Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships with Family, Friends, and Colleagues

I took the famed ‘Touchy Feely’ course with Carole at Stanford, and I still got so much out of this book. Self-disclosure can feel scary, and they provide a powerful framework on how to approach it (whether in your work or your personal life) in a way that will strengthen your relationships. They also share how all behavioral feedback is positive if you stick with your reality, speaking to the behavior and its impact on you versus the other person’s intent. I loved how each chapter was set up to reflect on how you can apply your learnings to the important relationships in your life. I personally recognized a few ‘pinches’ that I need to address from a place of curiosity before they develop into a ‘crunch’.

This book is amazing. I like to think of myself as an empathetic person who is good at developing relationships but upon reading Connect I realized I'm missing an entire world of connections given that I–up until now–have avoided conflict as much as possible. Consequently, I lose out on taking my relationships to another level, repairing ones I thought broken beyond fixing, and simply developing relationships with people who *seem* incompatible with my personality. Others have said that this book saved their marriages or helped them get promotions and I am excited to see what I can do with the tools I have now. Also, I just really loved the examples they wrote about! It was very helpful to read about how others in a variety of types of relationships take their relationships to the next level.

So many business books offer tools for succeeding in business. This book contains keys to leading a more fulfilled life through meaningful relationships. That is not to give short shrift to its value in business. I remember 20 years ago the CEO of Sun Microsystems being asked what helped him the most from business school. The concepts described in this book, and the class that teaches them was the answer -- because these were the skills he needed to work effectively with his executive team, and that was the key to his success. I have heard stories like these dozens of times related to this material. This book belongs in the top tier of practical books on leadership and emotional intelligence. I'm so glad this knowledge is getting out to a wider audience.

I was already a Carole Robin fan, but I was skeptical that all she has to teach could somehow be condensed into a book. I was completely wrong -- this is a powerful book. It manages to summarize a host of important concepts around how to access and communicate feelings, how to build and strengthen relationships, and how to use those skills to be more influential and effective. The book bring these concepts alive with stories and scenarios, and shows how they can be applied to both professional and personal life. I've used the concepts in these books and they've had a hugely positive impact on my life. Through some of my toughest times, they've helped me understand and process my feelings, and become vulnerable with family and friends in a way that felt safe and brought me closer to them. They've also helped me build stronger working relationships, demonstrating the power of vulnerability even in a professional setting. And that's coming from someone who just a few years ago would've thought it was crazy to talk about my feelings at work. It's rare that a book has the potential to be transformative and life-changing, and I'd put this book in that category.

I didn't take the famous 'touchy-feely' course but I did graduate from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. However, my late husband was one of the outside facilitators that the school used for their t-group weekends. Reading this book, it brought back so many of the lessons that I learned through him and how I heard him tell me how he used these techniques successfully with his own executive coaching clients (anonymously, of course). Now retired, I found the examples of how to negotiate differences/disagreements to be something that I can use in my own relationships as well as the techniques for building truly exceptional bonds with friends and family.

This book takes some of the most helpful concepts in leadership development, mental health training, and communication skills and reduces them into simple concepts with relatable stories that are approachable and easy to understand. Some of these concepts, when applied to every day life, has transformed my relationships with colleagues and friends and improved my ability to lead. The concept of “going over the net” is one that so many people mess up on, leading to heated circular arguments that spiral out of control. After I learned about the importance of voluntary disclosure, I started experimenting it in my own life and found deeper connection with friends and family. Carole’s disclosure of her own relationship challenges reminded me that we’re all just works in progress. This book helps you start the journey on that work, arguably the most important work you’ll ever do in your life.

Full disclosure, I have been an adherent of lessons gained from Stanford Business School's Interpersonal Dynamics class — widely-known as "Touchy-feely" — since I was privileged enough to take it as a student in the 1990s. And, I have been a big Carole and David fan for almost as many years as a colleague, friend, and co-conspirator in spreading the word on building exceptional relationships. The challenge of capturing for the benefit of a wider audience the experiential learning essence gained from the course or related forums (e.g., Leaders in Tech's Intensive Programs & Retreats, where Carole is a Co-founder) seemed not just daunting, but near impossible. But after reading CONNECT, it's abundantly clear that Carole and David have found ways to make accessible to all the core tenets of their life's work. Though clear presentation of frameworks and guidelines; powerful anecdotes; exemplary, thought-provoking storytelling; and essential exercises that help a reader put into practice what the authors espouse, the magic that has generated relational epiphanies for so many Touchy-feely participants over the years is there for the realizing. Feedback is a gift? Yes, indeed! And so are David Bradford and Carole Robin for sharing their wisdom and insights with all of us in CONNECT. As you already no doubt surmise, I strongly recommend this book for anyone in search of greater interpersonal effectiveness.

