Thank you NetGalley and Kogan Page for this eCopy to review

From the moment I picked up How to Improve Your Communication Skills, I knew it would be a valuable resource. Alan Barker delivers a practical, insightful guide to mastering communication in both professional and personal settings.

The book covers essential topics such as building rapport, handling difficult conversations, giving effective presentations, and writing with clarity. Barker provides self-assessment tools, exercises, and checklists to help you refine your communication style and develop confidence. His approach is clear, engaging, and packed with actionable advice.

How to Improve Your Communication Skills is a must-read for anyone looking to enhance their ability to connect, persuade, and express themselves effectively. Whether you're navigating workplace interactions or simply aiming to improve everyday conversations, this book offers invaluable strategies.

As a business process analyst recently diagnosed with ADHD, communication has become a major focus of my personal and professional development. I tend to over-explain in emails and meetings, assuming stakeholders need every detail to understand my recommendations. It's a habit rooted in perfectionism, people-pleasing, and conflict avoidance—traits many neurodivergent professionals will recognize.

This book spoke directly to that experience.

I didn’t expect How to Improve Your Communication Skills to be so relevant, but it’s been genuinely transformative. I picked it up to work on public speaking, and by coincidence, I reached the section on PowerPoint presentations just days before I was scheduled to facilitate a session. The advice was immediately practical and helped ease a lot of my nerves.

What I appreciated most is how the book doesn’t ask you to "be less you." Instead, it offers real tools—like Monroe’s Motivated Sequence and conversational frameworks—that help you communicate more clearly, strategically, and confidently, especially in high-stress moments like giving feedback or setting boundaries.

It’s not fluff. It’s not corporate jargon. It’s emotionally intelligent, real-world advice from someone who understands what effective communication actually feels like.

If communication is on your development plan—or if you’ve ever felt like you had to say everything just to be taken seriously—this book will help you feel seen and give you tools to grow.

Recommended for:
Professionals with ADHD, people navigating workplace communication challenges, or anyone who wants to feel more confident speaking up without overcompensating.

This is a quick read which offers an abundance of practical tips as the title suggests, and the theory and explanations are minimal and necessary.
Particularly aimed as an introductory book to communication skills.
Had this been more elaborate on certain topics, it could have appealed more to wider audiences.
Nevertheless, well-structured, presented and informative book.