The communication playbook for adults 18 and up
Speak EasyThe Communication Playbook for Adults
Stop people-pleasing, start speaking up. For adults 18 and up who were never taught this in school. 15 core chapters plus an Epilogue and Bonus Chapter, 127 pages.
The XP System
You level up by doing, not just reading.
Every chapter has optional challenges worth XP. Five tiers of difficulty. No leaderboard, no pressure. Just a way to track your own progress.
Low stakes. Try the move once.
A real step. Slightly scary, very doable.
A real stretch that changes something.
The big ones. You'll feel these.
Help someone else learn the move.
Free with the Adults edition
Practise it on your phone, one move a day.
The companion app takes the methods in this book and hands you one to try each day, plus a line for the moment a conversation goes sideways.
- A line to say when a conversation just went wrong, before it asks you anything.
- One move a day after that, five to seven minutes.
- Works offline. No account. Install it to your home screen in two taps.
15 Chapters + Epilogue + Bonus
Start anywhere. Finish everything.
Each chapter is its own complete unit. Chapter Zero is free.
Every chapter carries a Note for Different Kinds of Minds, written into the core content, not bolted on at the end.
Chapter Zero (Free)
Say Your Name
The chapter that should have come first in every conversation class you never took.
Chapter 0 · Adults Edition: Say Your Name
Jake stood in the bathroom of a Marriott off the highway, three minutes before the interview, saying his own name to the mirror like it belonged to somebody else. "Jake." Too quiet, gone before it reached the tile. "Jake." Better, except now his hand had started shaking against the edge of the sink.
When his turn came, his name came out low and unfinished, swallowed somewhere between his throat and the recycled air of the room. Nobody reacted badly. Nobody had to.
That night, a friend's backyard, string lights, someone he didn't know handed him a beer and asked his name. He said it again. "Jake." Clearer this time. "I make genuinely terrible coffee. I will still offer you some." The guy laughed, the real kind.
Nugget: Confidence isn't what changed between the bathroom and the backyard. Four syllables did, said like they mattered, with one true thing attached.
Anchor it: say the name itself at a normal pace, not rushed, not performed. Then offer something: one small, true detail attached to it, not a biography, just a single hook someone else can walk through. That's the whole formula.
The opening of Chapter Zero is above. The full chapter, with its Nugget, Method at a Glance, XP Missions, and a Note for Different Kinds of Minds, is in the free Kindle sample and in the book.
Nine Appendices
More than 15 chapters.
The book includes practical extensions and reference material you can return to long after you've read it.
Ideas from Speak Easy
Available Now
One mishandled conversation can change how a manager sees you.
One difficult conversation avoided at home can quietly wear down a relationship.
This book costs less than the coffee you'd buy to avoid it.
Get Speak Easy on Amazon ↗
ISBN 978-1-0696315-0-3 · © 2026 Speak Easy Bookshelf
Early Days. Here's Why That's Fine.
“I love it. It's very practical and useful. Definitely worth it.”
Amirhossein Farjami, reader
That is one reader. Every book with hundreds of reviews started with one. The opening of Chapter Zero is on this page and the full chapter is in the free Kindle sample, so you can judge it yourself before buying. If it doesn't speak directly to you, don't buy it.
If it does, and you read the full book and find it valuable: a review on Amazon takes 60 seconds and is the highest-value thing a reader can do for an independent publisher.
Leave a Review ↗ Haven't read it yet? Chapter Zero is free ↓Questions
FAQ
Who is Speak Easy for?
Adults 18 and up who were never formally taught communication skills: networking, setting boundaries, listening deeply, navigating difficult conversations, and adapting across cultures and contexts. If you've been out in the world and still feel a gap, this book was written for you.
What is the XP system?
Every chapter has optional challenges called XP Missions, in five tiers: Chill (10 XP), Brave (25 XP), Epic (50 XP), Legend (75 XP), and Social Mode (100 XP, for teaching the move to someone else). No leaderboard, no pressure. Track it or don't. Appendix A has blank templates if you want them.
What is a Nugget?
Every chapter drops one Nugget: a single bolded line, right after the opening story, that captures the whole idea in a sentence or two. If you remember nothing else from a chapter, you remember the Nugget.
Is Speak Easy built for neurodivergent readers?
Yes. Every chapter includes a Note for Different Kinds of Minds, written into the core content, not bolted on. Appendix F goes deeper, with patterns and scripts for autistic, ADHD, and dyslexic readers, and for the people they talk with. It's built on the idea that mismatch goes both ways, not that anyone needs fixing.
Is the book research-backed?
Yes. Appendix C lists every source with an honest note on what each one is: a study, a survey, a trade book, or older wisdom. It also sets straight the most misquoted statistic in communication research, the one people wrongly pin on Mehrabian.
Do I need to read the chapters in order?
No. Each chapter is self-contained. Start with whatever is most relevant to where you are right now. Chapter Zero is a good entry point, and it's in the free Kindle sample.
What if I don't find it valuable?
Amazon's current return policy applies — check Amazon for the exact terms in your location. Chapter Zero is free before you decide.