Taking David's Hi-Performance Leadership class at Stanford Business School (GSB) put me on the road to the transformation of my life. I also took Touchy-Feely classes, both at GSB and later, three times, at Pajaro Dunes with the Stanford community. Without question, this work has been the most gruelling but rewarding of my life. The Book is a great "bringing-together", to the extent that this is possible, of the process and any person would benefit from applying across all areas of their lives. The book sets out the crucial role that feedback plays and how powerful it can be, if done properly. I agree that an exceptional relationship necessitates undertaking the hard work required. The chapter on how to resolve conflict I have found to be especially important. I loved Chapter 17 because I could relate to 100% of what both Carole and David felt - and it demonstrates how they "walked the talk". This work will make big demands on those who want to have exceptional relationships. However, as a follower for 25 years, its the only way to live - actually experience life as it can be. I very strongly recommend this Book as highly as I can. What a lifetime's legacy David, Carole, Mary Ann, Judith, Jay and the other disciples are leaving.

I'm the CEO of a fast growing venture backed company ($100M raised) and I was struggling with burnout, feeling lonely and wanting to achieve another level of effectiveness as a leader. Carole's work was transformative for me. I discovered that being the invincible "super" CEO who had all the answers was holding me back. I learned the immense power of vulnerability and human connection. Thanks to her work, my effectiveness as a CEO has dramatically increased. From the executives I can now recruiting and retain to the way I can now lead the entire company through challenging times, my approach to leadership has been transformed. And on a personal level, I don't experience the burnout and loneliness that I did before. Obviously still a challenging job that has its days, but on the whole I'm much more happy and fulfilled than I was before. I highly recommend this book to any individual who wants to do real work in there life to become a more effective and less lonely human. But know that its hard work and it doesn't come overnight.

Must-have book to improve your personal and professional relationships. This book was recommended to me by my manager who raves about Carole Robin’s Stanford GSB class (and so does everyone I know who took her class). I just received it, opened it to skim through it and just finished the first two chapter, it is that good! I just love how relatable the stories/ scenarios are. But my favorite part is the self-reflection section at the end of each chapter: It really helps to digest the stories and apply them to my very own relationships – both personal and professional. This book has a special place on my desk already and I’m going to re-read it and recommend it to family, friends and co-workers.

I took the famed ‘Touchy Feely’ course with Carole at Stanford, and I still got so much out of this book. Self-disclosure can feel scary, and they provide a powerful framework on how to approach it (whether in your work or your personal life) in a way that will strengthen your relationships. They also share how all behavioral feedback is positive if you stick with your reality, speaking to the behavior and its impact on you versus the other person’s intent. I loved how each chapter was set up to reflect on how you can apply your learnings to the important relationships in your life. I personally recognized a few ‘pinches’ that I need to address from a place of curiosity before they develop into a ‘crunch’.

This book is amazing. I like to think of myself as an empathetic person who is good at developing relationships but upon reading Connect I realized I'm missing an entire world of connections given that I–up until now–have avoided conflict as much as possible. Consequently, I lose out on taking my relationships to another level, repairing ones I thought broken beyond fixing, and simply developing relationships with people who *seem* incompatible with my personality. Others have said that this book saved their marriages or helped them get promotions and I am excited to see what I can do with the tools I have now. Also, I just really loved the examples they wrote about! It was very helpful to read about how others in a variety of types of relationships take their relationships to the next level.

So many business books offer tools for succeeding in business. This book contains keys to leading a more fulfilled life through meaningful relationships. That is not to give short shrift to its value in business. I remember 20 years ago the CEO of Sun Microsystems being asked what helped him the most from business school. The concepts described in this book, and the class that teaches them was the answer -- because these were the skills he needed to work effectively with his executive team, and that was the key to his success. I have heard stories like these dozens of times related to this material. This book belongs in the top tier of practical books on leadership and emotional intelligence. I'm so glad this knowledge is getting out to a wider audience.

