Book Review: Verbal Judo, by George J. Thompson and Jerry B. Jenkins

I listened to this book first on Audible and was so pleased that I purchased a copy. That is always a good sign. The authors provide a lot of good information for anyone who seeks to influence through conversation. Although most of the strategies are portrayed in the context of police interactions, they have strong crossover applications to many of the types of conversations that leaders have on a daily basis. In fact, the many examples of how the strategies were developed and used in actual police interactions lend them a greater degree of veracity to them, in my opinion.

Some of my favorite chapters are: 

• Taking Crap with Dignity . . . and Style
• Eleven Things Never to Say to Anyone
• The Most Powerful Word in the English Language (hint: it is not really a word as much as a concept)
• The Greatest Speech You’ll Ever Live to Regret
• What Makes This All So Difficult
• The Language of Reassurance

If you are interested in the skills of verbal influence and communication you will find something in this book that will enhance your skillset in both arenas. This is also a great book for those diving into emotional intelligence, as the way we express ourselves says a lot about our EQ. The author touches on the connection between EQ and effective communication repeatedly, although not necessarily in those terms.

The only off-putting aspect of the book is the underlying sense of arrogance that seeps in from time to time. It may be deserved since the author has definitely had many experiences and developed some effective tools for communication, but it can feel a little self-aggrandizing.

Still, I highly recommend the book as there is enough good content here that will definitely make you a better communicator.