A straightforward look at the history and the art of maintaining courteous communication in an increasingly divided world.

Over the last several years, it has become clear that there is a problem maintaining civil discourse in America. At a time when our communities are divided, our national identity is fractured, and celebratory family gatherings sometimes turn into contentious battlefields, the art of simple conversation has never been more critical.

Straight Talk: The Art of Civil Discourse by Milan Kordestani, founder of The Doe, the largest anonymous publication online, explores how and why people engage in discourse-and what you can do to improve your practices and engage in meaningful dialogue going forward.

Civil discourse, once considered to be the cornerstone of a thoughtfully engaged democracy, has become a rare commodity in today’s digital age. With astute observations and real-life stories, Kordestani walks readers through the history of civil discourse and uses contemporary case studies to help them explore the possibilities for meaningful and constructive conversations.

Drawing from diverse fields such as history, politics, finance, athletics, and pop culture, the book explores the successes and failures of discourse and how we might work to rebuild it as a society and as individuals. By providing practical advice and strategies for engaging in respectful conversations, Straight Talk gives readers the tools they need to promote powerful civil discourse and find greater balance in their daily lives.