I was already a Carole Robin fan, but I was skeptical that all she has to teach could somehow be condensed into a book. I was completely wrong -- this is a powerful book. It manages to summarize a host of important concepts around how to access and communicate feelings, how to build and strengthen relationships, and how to use those skills to be more influential and effective. The book bring these concepts alive with stories and scenarios, and shows how they can be applied to both professional and personal life. I've used the concepts in these books and they've had a hugely positive impact on my life. Through some of my toughest times, they've helped me understand and process my feelings, and become vulnerable with family and friends in a way that felt safe and brought me closer to them. They've also helped me build stronger working relationships, demonstrating the power of vulnerability even in a professional setting. And that's coming from someone who just a few years ago would've thought it was crazy to talk about my feelings at work. It's rare that a book has the potential to be transformative and life-changing, and I'd put this book in that category.

I didn't take the famous 'touchy-feely' course but I did graduate from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. However, my late husband was one of the outside facilitators that the school used for their t-group weekends. Reading this book, it brought back so many of the lessons that I learned through him and how I heard him tell me how he used these techniques successfully with his own executive coaching clients (anonymously, of course). Now retired, I found the examples of how to negotiate differences/disagreements to be something that I can use in my own relationships as well as the techniques for building truly exceptional bonds with friends and family.

This book takes some of the most helpful concepts in leadership development, mental health training, and communication skills and reduces them into simple concepts with relatable stories that are approachable and easy to understand. Some of these concepts, when applied to every day life, has transformed my relationships with colleagues and friends and improved my ability to lead. The concept of “going over the net” is one that so many people mess up on, leading to heated circular arguments that spiral out of control. After I learned about the importance of voluntary disclosure, I started experimenting it in my own life and found deeper connection with friends and family. Carole’s disclosure of her own relationship challenges reminded me that we’re all just works in progress. This book helps you start the journey on that work, arguably the most important work you’ll ever do in your life.

Full disclosure, I have been an adherent of lessons gained from Stanford Business School's Interpersonal Dynamics class — widely-known as "Touchy-feely" — since I was privileged enough to take it as a student in the 1990s. And, I have been a big Carole and David fan for almost as many years as a colleague, friend, and co-conspirator in spreading the word on building exceptional relationships. The challenge of capturing for the benefit of a wider audience the experiential learning essence gained from the course or related forums (e.g., Leaders in Tech's Intensive Programs & Retreats, where Carole is a Co-founder) seemed not just daunting, but near impossible. But after reading CONNECT, it's abundantly clear that Carole and David have found ways to make accessible to all the core tenets of their life's work. Though clear presentation of frameworks and guidelines; powerful anecdotes; exemplary, thought-provoking storytelling; and essential exercises that help a reader put into practice what the authors espouse, the magic that has generated relational epiphanies for so many Touchy-feely participants over the years is there for the realizing. Feedback is a gift? Yes, indeed! And so are David Bradford and Carole Robin for sharing their wisdom and insights with all of us in CONNECT. As you already no doubt surmise, I strongly recommend this book for anyone in search of greater interpersonal effectiveness.

Taking David's Hi-Performance Leadership class at Stanford Business School (GSB) put me on the road to the transformation of my life. I also took Touchy-Feely classes, both at GSB and later, three times, at Pajaro Dunes with the Stanford community. Without question, this work has been the most gruelling but rewarding of my life. The Book is a great "bringing-together", to the extent that this is possible, of the process and any person would benefit from applying across all areas of their lives. The book sets out the crucial role that feedback plays and how powerful it can be, if done properly. I agree that an exceptional relationship necessitates undertaking the hard work required. The chapter on how to resolve conflict I have found to be especially important. I loved Chapter 17 because I could relate to 100% of what both Carole and David felt - and it demonstrates how they "walked the talk". This work will make big demands on those who want to have exceptional relationships. However, as a follower for 25 years, its the only way to live - actually experience life as it can be. I very strongly recommend this Book as highly as I can. What a lifetime's legacy David, Carole, Mary Ann, Judith, Jay and the other disciples are leaving.

I'm the CEO of a fast growing venture backed company ($100M raised) and I was struggling with burnout, feeling lonely and wanting to achieve another level of effectiveness as a leader. Carole's work was transformative for me. I discovered that being the invincible "super" CEO who had all the answers was holding me back. I learned the immense power of vulnerability and human connection. Thanks to her work, my effectiveness as a CEO has dramatically increased. From the executives I can now recruiting and retain to the way I can now lead the entire company through challenging times, my approach to leadership has been transformed. And on a personal level, I don't experience the burnout and loneliness that I did before. Obviously still a challenging job that has its days, but on the whole I'm much more happy and fulfilled than I was before. I highly recommend this book to any individual who wants to do real work in there life to become a more effective and less lonely human. But know that its hard work and it doesn't come overnight.

