Excerpt From Summary of Debra Fine's The Fine Art of Small Talk

#1

Small talk is commonly used as a synonym for conversing with strangers, but it also refers to the type of conversation that occurs in between two more substantial topics. It can be very anxiety-inducing for some people, and this book will teach you how to master small talk.

#2

The first step is to let go of the idea that we are all supposed to know how to converse with strangers and acquaintances. It is simply not true. We are not taught how to do it, and there is no biological mechanism that takes over when we are put in a conversational bind.