On Dialogue (Routledge Classics)

This is a wonderful book which should be taught in every school in every country. Thought seen as reality through assumptions is how the world operates and how communities misfire all over the world. It would be an idea for all to go back to the idea of dialogue and to communicate in groups with no real agenda as Bohm suggests. Individual thought, Bohm states is incoherent but when mirrored in the group becomes like coherent like the power of a laser. The book talks about how all our assumptions are operating in us unknown to us and we take all these as reality. Why do these assumptions and thoughts feel so strong in us and why. Bohms book goes into this problem and is reasonating in me ever since. This was not an easy book to read and i had to read it slowly and even marked pages which had the most significant issues raised. I recommend this book to everyone.

I feel the construct of non-defended assumptions to be of immense value in personal and professional relationships. If a reader were to gain only this from the book it would be a wonderful read. frank

I found this book very helpful - as a introverted person who sees the world through my filters this book helped me realize that my mental constructs are not really all that important and shared meaning can drive people forward. It also helped me realize that seeking first-hand experience in various aspects of my life has to be prioritized where applicable.D. Bohm seems to believe that real dialog (sustained, without agenda, with suspension of own assumptions, with introspection and a heightened sense of attention - a kind of deep listening) has the potential to transform both the individual and the society due to the emergence of more shared meaning and greater understanding (getting closer to the truth).This small treatise goes deep in the nature of the thought process, explaining that what thought thinks as being real(which comes from memory) is fused with what we perceive with our senses to be real in a way that we are ignorant of the distinction between the two - like we are confusing past and/or second-hand experience(or social pressure) to be true when it's merely a representation of reality - and there could be so many different representations of the same reality.This is why it is important to shed our internal light on these aspects and keep an open mind when communicating with others and with ourselves.

Everybody should read this book. Gives real insight into how people can converse with having different opinions. Would make a great present and was delivered on time.

It is a book to read with patience and time...

This is one of the rare books out there which is accessible to anyone and should be mandatory reading in schools.

Bohm has a certain style in his writing which makes him stand out from others who write on similar topics. One aspect is his willingness to suspend his own viewpoint, at least to some degree, by introducing his approach to communication on an intimate level. This does not mean the kind of intimacy between lovers but it is of the same kind. What does this mean ? It means that it is communication without the presence of walls/barriers which interfere with the ability of one person to give rise to the same meaning in the mind of the other. This is the essence of communication at its most basic. The 'normal' mode of cummunication which takes place between people nowadays is way short of this ideal. The social barriers and thought constructions which are firmly embedded in the mind of most induce various automatic or reflex reactions when questions or comments are made which are in some way outside of the "allowed" list. These reactions can vary from fear, the most common, to anger and eventually in extreme cases to violence. How do they arise ? Through purely reflex reactions generated from countless experiences which promote a protective response because of the "existence" of the self. I say existence in inverted commas because Bohm denies this has any reality. Bohm uses his dialogue mode of communication to let people face their thought reflexes and stay with them ie staying aware while their mind and body undergoes its automatic reactions. Only this allows the mind to go beyond these usually unconscious reactions and proceed into a place where creation can occur. This means the creations of new ideas rather than a fallback into the old ones. This form of communication is far from easy to undergo and reactions of fear would be common as would eventual anger and frustrations as the self attempts to dominate in some way by either trying to control the dialogue or hide from it. This is overcome by staying with the discomfort until it dissipates by itself.Dialogue offers much more than the current ways of communication such as discussions or negotiations which never face the serious issues. Bohm stresses the pathless approach, ie one where no direct goal is provided and no leader selected. This has some similarity to tribal councils practised by native Americans for example.In this book Bohm through examples and ideas develops this mode to something useful for all of society. Bohm always leaves room for ideas to be generated from his own beginnings. As usual a superb book.

Brilliant book.

Very good

well written

Bohm lived in last century, yet Bohm dialogue is the need of the hour, particularly so given the chaotic and violent world we are living in. Ideas, dogmas and faith lead to such destruction. Bohm dialogue is the best mechanism to put them to test, if only we are ready to allow others to question our conclusions.

Great book, pathetic (cover) design.Probably done by an 8 year old with Microsoft Paint.This edition was published in 2004! What were they thinking?!

The preface from Peter Senge is itself well worth the read on its own, I am a fan of Peter too. Bohm has impacted so many great thinkers, including the Dali Lama. His books are not easy to read, I normally can get in one or two pages and have to put it down to reflect. This book, and others he wrote like it, create an awareness of one's mental processes, and that of others. That awareness can literally enhance your ability to think and communicate clearly. For me, as I read the "best practices" for communicating, it tells me there is no near-term hope for the deteriorating communications we have in our society today, especially in politics. This book has the blueprint our country needs to start working together and not only understanding each other, but to use interactions with others to think more clearly. If you do not like books that explain in detail how our minds work, suggest not getting, it is not an easy read.