Over the course of my life, I’ve had the opportunity to interview and meet a lot of interesting and amazing people. It’s one of the many reasons I love it so much. But if, when I started this project, you’d have told me I would one day interview today’s guest, I wouldn’t have believed it. I’m talking of course about the beloved American actor Alan Alda. Lucky for me (and for you) he’s written a book whose subject matter ties in quite nicely with a podcast like Read to Lead. It’s a book all about the art and science of relating and communicating, something anyone who hopes to be successful has to do well. There are plenty of bad examples around us of course. But, if you want to avoid being one of them, then today’s episode is for you. I encourage to check out his latest book called, If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look On My Face?: My Adventures in the Art and Science of Relating and Communicating. Join in on our chat below Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS In today’s episode, Alan and I discuss: * The genesis for his founding the Center for Communicating Science * How his experience as an actor and with improv has changed the way he relates to people on a daily basis * What he’s learned about empathy’s relationship to effective communication * …and lots more! This Episode is Sponsored By Cloud Accounting Software FreshBooks FreshBooks is currently offering a month of unrestricted use to all RtLP listeners – totally free right now. And, you don’t need a credit card for the trial. To claim your free month, click here and be sure and enter ReadToLead in the “How Did You Hear About Us?” section. If your business uses Freshbooks, and you’d like to share your experience with the Read to Lead audience, click the contact tab at the top of this page and let us know. Be sure and include “FreshBooks” in the subject line. Alan‘s Latest Book You can order If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look On My Face?: My Adventures in the Art of Science of Relating and Communicating right now! Alan in Action Books Alan Recommends The works of Ernest Hemingway The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA by James Watson Check Out These Resources Mentioned The best place to find out more about Alan is at his website. Grab a copy of Alan’s book. Check out some of the programs offered through