The Power of Speech Compared with Writing

We can communicate more easily with speech than writing. Our in-person speech carries all kinds of special signals. The tone of our voice alone is powerful.

But writing requires a lot of care to communicate well. The reader has little to go other than the silent words. This is why email is so problematic.

When I write book chapters I ask dozens of people to read them and give me candid feedback. The responses are sobering.