Must-have book to improve your personal and professional relationships. This book was recommended to me by my manager who raves about Carole Robin’s Stanford GSB class (and so does everyone I know who took her class). I just received it, opened it to skim through it and just finished the first two chapter, it is that good! I just love how relatable the stories/ scenarios are. But my favorite part is the self-reflection section at the end of each chapter: It really helps to digest the stories and apply them to my very own relationships – both personal and professional. This book has a special place on my desk already and I’m going to re-read it and recommend it to family, friends and co-workers.

Connect is the type of book to come along at just the right time. With relationships being strained with Covid 19 and the recent climate of political disagreements between family and friends this is the right book to make you stop and think about how you can improve the situation and not escalate it. It dosen't matter if you are talking work relationships, partners, or family and friends, this easy to read relationship book should be the gold standard of help and taking steps forward. Carole Robin has a wonderful way of relating her experiences in an easy to read formate. I highly recommend

Read it for... The SIX hallmarks of exceptional relationships, The TEN beliefs and actions that reduce your influence, The THIRTEEN dimensions of the vocabulary of feelings, But mostly read it for the wisdom of Carole Robin and David Bradford, who have finally put to the page what so many of us were gifted with by participating in their live Interpersonal Dynamics program. Carole and David weave together practical, research-based ways in service to what everyone wants more of: Connection. Read it, learn it, live it. Valuable.

Carole’s Interpersonal Dynamics class was the best class of my life. The communication techniques and frameworks have really transformed my relationships and massively improved by leadership style. I’m thrilled everyone now has an opportunity to benefit from her teachings. This book is well-crafted and gives practical tips on how to communicate authentically with an appropriate level of vulnerability and how to manage conflict. Highly recommend!

I was skeptical that it was possible to distill the life-changing lessons of Carole's interpersonal dynamics programs into a book, but they've done it. In addition to explaining the frameworks and insights themselves really clearly, this book helps you practically apply these in your life and relationships along the way. Read this book if you want you, your life, and your relationships to be changed for the better.

The learnings from this book have radically transformed how I lead and how I show up in the world.

The teachings of Carole have had a profound impact on my life. For years I have told family, friends and colleagues that I wish I could bottle up “touchy feely “ for them as well. Now I can!! Connect is my go-to gift for the people I care about and is a must read.

I'm only half way through the book, but I already see pearls of wisdom from the authors of this book relating to all types of relationships whether it be family, friends or work colleagues. Well written and spot-on useful

This book is PHENOMENAL. I recently attended a virtual event with Carole Robin and was so moved by the information she shared. I had to purchase the book and I was not disappointed.

Wonderful book! I recommend it. Great for building meaningful relationships. I met Carole at Stanford. Her course was life-changing.

Very insightful and goes one layer deeper in addressing common pitfalls with conflict and communication. Captures subtleties that other books miss or do not cover.

I highly recommend this book. In our world today, it is imperative we learn to connect with others. This book is a definite must read!

Well worth the read on a subject many of us shy away from.

Life changing.

Like many who attended Stanford Business School, I took "Touchie Feelie". It's the most popular class there and Carole Robin taught the class and led the program for many years. It quite literally changed the way I thought about myself, how I was perceived by others, and how I interacted with others. This book was a great summary and refresher for the class. I liked the narrative driven structure. It made the book an easy read (similar to "The Goal" in that way). I also liked the exercises at the end of each chapter. They made the "takeaways and next steps" tangible and specific. Doing them brought to the foregrounds the key lessons and when they felt uncomfortable, they underlined where there was opportunity to improve relationships. It's easy to go along on a surface level with relationships at work and at home. Doing the work to build the quality and strength of those relationships is not easy, but it brings enormous benefits in both output/performance and in general happiness and wellbeing. Connect provides a roadamp for that journey. I highly recommend it and plan on re-reading it every couple of years.

