a marketing agency that analyzed ...

When I urge people to consider public speaking to bolster their careers or support their business success, one of the most common concerns I hear is, “What would I talk about?” If you’ve ever attended ...

When it comes to deciding how to spend time together, couples have a multitude of options. Newer pairings might grab their dancing shoes for a night out on the town; more established couples might ...

Have you ever met someone and instantly clicked? Most of us have. Thinking back, what created the spark? Most likely it was a combination of topic, tone, and tenor, but it no doubt happened within a ...

In “Talk,” Alison Wood Brooks mines years of data to optimize your conversations. By Dan Piepenbring Dan Piepenbring is the co-author of “Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the ...