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Episode details

Radio 4,17 Jul 2011,10 mins

The Art of Conversation

A Point of View

Available for over a year

Alain de Botton on why preparing conversation is as important as preparing a good salad for our summer picnic. He questions why we put so much effort into our social encounters, but leave our conversation to chance. With examples from history and literature, he argues that it's when there are rules to our conversation that our spirit can best be set free. Producer: Adele Armstrong.

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