Conflict can be ugly. But if you follow the precepts of Buster Benson, you’ll discover that it’s also inevitable, necessary, and even helpful.
Why Are We Yelling? provides a taxonomy of disagreement - explaining how arguments arise, how to handle them, and how to resolve them. Nobody can completely avoid conflict, but everybody can learn how to argue better and more productively with this provocative book.This is a life-changing book. Read it three times and then give a copy to anyone you care about. It will make things betterAll you need is Buster Benson. His methods are instantly actionable, his writing is funny and relatable, and his book is the ideal companion to
Difficult ConversationsI’m a sucker for frameworks, and this is one of the greats. You'll learn to turn the messy, frustrating, emotional experience of arguing into a fine art. You'll watch the quality of your collaborations—and your ideas—go through the roofConflict can be ugly. But if you follow the precepts of Buster Benson, you’ll discover that it’s also inevitable, necessary, and even helpful . . . everybody can learn how to argue better and more productively with this provocative bookReading
Why Are We Yelling? is like having your most calm, level-headed friend explain how you might diffuse a tense situation in your life and work. I especially recommend this book to anyone who has ever tried to ‘win’ an argument only to end up frustrated with the resultsWith provocative ideas—and the brain science to back them up—
Why Are We Yelling? offers fresh approaches to conflict and connectionLively, accessible, and practical guide . . . eight valuable principles for turning rude arguments or suppressed differences into dynamic conversations that illuminate, connect, and yield better results for allThis clever, empowering book shows how conflict can be a source of growth, intrigue, and joy . . . This is the perfect book at the perfect time to bring some sanity back into disagreementsBuster Benson turns everything you know about arguing on its head. Before reading this book, I never thought I’d be looking forward to my next disagreement. Productive disagreeing is the most underrated life skill you can buildIn today’s polarized climate, 'productive disagreement' often feels like an oxymoron. Benson brilliantly challenges this idea, offering a thoughtful guidebook on how to lower our voices, tolerate tension, and have the constructive dialogue our world needsA practical guide to having more honest and constructive arguments, featuring whimsical illustrations and real-world examples of arguments-gone-wrong
'This is a life-changing book. Read it three times and then give a copy to anyone you care about. It will make things better' – Seth Godin, author of This is Marketing
'All you need is Buster Benson. His methods are instantly actionable, [and] his writing is funny and relatable' – Adam Grant, author of Originals
Why Are We Yelling is Buster Benson's essential guide to having more honest and constructive arguments.
The way we argue is broken. Whether it’s about Brexit, the existence of ghosts, the best burger in the city or who’s allowed to sit in your favourite chair, we end up digging our heels in and yelling at one another or choosing to avoid heated topics entirely. There has to be a better way.
Buster Benson, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur with two decades of experience facilitating hard conversations at some of the biggest tech companies in the world, recommends eight things to try in order to make disagreements more productive. By applying these eight new habits, we can flip frustrating, unproductive disagreements into ones that bear fruit and bring people closer together.
In this book you'll master practical skills to make your disagreements more productive by:
- Understanding four ways of disagreeing that are more valuable than simply ‘winning’ the argument
- Identifying the kind of argument you’re having so you know how best to negotiate it
- Articulating the best possible version of your opponent’s argument before attacking it
With this toolkit we can explore more possibilities and perspectives in the world, simply because we’ll no longer be afraid to wade into scary topics of conversation.
Buster Benson is an entrepreneur and a former product leader at Amazon, Twitter, Slack, and Patreon. He's now CEO of 750words.com and writes for Medium and busterbenson.com. This is his first book.
