A good talk spoiled

Texting, twittering, email, all have replaced true conversation. Pharmaceuticals have replaced talk therapy, shouting has replaced dialogue in our political discourse and snarkiness has replaced analysis and discussion.  In virtually every area of our culture conversation is under siege.  What is the price we're paying for this shorting of attention span, for the loss of the true exchange of personal narrative? Do we even still know how to converse? Have we lost the art of conversation? Daniel Menaker's book A Good Talk: The Story and Skill of Conversation gives us cause to worry, but some hope. My conversation with Daniel Menaker: