Patricia Ball is right on target when she points out how empowering it is to realize that we constantly have choices to make about our actions and response to situations. Once we sense this power, understanding that it is private and inviolable, and that it grows as we grow, we release ourselves from the miscommunication and fear of expressing ourselves that intimidate so many. We learn early in Straight Talk Is More Than Words that the power of choice is ours. We can give it up, but it can never be taken from us without our consent. Ball goes on to show how this intrinsic power is related to communication and persuasion in many forms, from the most obvious - words - to the often more telling nonverbal behavior. She steps us through all the components we use, some knowingly, some reflexively. She takes us to the heart of the matter - the response from our audience, whether that audience is your life partner, a child, 50 potential clients or 10,000 diverse humans who share at...
