A Way to See the World

Thought Service of Iran Book News Agency (IBNA) – Masoud Taghiabadi: “The Next Conversation,” by Jefferson Fisher, is one of the books that has garnered widespread attention in recent years in the field of human relations and communication skills. Fisher, a lawyer and a well-known figure in the virtual space regarding difficult conversations, draws on his professional and personal experiences in this work to show how a simple conversation can rewrite the course of a relationship. He views conversation not as a battlefield or an effort to win, but as a ground for understanding, empathy, and rebuilding human boundaries; a perspective that greatly aligns with the complexities of modern relationships. This book, with the fluent and precise translation by Shadi Tafazzoli, has been published by Milkan Publications and is now available to Persian-speaking audiences. The translator has striven to blend Fisher’s direct and practical tone with the gentleness and linguistic sensitivities of Persian in her rendition of this work; an effort that is particularly important for a society like Iran, which is both grappling with the pressures of a fast-paced life and culturally attentive to the etiquette of conversation and communication. Ms. Tafazzoli, in an interview with the Book News Agency, speaks about her experience encountering Fisher’s text, the challenges of preserving the author’s intimacy and directness in Persian, and the necessity of reviewing methods of conversation. She believes that “The Next Conversation” is not merely an instructional book, but a text that seeks to transform the reader’s view of language, relationships, and personal boundaries, and can be especially inspiring and guiding for the younger generation caught amidst quick judgments and unfinished conversations.

Ms. Tafazzoli, this book is based on a simple but fundamental idea: conversation can rewrite relationships. In your opinion, is this book merely about communication skills, or does it, on a deeper level, speak about a kind of worldview and a way of being in the world?

Hello. Thank you for inviting me to this conversation. Translating this book is very valuable to me because I believe this book can help many people rethink the problems they have in their relationships, and they might be able to improve their relationships through the next conversation. Regarding this question, my opinion is that “The Next Conversation” is not just a collection of recommendations for communication skills; it is deeper, and it tries to change the reader’s perspective and way of looking at the issue. For example, in the initial pages of the book, Jefferson Fisher, by sharing his real experience, tries to show why it is better not to strive to win arguments. Whereas in arguments, we usually make every effort to win. This story by Fisher suddenly completely changes our perspective on our position in debates and conversations.

Shadi Tafazzoli