Most people know Alan Alda from the classic television series M*A*S*H, but he is also a writer and director. He hosted the award-winning series Scientific American Frontiers for eleven years and founded the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University. His previous books include “Never Have Your Dog Stuffed: And Other Things I’ve Learned” and “Things I Overheard While Talking To Myself.” “If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face?: My Adventures in the Art and Science of Relating and Communicating” is his most recent release. In it, he tells the story of his quest to learn to communicate better and to teach others to do the same and how to develop empathy.

The central theme in “If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face?” is communication and the author gives readers creative ways they can improve their skills. It is divided into two parts: 1. Relating Is Everything with chapters like The Mirror Exercise, Listening from the Boardroom to the Bedroom and Training Doctors to Have More Empathy and 2. Getting Better at Reading Others with chapters like Working Along on Building Empathy, Dark Empathy and Reading the Mind of the Reader. He uses examples from his own life to demonstrate the importance of being able to communicate with each other and what happens when wires get crossed. His aim is to teach people to develop their empathy skills because this is where cooperation and understanding is born. This can be done by looking for clues in another’s face and learning to read the other person.

In simple terms and easy to understand language, Alan Alda has written an excellent guide for anyone who wants to improve their interpersonal skills. His personal anecdotes are entertaining and informative. A standout chapter is Working Alone on Building Empathy where he discusses meditation and bonding to start improving oneself. Overall, it is an interesting take on the importance of communication skills that is as useful in today’s atmosphere as it ever was. It is a highly recommended read, especially for those on a journey of self-discovery and improvement.

*A copy of this book was given for an honest review. The opinions expressed in this article are solely the author’s.