Contexts of Accommodation: Developments in Applied Sociolinguistics Book

Ah! A little book on the history and art of conversing. Coming from a journalist and writer I was expecting a light yet agreeable read, containing at least a few interesting titbits on the topic. Well, bad luck! The whole is a complete waste and, ironically for a book revolving all around the art of a good conversation, dull to the point of being soporific, shallow to the point of being vain and, after we put it down (having learnt nothing!) cannot but feel relieved as when having just gotten rid of a bore!

You want to know more about the history and art of conversing? Go pick articles here and there on the internet, and you will learn more about it all than in this poor and badly written summary. His conversation analysis brings nothing interesting -they are just talks between his friends upon which he disserts with a stupefying banality. Worst: he just uses a very few references to illustrate his arguments, an tiny handful of books he hasn't even bother to read!

The good introduction was promising. The bibliography (embracing literature, philosophy and psychology) is not too bad. The rest... Useless wind! Stay clear.