Three New People: Make the Most of Your Daily Interactions and Stop Missing Amazing Opportunities

Magician Miller’s cheery, instructive debut, based on a TEDx Talk he gave, explains how readers can build connections and strengthen relationships by employing the techniques of a magician. Pulling back the curtain on how he connects with an audience, Miller explains that his tricks only inspired “wonder” when he had fully taken on the audience’s perspective—and to establish a connection with his audience, he learned he first needed to chat and joke with people in the crowd. After years of unfulfilling relationships that “started off passionate and invigorating” but would become increasingly distant, it dawned on Miller that he wasn’t putting the same effort into his personal relationships as he was his audience, so he began to employ his magician tactics of “perspective-taking” and active listening in his personal life. To help readers do the same, he provides four steps: “utilize visual perspective” (be aware of body language), “all the feels” (be aware of others’ feelings), “bridge the gap” (ask genuine questions), and “E.A.R.S.” (eye contact, avoiding distraction, reflection, and summarization). By exploring magic as metaphor for connection—“a shared experience within which... people could feel heard, understood, and valued”—Miller brilliantly outlines a system for deepening relationships. (Self-published.)