The Argument Culture: Moving from Debate to Dialogue

Rating:
Summary: Gives Voice to the Excluded Middle
Review: After appearing on many radio stations, mostly in the U.S., and being confronted with dozens of argumentative hack DJs who had no interest in dialoguing intelligently, I can fully relate to The Argument Culture. Reading this work will remind anyone just how endangered, if not extinct, constructive dialogue has become. I find this true not only with journalists and other media people, but with those that I know in my personal life. Most have lost the ability to strive for some kind of consensus or reconciliation that broadens perspective-or offers the opportunity to consider other points of view. Instead, gut reaction, the need to win an argument prevails for the most part-to the point where I devote much time/energy avoiding getting into arguments at all considering how futile they are. I find this more disturbing than what is staged on FOX News and CNN. I would have given this book 4 stars but editing is sorely lacking and the author could have tightened up her prose considerably if she wanted to. Also there are a few instances where the author (unconsciously?) contradicts herself by taking polarized stances on more than one topic-while pretending not to. However, she does not totally negate the book's premise and manages to keep the reading lively throughout.

Jaye Beldo:[e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: the book has a unbalanced feeling
Review: Dr.Tannen spends the bulk of the book supporting a general thesis that the confrontational debate/argument styles of speech and communications is not always appropiate, efficient, or constructive. Her many examples become somewhat tedious as the book reads on. Having read Dr. Tannen's other works and agreeing with Dr. Tannen thesis - I wanted the book to move the process from describing the problem to suggesting solutions and describing how these solutions might work. In the last pages, She does provide some guidelines for useful dialogue. However,I found the solution short. In this respect - I was disappointed because I felt that Dr. Tannon could have written a more constructive treatment of what constitutes useful public dialogue.

Rating:
Summary: I would like to argue with the other reviewers!
Review: How often does a person get to argue about a book that says we argue too much! I disagree, with a smile, with the other reviewers, and think that Tannen has deepened and extended her research by focusing her linguistic talents on the broader cultural domains of politics, journalism, and academia. While some overlap with her former work regarding the difficulty in communication gender, I found her other insights quite relevant and sagacious. I live and work in Japan, and I can assure you that this book has opened my eyes to look at myself and how often I approach discussions here with the argument attitude. Alfie Kohn (No Contest) and others have pointed out how our competitive attitudes are a result of the social structures that we inhabit. Tannen skillfully paints a accurate picture of the American system that reinforces and rewards arguments and acheivement. It is easy to see how easily how distrust, skepticism, and misunderstanding occurs when discussion is replaced with debate. It is easy to see too why we have become such a violent society when you have to fight to be heard. Our whole system is built on persuasion and politics, geared to attack people and their positions, not to promote cooperation and dialogue. As an academic, I can certainly identify with the one-upmanship that constantly occurs among university professors. Tannen has not covered all of the bases regarding conflict, nor needs to. I would recommend other works like Morton Deutsch's Handbook of Conflict Resolution, or Stephen Toulmin's The Uses of Argument, or Wiliam Ury's work Getting to Yes, Getting Past No for some practical applications. But this informative book takes a meta-view of American discourse and makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the language we are immersed in, and offers the alternative of dialogue instead of debate as a effective way of connecting with others. I often recommend this book to Americans who are living and working overseas so they can understand how to be more relationally sensitive to cultures that are not so direct in their dealings with people. Thank you, Dr. Tannen, your illustrations and insights are enlightening!

Rating:
Summary: The Arguement Culture offers a timely, worthwhile POV.
Review: I really enjoyed listening to Ms. Tannen read her latest book on tape. While her view of history is cursory on the audio version, her main points are really important. Academe, politics and journalism are ill-served by simple, two-sided arguements. Having a political system that forces us to either "the left" or "the right" seems remarkably rediculous when one considers the real complexities that face us in the 21st century. In academe, the standards of debating two opposing view may have some value (such as excitement, and the focusing power of such an assignment), but traditional debate formats, as Ms. Tannen points out, are inconsistent with an authentic search for truth. Finally, she explores some of the assumptions that give us TV shows such as Crossfire and Both Sides. Essentially, these show provide entertainment, but, due to their competetive formats, nothing is ever resolved and viewers are left only confirmed in their previous points of view. Is seems as if, according to the Tannen view, Crossfire is rather like a verbal equivalent of WWF wrestling. Tannen's invocation of Peter Elbow's alternative, a "Culture of Belief," seems like a great antidote. The Arguement Culture is a very useful and inspiring resource. I recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Read Plato instead
Review: If you want to converse about argument, debate, shared insight, sophistry, truth, beauty, and the American way, etc., don't bother with this dreck. Just read any Platonic dialogue.