After reading this book, I want to start a "Connect" book club with every group in my life: my colleagues, my family, my friends, and my partner. So many of my social catch-ups and calls these days remain at the surface level -- the who, what, where, and when of everyday life -- and this book lays out a roadmap and exercises to help us show up more authentically and take our relationships to the next level (even the ones we thought were broken and unrepairable). What a gift to be able to read this book and relive & relearn the lessons and takeaways from one of the most formative educational experiences of my adult life: the "Touchy Feely" class at Stanford Graduate School of Business. That class and the community fostered within encouraged me to share more of myself than I have ever revealed (to myself or others) -- and in doing so, changed my life. As a teacher, I love re-reading formative books from my youth every decade or so. I look forward to doing the same with "Connect," because I know each chapter of life will come with new relationship challenges and opportunities, and the best educators are lifelong learners.

There are multiple definitions of 'emotional intelligence,' but one I've found useful is "the ability to think intelligently about your emotions, and the capacity of your emotions to help you to think intelligently." For me, this book provides a very helpful roadmap to improve emotional intelligence in the crucial area of building human relationships. We are so rarely conscious of the degree to which emotions guide our own thoughts, reactions and behaviors, even when we are alone. When we interact with others, whether in person or mediated by technology, emotions play an even more influential role, most of it unrecognized because it seems fleeting, insignificant or just less important than the 'content' of our conversations. And that's even before considering the emotions of other people involved. The authors dig into the mechanics of how emotions, thoughts and behaviors interact, and how it impacts our ability to connect with others in meaningful ways. Building on this, they offer very powerful tools to better understand the interpersonal dynamics in which we engage, starting with our own inner experience, and how we can be more deliberate and effective at fostering relationships that are enriching. It helps that the book is grounded not only in research and years of practice, which yield relatable examples, but in decades of teaching a course that has become iconic at Stanford's Business School. Full disclosure, I took the class 20 years ago, so reading the book has brought back memories and lessons that seem as poignant today as they did then, but I might experience it differently if I was not already familiar with the class.

Feelings are so ubiquitous and influential in our daily experience. Yet we don't often have the chance to learn how to apprehend, name, and harness them to improve our self understanding and our relationships with others. This book, more than any other book I have read, helps the reader get 'better at' feelings by training us how to home in on when those feelings are awry and how to resolve them. I particularly like that the training is done in a way that's appropriate for professional relationships as well as personal ones. I also like the inclusion of a "Vocabulary of Feelings" appendix. For all the feels we have, there's a specific word for each and every type. And you need to first be able to name the thing before you can make any progress.

Human relationships are one of the most important and fulfilling parts of life, and this book is a field guide to building meaningful, resilient, and rich relationships. Carole and David are masters of their craft - I have been lucky to learn from them and work with them at Stanford and beyond - and I am so excited that their teachings and wisdom are now available to everyone through this book. Taking Interpersonal Dynamics with Carole radically changed my personal and professional relationships for the better, improved my leadership skills, and set me on a path toward a deeply meaningful life and career. I could not be more grateful, and I am thrilled to enthusiastically recommend this book!

Carole and David are absolute legends at Stanford. I took Carole's Interpersonal Dynamics class 15 years ago and it changed my life. It was the most important learning experience I've ever had and I still use the techniques talked about in this book on a daily basis- in both my professional and personal life. I'm so happy that they decided to write the incredible book so that others outside of the Stanford community could also benefit from the teachings. Whether you're looking to understand others more effectively, help others understand you, or just generally build deeper connections- this book is a masterclass in communication.

Carole's "Touchy Feely" class at Stanford was by far my favorite course and had a profound impact on my life, my marriage and my career. I'm thrilled to my tippy toes that she and David are now making this material available to anyone who cares about improving your relationships. This book will help you better understand how your behavior impacts others (and what they really think of you). You'll learn how to have better connections with colleagues, family and friends. At a higher level, you'll come away with a whole new understanding of the world - it's like someone finally gave me the manual to having effective, connected relationships without all the drama, blame or misunderstandings. The book is filled with practical tools and easy to implement frameworks such as the concept of being "over the net" (which I still use ten years later!) that will help you bring these practices to life. Plus, the case study / narrative examples of real life people make the material easy to digest, relatable and can help validate your own struggles in deepening connections with people in your life. This is a MUST READ for anyone who wants to feel happier and more effective at work and at home by improving your communication and up-leveling your relationships. BUY THIS BOOK, you won't regret it.

