Practical Book Review (Peterson, 2007)

[Institution Name]Practical Book Review (Peterson, 2007)

Summary

Jim Peterson's book outlines a very practical and often simplistic way on how to become a better listener. His method of sharing turns and even employing a card with the roles that the talker and the listener must employ makes it at times even like a game (Petersen 2007, 51). In the discussion present in this book he focuses on how people communicate, he divides it into three parts for convenience. First part is considered as the stomach consisting of the emotions or feelings. Second part is the heart which when operating properly considers many possibilities. While third part is the head which processes the thinking and logical functions (Ibid., 11-12). Peterson uses these functions to show that when the stomach is full of the emotions it swells and pushes the heart that in turn makes the brain go flat. A principle Peterson refers to as “flat brain” syndrome (Ibid., 25). When one enters this condition the person must be allowed to get these emotions out and to return to a state of correct thinking.

Peterson takes the reader on a journey to show that the art of listening involves more than hearing. The idea of the roles that people play being the listener and talker help the communication process to be effective and avoid the flat brain tango (Ibid., 33-37). Peterson first outlines for the reader the role that the talker will play in the scenario. The talker is the one that owns the problem first and foremost (Ibid., 70). It is this person's problem and they will be the ones to work it out. They do this by achieving two goals first there is sharing of thoughts and feelings (Ibid., 77,80). All of this is to be accomplished without attacking, accusing, labeling, or judging. In other words, the problem is not someone else's fault and your feelings and emotions are not dictated by someone else (Ibid., 89-91).

Peterson then focuses upon the most crucial role in this exchange, that of the listener and the part that they will play. The most crucial role that they play is that they are not the owner of the problem and they are not responsible to solve it (Ibid., 75). Peterson makes the point that this is tricky because the tendency is to take ownership (Ibid.). Peterson outlines several listening techniques in chapter eighteen. The art of listening is one that has to be worked at and one that has goals as well. First there is the providing of a safe place for the talker to share his/her feelings. Second, is to understand the talker. Third there is the art of clarifying the problem for the talker (Ibid., 92-101).

In this book Peterson concludes his book by describing the different types of situations or conditions of listening that would be more specialized like suicide situations (Ibid., 176). He also discusses how to apply the techniques in group settings and how to use it in ...