Summary:
The book delves into the mechanisms and social rules that govern human conversation, exploring how people navigate turn-taking, repair misunderstandings, and use language to coordinate actions. It combines insights from linguistics, psychology, and anthropology to reveal the complexity and universality of conversational norms.
Key points:
1. Communication Engine: Enfield describes conversation as a "communication engine" driven by participants' cooperation, using language and social rules to keep the conversation going. It shows how we start, continue, and end conversations.
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