“Connect” is a must-read for anyone wanting to develop better or deeper relationships. Whether at home or work, with family, friends, clients, or colleagues, this book provides a road map to improve everyday communications of all types. The authors’ use of real-life examples brought the essence of the book to life. Ultimately, this format of training allowed me to better understand “how to learn to learn” (Appendix B) in a way that takes the guesswork out of the points being made by the author. The teachings presented and the lessons learned are so impactful, that in addition to being a part of my doctoral library, I will be sending out copies to my family, friends, clients, and colleagues. Put this book on the top shelf as I did. I know I will be referring to it often in the days and years to come! Many thanks to Drs. Bradford & Robin for delivering this culmination of their many years of counselling and teaching at Stanford University. Well done!!!!

Everything? We experience everything in relation to something else, which means everything is all about relationships. I am struck by the beautiful way the authors have found the next learning edge for us all, and how we can more effectively lean into something we all do, everyday. We have already bought this book for our team, clients and community... and look forward to putting this into practice!

I actually took the "Interpersonal Dynamics" course from David Bradford at Stanford's business school many years ago. It was a pretty popular elective when I was a student. Now nearly all of the MBA students take it... and the course still has the same nickname: "Touchy Feely". This book is an excellent distillation of many of the key lessons of the course. And the authors make the lessons accessible to people from all walks of life and in all sorts of different relationships. Lots of great "case studies" and stories make the material come to life. A great book for BOTH people in a wide variety of relationship types to read together to improve their relationships (work, family, romantic relationships...)

David & Carole do an exceptional job of breaking down the ins and outs of building deep, meaningful relationships. As a business leader, I often tried to think my way through interpersonal challenges. Connect opened my eyes to the power of the heart - that we connect to each other through our shared experiences and feelings. When's the last time you said the words "I feel ____"? I would often talk about the *idea* of how I felt, but not actually share my feelnigs. This was a new, challenging set of skills for me to learn, but the book does a great job of providing frameworks AND grounding it with David and Carole's own personal experiences living this work. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in living a richer, more fulfilling life.

I just received Connect this week and am so excited to put the practical applications to work to help re-build some connections with friends and family I have let slip away! Having heard for years about the "Touchy-Feely" course at the GSB at Stanford, but never attending this graduate school, I am thrilled to have so many of the concepts of this course now at my fingertips. I especially like the end of chapters Deepen Your Learning sections which makes the material personally relevant and helps you explore through self reflection how to make sense of these concepts and apply them so that "exceptional relationships" are more attainable. I look forward to reading and working through this book soon!

It's rare to read a book that practices what it preaches as you're reading it, But "Connect" does just that. While defining, exploring and illustrating the process of creating exceptional relationships, the authors reveal their own relationship glitches and how they used the very strategies they write about to rectify those glitches and remain closely connected. There's valuable lessons for each of us in these pages, even those of us who pride ourselves on our relationship savvy.

We so often gloss over how important it is to know ourselves, and know how to connect with others. If every leader, or working person (or just every person!) read this book, soaked in it, and lived by it, we'd have more understanding and kind companies, governments, and institutions. You can do your part, and enjoy your life a little more, be a little more effective, by paging through this book. Read through to the end for the reveal about how Carole and her co-author worked out their own issues!

The contents of this book have transformed my relationships (personal and professional) and my ability to connect in deeper, more courageous ways over the last 4 years. I was lucky enough to take Carole's class on Interpersonal Dynamics while at Stanford, and was in a new relationship at the time. My partner would pick up my course readings throughout the semester and before we knew it, we had a whole new language for our relationship. This book contains that same knowledge and is now accessible to everyone. I've been excitedly sharing it with friends and family and can't wait for others to benefit from Carole and David's great work.

David & Carole teach the most famous and popular course at Stanford Business School. It is incredibly exciting that they have distilled the knowledge from that course into a book that we all can access. I applied many of the lessons in the book to my relationships with my Mom, Dad, and Sister. Each of them read the book as well and had major takeaways. I'd say we are ALL better off for it. Relationship building is an art form and many people are making simple mistakes that are highly detrimental to their relationships. Want to know how to build exceptional relationships with friends, family, and co-workers? Read this book.

This class changed my life - in a good way - and this book captures its magic wonderfully. Don’t skip the end-of-chapter questions or the journaling. This book is not about winning a contest on how fast you can read it. You get out of it what you put into it. And Carole and David are expert guides to that process. If you want to really deepen how you connect with others - and honestly, with yourself - get this book and create the time and space and grace to really DO it. You will be a better human being as a result.

