How to Say It: Words That Make a Difference

By: Allison Friederichs Atkison, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Allison Friederichs Atkison

Words. We use them all the time, every day, mostly without giving them much thought at all. We take for granted that they’re here at our disposal whenever we need them.

But if you’ve ever wished you could communicate more effectively, words are the place to start. It’s incumbent upon you to choose the best words to accomplish your goals, because how you choose to communicate influences—well, everything! The power of communication shapes our professional goals, our relationships, and our lives—so the words we choose to use carry a great deal of power.

Join Dr. Allison Friederichs to discover how every single interaction we have is an opportunity to use clear and compelling communication tactics. However daunting or unpredictable the situation, we have the power to strategically choose how we communicate. Every single time. And how we communicate can change everything.

Over the course of 10 lessons, you will have fun exploring words—what they offer us, where they come from, what influences their meaning and vice versa, and how to expand your vocabulary. You’ll learn how to choose the right words for every scenario, and you’ll learn how those words can revolutionize your personal and professional life.

©2022 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2022 Audible Originals, LLC

Mispronouncing etc.

Let me preface this by stressing that the following comments are not meant to be degrading or demeaning in any way. I have only the utmost respect for Dr. Friederichs and her work, and I think the audiobook is excellent in many ways. My only complaint is Dr. Friederichs' repeated mispronunciation of the abbreviation "etc." For some reason beyond my control, my brain is hypersensitive to incorrect grammar, spelling, punctuation, usage, definitions, homonyms, etc. When I hear or read any of these, it's like someone scratching their nails on a chalkboard (perhaps not the best analogy, as some of the younger readers may not know what a chalkboard is). It leaps off the page, or shouts from the audiobook.

As most know, "etc." is an abbreviation for "et cetera", and should be pronounced as it is written, not "ec cetera". For me, this is akin to hearing someone say "aks", instead of "ask". Ugh. The mispronunciation of etc. is especially upsetting/ironic hearing it come from someone so highly educated, and whose expertise involves language/speaking/communication.

I can be certain I'm not the only one who has noticed this, but I don't know if it has ever been brought to Dr. Friederichs' attention. If she is aware of it, she may not deem it important enough to address, i.e. edit the entire audiobook.

Thank you for reading this.

More about writing than speaking

It had some good points but was more focused on writing, I'd guess for many, what was said should be common sense, think before you speak? To get the response you want

Wonderful Surprise!

I wasn't sure what to expect from this and it was an absolute favorite!

found helpful

the author spoke of avoiding repetition but the examples used were repeated multiple times. other than that I gained information that I will use for my communication skills

This book taught me so much.

I am ready to dive head first into becoming a MASTER COMMUNICATOR! I have two young sons whom I plan to educate early so that they can become powerful men one day. Thank you for this book.