New Book on Communication from Alan Alda

Alan Alda, perhaps best known as the star of M*A*S*H, has a new book titled IF I UNDERSTOOD YOU, WOULD I HAVE THIS LOOK ON MY FACE?  He was interviewed on PBS NewHour last night:

Alda builds on his experience hosting PBS’s Scientific American Frontiers to stress the importance of listening – really listening with eyes, ears and feelings.  As founder of the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University, he points out the importance of empathy, personal connection and trust in communication. His message combines an appreciation for science (saying we need to understand it better so as to support it more) while sharing insights associated with the Humanities, like the acting world's “mirroring” and other improv exercises. IF I UNDERSTOOD YOU, WOULD I HAVE THIS LOOK ON MY FACE? seems particularly timely and useful in an age when so (too?) much of our communication tends to be through screens.