The authors are innovators in the field and have managed to distill the magic of the famous Stanford GSB course on interpersonal dynamics into a digestible, engaging read. The narrative format and examples will ring true to a wide range of audiences. This is a title that I will return to repeatedly and is as relevant to an executive as to someone wishing to build a more authentic relationship with a family member. I highly recommend. Also a fantastic book to offer to a friend, family member, or colleague as a gift - I've already done so.

Carole Robin was my husband's professor at Stanford GSB and he has always raved about the life-transforming 'touchy feely' class. So, when I found out that Carole was publishing Connect based on the class, I pre-ordered a copy. I received it yesterday and I have to say, Wow! I can't put down the book because it's full of incredibly powerful yet simple to follow advice for building exceptional relationships in all aspects of your life. I highly recommend this to everyone, even if you are already a relationship guru! This will be on my annual re-read list!

I've read many books and taken many courses to help me grow as a person and a leader. I can't think of any that have had more of a positive impact on my life than the lessons in Connect. The book focuses on people, relationships and interpersonal skills in a way that is missing from typical business education. The content is backed by research and the authors' decades of experience teaching these topics. They make it approachable by giving concrete examples, tactics and exercises that make it immediately useful. I'd recommend adding it to your "must read" list.

While I’m not generally a fan of “How to” books and I consider myself far from “touchy feely”, this written encapsulation of the renowned Stanford Business School class affectionately known as “Touchy feely” is truly an excellent guide to managing and deepening interpersonal relationships both in the workplace and in private life. I found the chapters on how to successfully give and respond to feedback particularly helpful. I definitely recommend this book.

Deep, thoughtful, experienced thinking about the most important thing -- our interpersonal communications and relations. Robin and Bradford are the experts, and I was not disappointed. I've read it through and have gone back and already read 3 sections again. Takes a while to digest and implement. It's the real work. But at least I don't have to buy a whole MBA at Stanford for $140K just to get this info.

An exceptional relationship is one in which both parties can feel very vulnerable with each other and more fully known by each other. Connect shows us that how to Be prepared to update your beliefs and assumptions about what makes you effective, particularly as a leader, and treat every interaction as a learning opportunity. - Swamy Sriperumbudur, Chief Strategy Officer – Infomerica, Board of Director – MapRecruit.AI

Read/listened to this book for a workshop offered by my company, agreed to attend but was a but skeptical about sharing my feelings with colleagues, listened to/read the book and found it extremely helpful with my personal relationships. Going to re-read it and use the techniques Carole taught to deepen the relationships with my family, friends and colleagues.

I was lucky enough to take the class on this subject taught by Carole Robin at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, and it has a profound impact on me. Showing up with this candor and awareness takes practice, and this book provided a much needed refresher. I also shared it with my team at work and my husband...it's such a gift!

Connect (this book) makes you think about how you behave in your life’s most important interactions: family, friends, and work. Its helps you keep growing and learning — and in doing so, enjoy life to the fullest. Its hard work, but worth it. I purchased the unabridged audiobook and listened to every chapter more than once.

Listening to this book is almost as good as being in touchy-feely with Carole and David. Wonderful book to listen to together to deepen and strengthen your most special relationship. Tthe learnings about achieving authenticity carry over to family, work, friends and beyond, and the reflection questions really bring it home!! Thank you Carole and David!!

Especially during these times of insecurity and negativity, this book sheds a positive and inspiring light on how to embrace meaningful relationships. It has a wide appeal and the scenarios used throughout the book help the reader see how the quest for exceptional relationships exists in all areas of our life. The book is well written, very well structured and a good read.

If at any point in your life you find yourself interacting with others, you likely need this book. Do yourself, your family, your friends & coworkers a favor and read this book. Fantastic applicable insights in how to be a better communicator.

David and Carole's new book is a must read. It is based on the famous Interpersonal Dynamics course that is taught at the Stanford GSB. David and Carole describes very clearly the skills and behaviors required to develop meaningful and trusting relationship with others.

I am on my second read-through of this book and have now given it to everyone that is important to me. What the authors have done is create a playbook for how to win at work, in love, and ultimately, in your own personal happiness. MUST READ!

Couldn’t be more thankful that this piece of literature fell into my life at the exact right time. After a tough 2020, this is a refreshing and valuable guide to reconnecting and making new connections.

Outstanding book to grow your relationships with people in your family, with your friends, and with folks you work with. Well-written. Lots of examples. Good activities to deepen your learning.