Sarah Myers McGinty, Ph.D., takes up where Deborah Tannen left off to delve into the ways our speech creates our identity. In this breakthrough book, McGinty shows how a little attention to our verbal patterns helps us alter the balance of power and always come out ahead.

You're a model employee who always does quality work, yet you are forced to watch helplessly as others get the credit and the rewards. Why? Studies show that people who project expertise and authority, people who sound like they're in charge, often win the acclaim. On the other hand, people who try to take over every situation or come on too strongly can silence their colleagues and miss critical information.

In Power Talk, author Sarah Myers McGinty identifies two basic modes of communication: Language from the Center and Language from the Edge. While Language from the Center projects authority, Language from the Edge is collaborative, responsive, and often equally effective. Here McGinty argues that to be truly successful you can't get trapped in just one speaking mode -- you need both.

What are the secrets to speaking from the center -- showing the people around you that you know what you're doing and have the ability to lead? What is the art of speaking from the edge -- getting your point across without losing the consensus you need for team success? Power Talk breaks down actual workplace conversations, studying the messages hidden in every word choice, every phrase, even in every inflection. A remarkable study of language itself, this book will help you:

• Analyze your own speech patterns and see whether your words fit the world of yourwork
• Learn which situations call for Language from the Center and which call for Language from the Edge
• Practice new ways of presenting information and ideas for your next meeting
• Communicate more effectively with e-mail and voice mail, and play telephone tag like a pr