Rating:
Summary: For anyone interrested in better relational standards
Review: Mrs. Tannen's "The Argument Culture, Moving From Debate To Dialogue" is an exceptional work.

The book examines social interractions that elicit societal discoarse and offers alternatives that can be used toward having a more healthful commune.

I have continuously observed that the solving of social issues is crippled by a polarity complex that pits individuals or groups of people (and alternate agendas) against each other.

My belief is that our struggles in personal, professional and cultural invironments are multidemensional and much more complex than we frequently assume or are coaxed to believe. There is a certain meanness that is sweeping across the nation and the world as a whole.

This book assists us in understanding how our daily interractions as well as observations and participation either contribute to a more peaceful union or promote segrigation, hatred and widespread dissention.

Good public policy involves courteousness. Thorough examination and openness helps us to advance real, lasting resolutions.

The Argument Culture will prove to be useful in building consensus and building better relationships amongst one another--which is untimately necessary (and now often times absent)for our cultural welfare.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing - My last Tannen book.
Review: The argument culture is an inetresting look at our cultures obsession with arguing. Tannen, charasmatically, explores the world of the argument, and gives strong examples to prove her point. Although, the book flows well, Tannen goes too much into how we argue, and the types of argument, rather then really proposing a solution. However, Tannen is always insightful and a pleasure to read, and this book is no different.

Rating:
Summary: Powerful evidence, but what can we do to change?
Review: The author compiled a powerful case against the "culture of critique" that we live in. She chronicles the emergence of an "attack dog" media from the days of Watergate, and shows the damage they do to the political process and the people who serve us in public office. She thoroughly analyzes the impact that our "agonistic" culture has had on politics, particularly the difficulty of appointing people to office and passing the media's intense scrutiny. Gender differences are covered fairly and related to our love of a good fight, our education system, and our legal system. The author finishes off the book with a host of cultural comparisons that serve to give perspectiveand offer alternatives to our "war of words" culture. The only weak point in the book is the lack of concrete methods to turn our culture in a better direction. I agree that this cynical, attacking atmosphere has gone too far, but the book doesn't address the issue of what specifically is to be done about it. Overall an intelligent, scholarly review of contemporary culture, and well worth the read. The best books leave you with new ways to see the world and this one certainly opened my eyes to what I had become blase and indifferent to.

Rating:
Summary: Powerful evidence, but what can we do to change?
Review: The author compiled a powerful case against the "culture of critique" that we live in. She chronicles the emergence of an "attack dog" media from the days of Watergate, and shows the damage they do to the political process and the people who serve us in public office. She thoroughly analyzes the impact that our "agonistic" culture has had on politics, particularly the difficulty of appointing people to office and passing the media's intense scrutiny. Gender differences are covered fairly and related to our love of a good fight, our education system, and our legal system. The author finishes off the book with a host of cultural comparisons that serve to give perspectiveand offer alternatives to our "war of words" culture. The only weak point in the book is the lack of concrete methods to turn our culture in a better direction. I agree that this cynical, attacking atmosphere has gone too far, but the book doesn't address the issue of what specifically is to be done about it. Overall an intelligent, scholarly review of contemporary culture, and well worth the read. The best books leave you with new ways to see the world and this one certainly opened my eyes to what I had become blase and indifferent to.

Rating:
Summary: For anyone interrested in better relational standards
Review: The author has focused in on all the poison that seems to be rife in our conversations today - from radio talk shows to Jerry Springer to organizational discourse. Reading this book, taking it to heart and following its suggestions would eliminate almost all organizational conflict and go along way toward restoring civilized behavior.