This book is a response to the many requests The Compassionate Listening Project has received over the years from their program participants who want to continue to practice the skills of Compassionate Listening, as well as those who have heard about TCLP's work and are looking for a way to experience it without attending a training. The book covers much of the material taught at their introductory trainings, including many of the exercises, and will help you understand and implement the practices of Compassionate Listening in your daily life. Whether you're challenged by your own self-judgments or by conflicts within your family, workplace, or community, these powerful practices can provide a solid foundation for bringing greater peace into your life, and to the world. The exercises in the book are geared toward increasing your ability to do the following: Listen to yourself and others with greater compassion Avoid the pitfalls of defensiveness and blame in the heat of conflict Intervene in conflict in a way that adds the wisdom of heart-to-heart listening Create a safe and respectful environment that supports honest expression of thoughts and feelings Step into the shoes of another person so you can truly understand the other’s perspective The book describes the five core practices of Compassionate Listening and offers ways to practice them through a combination of theory, exercises and take-away suggestions. It is divided into the following chapters: Forward What is Compassionate Listening? Listening Basics How the Heart Matters Bridging and Inquiry Conflict as Opportunity Judgment and Blame The Drama Triangle Productive Dialogue Afterword Appreciation TESTIMONIALS Testimonials "With an economy of words, Andrea Cohen masters the how-to of human relationships that really work. She clarifies like no one else how the art of listening-to-learn is transforming despair into successful engagement at home and among nations — so much closer at hand than most people would imagine." ~ Libby Traubman, BA, MSW and Len Traubman, DDS, MSD, Co-founders, Jewish-Palestinian Living Room Dialogue "I endorse the program for Compassionate Listening. It’s very important to begin efforts to try to heal the world, and we need to know that we have the potential and the power to do that." ~ Dennis Kucinich, former United States Congressman "Finally, a heartful way for us all to benefit from the pioneering work of the Compassionate Listening Project. Andrea Cohen, with Leah Green and Susan Partnow, provides this groundbreaking invitation to living more compassionately with ourselves and others. Read this so we can use Compassionate Listening where we need it most—in our daily lives!" ~ Pastor Don Mackenzie, Rabbi Ted Falcon and Sheikh Jamal Rahman, the Interfaith Amigos, authors of “Getting to the Heart of Interfaith.” "I believe if human beings practiced the skills and philosophy laid out in this robustly comprehensive handbook, we could co-create together a true 'Heaven on Earth.'" ~ Linda Wolf, Founder/ED Teen Talking Circles  (Those who want to understand more about the theory of Compassionate Listening are invited to read Listening with the Heart: a Guidebook to Compassionate Listening, by Carol Hwoschinsky.)