Examines how everyday conversation expresses both who we are and who we want to be. Interweaving rhetorical and cultural perspectives, the author gives particul... » 

Examines how everyday conversation expresses both who we are and who we want to be. Interweaving rhetorical and cultural perspectives, the author gives particular attention to the ways talk reflects communicators' cultural and ethnic background, nationality, social class, and gender, as well as the dynamics between particular conversational partners. Illuminating is the complex role that talking plays in building relationships and creating - and ideally solving - relational problems. «