Why Don't We Listen Better? Book Review Essay

Sometimes our everyday experiences can strike us in ways that will influence our thinking in ways that might forever alter the way that we view our lives. In the short story “Fish Story,” Rick Bass primarily uses conflict, symbols, and the changes in a character to present a central theme reflecting the inevitability of our maturing thoughts and growing responsibilities that come incrementally with age. Gullason (1982) shares, “A short story represents a prose narrative usually concerned with a single aspect of personality changing or revealed as the result of conflict” (p. 222). We might interestingly find both of these dynamics within our weekly discussion’s short story assignment. Pigg (2017) explains, “The theme of a work of fiction is as much a creation of readers as it is for the writer because the user’s knowledge and beliefs play a part in determining the theme(s) they will recognize” (Attend Topic 4 Unit 2 [Video]). The writer of this week’s short story was likely to have known the theme that he intended to communicate while also recognizing the diversity of human thinking that gives us a myriad of perspectives. The “’Fish Story’s’ narrator is a 10-year-old boy in the early 1960’s living in rural Texas with parents who run a service station while their customer brings a 86 pound catfish creating a task to keep the fish alive until time to cook it” (Bass, 2009, pp. 1-2). As we recall our childhoods, most can likely remember how our imagination and fantasies began to collide with the realities of life, and this overreaching concept might allude to the theme of this piece of work. The narrator tells us how “He grew dizzy in the heat and from the strange combination of the unblinking monotony and utter fascination of his task until the trickling from the water hose seemed to be saturating and inflating the clouds as one would water a garden” (Bass, 2009, p. 2). As the narrator embraces the mundane task, his daydreams seem to symbolize the innocence of his youth. Later the story’s narrator “speaks less of childhood than of the general nature of the world in which we live, while contemplating that those days were different – we had more time for such thoughts, that time had not yet been corrupted”

I would like to give you some insight as to the daily operation of a major Emergency Department in this city. Not unlike many other “ER’s” the nursing staff is tasked with the triage or assessment of patients in order to sort by priority. The nurse is then tasked with maintaining flow of the department and ensuring the timely care and physician evaluation of patients. This requires clinical nursing judgement and expertise which is tested constantly. To explain this plainly, nurses are faced with a meat grinder which cannot stop. There may be twenty patients in the lobby with ambulances lining up. The room nurses are trying to

“How We Listen” by Aaron Copland: Who is the Speaker? According to the passages, the speaker is Aaron Copland, a prominent American composer of the 20th century. Copland was a very prominent composer due to his explanation of the three steps of listening to music: sensuous, expressive, and musical plane.” Copland’s background information is evident through the italicized summary information in the beginning of the passage and also through his genuine perception of music.

When someone speaks we need to listen. That means pay attention to what the other is saying and truly understand what is being spoken. If we are not good listeners, than we are not able to have that cclose realationship with the other person.

In his essay “How We Listen,” Aaron Copland classifies and divides the listening process into three parts: “the sensuous place, the expressive plane, and the sheerly musical plane” (1074). I believe by this mechanical separation, Copland succeeds in discussing difficult topic, so natural that most people tend to by pass it. He uses analogy and sometimes stresses on certain situation where these planes are abused or become a cause of a problem. The main purpose for Copland to separate the listening process is for the reader to learn and study how they listen. Copland’s success in the clarification mainly because of two methods: (1) Categorizing the listening process in different parts and use an analogy to unite it to

Talking and listening are essential life skills. The ability to talk in order to communicate and exchange ideas and information, to negotiate with others, to express feelings and emotions, allows human beings to function well in the world and to be full and active members of society. Communication, to be effective, requires the ability to listen, to understand and to make sense of what is heard. On the personal level, when we listen, we give attention to the other person in such a way as to allow them to feel heard, understood and therefore respected. In that way, listening is more than

In the book of “Why dont we listen better?” by James C. Peterson, he provides the readers with a strategic understanding of listening and how executing the skill can significantly impact your social life. While reading this book, I noticed a lot of repetition stated by Mr. Peterson, a method in which I found to be very interesting and helpful. Alongside of repetition, he also introduced various methods used to effectively communicate with each other separated into five sections. Part One: Options in Communicating, Part Two: The Talker-Listener Process, Part Three: The Listening Techniques, Part Four: Using the TLC in groups, and Part Five: Concluding Philosophy.

Dr. Petersen has called The Flat Brain Theory of Emotions. “It explains how our emotions, thinking and relating abilities work and how what goes inside us comes out in the ways we communicated and act.” (Petersen, 2007, p. 8) And without doubt that this is precisely the basis not only for a great communication, but is also related to a great listening.

In the book, “Why Don’t We Listen Better?” written by James C. Petersen (2007), the author emphasizes the need of becoming better listeners and as a result improving ones’ communication skills. Listening for instance, involves more than just hearing another person talk; on the contrary, it has to do with escaping ones’ thoughts and opinions and providing a safe, nonjudgmental or accusatory environment where the other person feels free to express themselves and be heard. Petersen presents a pictorial of his interpretation of ones' effective communication skills represented through the body: the stomach, the heart, and the brain in which each represents communication when done productively and when it is not (pp. 11-12). The stomach represents

A vital aspect of interpersonal communication is the style in which one listens. While every individual possesses their own preferred method of listening in communication, it can be enlightening to analyze our own strengths and weaknesses so as to maximize effectual communication. Within the confines of four main listening style categories, I have chosen those which best describe my own personal listening style.

Why Don’t We Listen Better? is a book that I initially did not think I would enjoy reading or learn from. Contrarily, I have learned more about myself than I could have ever imagined. To begin, to summarize the book was a bit difficult because there were so many interesting and important aspects. It was not an easy task to decide what to add and what to omit. James Petersen sought out to explore and dissect communication and understanding within different types and levels of relationships. Petersen described the Flat Brain Theory of Emotions as a theory that describes

Dr. Jim Peterson (2015) uses his professional clinical and pastoral counseling experiences in couples counseling combine with his personal experiences surrounding communication skills to create the book Why Don’t we Listen Better?: Communicating and Connecting in Relationships. Peterson’s (2017) purpose of writing this book is to provide a step by step guide of strategies that will people learn how to more effectively communicate with others. The author (2017) uses common vernacular, metaphors, illustrations, and examples to explain how one can advance in skills that are necessary to improve one’s interpersonal communication and relationships with others, which in turn makes his concepts more comprehensible for the reader. Peterson (2015)

James Petersen’s book Why Don’t We Listen Better, is a true guide in making relationships better with better communication. This book does not just help people communicate better in a work environment such as ministry or a counseling setting, but in everyday interactions with people and relationships. Petersen discusses the Flat Brain Theory and Flat Brain Tango, which shows why people have problems/ issues concerning listening to each other.

Responding to criticism with defensiveness of course this just perpetuates the very nonproductive communication cycle in progress. The behavior example of acting out of defensiveness is not owning up to having responsibility and a part in the problems. Gottman stresses that even if you are being criticized turning to defensiveness is not a healthy or solution focused way to resolve anything. The corrective for defensiveness is to stop and listen to your partner’s complaint and hopefully be able to assume your part of the

Petersen, J. C. (2007). Why don't we listen better? Communicating and connecting in relationships. Lincoln City, Oregon: Petersen Publications.