Six Conversations We're Scared to Have

From the bestselling author of The Guilty Feminist, a book about how to change minds - including your own

'An essential guide for fostering nuanced and intricate conversations in today's polarized society' GILLIAN ANDERSON
'Tackles thorny, volatile issues with wit and insight' INDEPENDENT, BOOKS OF THE MONTH
'The book we need right now' DAVID TENNANT
'Thought-provoking and witty' MARIE CLAIRE
'If you have ever felt shut down, this book is a godsend' EMMA THOMPSON
'Shows us that progress lies in the imperfect spaces, where our shared humanity gives empathy the freedom to stretch out' NATASHA RADMEHR, THE TIMES
'Finally! A book to succinctly express the complexity of our age' TOM ALLEN
'A truly excellent primer' THE BOOKSELLER, NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE MONTH
'Compassionate, rigorous, electric!'' TRAVIS ALABANZA

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Are you ready to talk?

Why have disagreements become so flammable?
Why are progressive people calling for censorship in comedy?
How has the so-called 'transgender debate' become so toxic and what can we do to help?
How is our empathy being manipulated by the internet?
How does AI operate like a psychopath?
How do we achieve progress in today's, y'know, screaming hellscape?

We are understandably scared to have difficult conversations right now. But comedian and bestselling writer Deborah Frances-White is even more scared of not having them.

Having grown up in a cult which shut down any dissent, Deborah sees the same tactics being used in our rapidly changing society. She knows the value of freedom of speech, critical thinking and the ability to argue well. And as the host of hit podcast The Guilty Feminist, she has been having difficult conversations in public for almost a decade.

In her new, urgent page-turner Deborah examines how the world has come to this and what we can actually do about it. Most importantly, she explores how to change minds, including our own. Deborah invites us to boldly meet this moment in history with hope, clarity and courage. She has written, as Desiree Burch says, 'a book to leave you transformed.'


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'A bold and timely manifesto for dialogue over division' JEMIMA KHAN
'Delving into everything from censorship to the so-called "trans debate", its message is one of empathy over anger' iNEWS
'A wonderful invitation to open your mind, open your heart and let some nuance and compassion in' MARY ANN SIEGHART
'A must read. In a world full of noise and confusion, this book illuminates a pathway to real debate' JULIA GILLARD
'Humane, rigorous and important' BRIDGET CHRISTIE
''I can't believe that the best conversation I've ever had about some of the most heated topics of today, was with this book' DAN SCHREIBER
'Stimulating, challenging, disarming, original, pithy, gritty and witty - a must read' KATHY LETTE

Praise for Deborah Frances-White and THE GUILTY FEMINIST:
'Quite possibly the defining feminist of our generation' ELIZABETH DAY
'Very funny, very clever, very thoughtful and very relevant' DOLLY ALDERTON
'Breathes life into conversations about feminism' PHOEBE WALLER-BRIDGE