Practical Book Review
Quasheera Gamble
Liberty University
HSERV 508
July 25, 2013

SUMMARIZE! 500 words
Why don’t we listen better? Communicating and connecting in relationships is a guide into communication and relationships. Jim Peterson has brought his focus book on his knowledge and experience from counseling and pastoral ministries. Peterson is writing to encourage his patients and couples to succeed long after they have left from his teaching. Being a pastor helps you develop your listening skills and communication skills from all points of view. In this book he writes expresses that good communication skills are the same in business, on a date, and among the family. This book says that we think we have good listening skills and we really do not. We in many cases we do not want to hear what others are saying and it can be unrewarding to us. Liste n is a very important skill that has to be learned and is a skill acquired over a period of time and you continue to learn and develop these skills and becoming a good listener and a better listener. Peterson expres s theories about why we son not listen well and think we do. Peterson’s knowledge and teaching wills give you many ways to handle daily communications and difficulties among your many relationships. This book can be used by others counselors and therapist that need examples to help govern their advice for couples, families and businesses. For people and individual that have been told they need to listen better can read this book and develop their skills to a level that will improve others opinions of them and help them continue to grow. This book can bring many to understanding along with the bible Purpose and Theme of proverbs 1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: 2 for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight; 3 for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair; 4 for giving prudence to those who are simple,[a] knowledge and discretion to the young— 5 let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance— 6 for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.[b] 7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools[c] despise wisdom and instruction . This book makes you actually ask why don’t I listen better and as you are reading it tells you that things you do and those so called skills at listening you think you have are not really great at all and could use improvement. Many of the theories and stories in the book will help even the best listeners and communicators to understand why they can’t get through to some people and what they could do to fix that and help uncover false theories and beliefs that we have about ourselves. Proverbs 13 New International Version (NIV) 13 A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a mocker does not respond to rebukes. 2 From the fruit of their lips people enjoy good things, but the unfaithful have an appetite for violence. 3 Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.
RESPOND! 300 words
I noticed that remembered almost nothing I had read until I made this critical, personal connection of responding. I had to ask how to be transparent and get vulnerable with my answer! To relate a personal life episode that Petersen’s text triggered in my memory . The story on page 20 about Jack and Jill talking but not listen related to me because often I have had conversations that developed and ended the same way with friends and people that were talking about negative things and situations that would tear my spirit down and does nothing to edify my spirit. We have the power of life and death in our lounges Proverbs 18:21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. so when people began to speak negatively in my life or around me a counteract that and