Haru Yamada is a PhD sociolinguistics researcher and writer from Georgetown University. Haru's life mission is to champion listening, in many ways enforced by a serious accident which left her nearly deaf and with a lifelong hearing disability. Her goal is to make listening a thoughtful part of everyday practice. She currently lives in London with her French partner, two multilingual, biracial, multicultural children in a hybrid working, bigenerational home governed by an old Bengal cat.
Kiku - listening with fourteen hearts - is as powerful as the metaphor is beautiful. Combining expertise in the field of linguistics with deep knowledge of Japanese language and culture, Haru Yamada shows that you're already listening in many different ways. Understanding those differences, you can harness and hone the skills you have, to better connect with your own inner voice and the people you talk to. -- Deborah Tannen, #1 New York Times bestselling author and University Professor of Linguistics at Georgetown University Amidst the cacophony of the modern world, this book deftly teaches us the many ways we need to listen: fast and slow, across cultures and generations, and at home and work -- Andrew B Bernard, US Economist and Kadas T’90 Distinguished Professor, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College A compelling and far-reaching thesis on the importance of listening to others not just in negotiations or daily conversations but in virtually all aspects of social interaction that occur in our daily lives -- Ko Unoki, New Business Development Manager and Lecturer of Business Negotiation at the College of Business, Rikkyo University, Tokyo, Understanding human listening intelligence is critical to our survival and well-being as we forge forward in the digital world. As Haru Yamada gives us the insight we need to tune in to our many sociocultural groups, 聴くKIKU The Art of Japanese Listening offers a unique Japanese perspective for contemporary communicators to navigate their everyday listening in a speaker-led world. -- KONO Taro, Former Minister of Digital Transformation and current Japanese Member of Parliament Read Haru Yamada's insightful book Kiku if you want to understand better what you are doing when you are listening, an indispensable part of the practice of diplomacy and other professions and activities that depend on effective interpersonal communications. -- Daniel Luke Shields III, former US Ambassador and US Charge d’affaires Kiku is a poetic and practical guide based on this essential truth: real transformation begins not with answers, but with deep, wholehearted listening. Dr Yamada teaches us how to tap into the wisdom and experience of others in a multitude of accessible ways. This book is a profound resource for anyone who believes that questions are only powerful when their answers are met with real presence. A true gift to leaders, educators, and anyone who wants to connect more meaningfully. -- Dr Jeff Wetzler, author of Ask: Tap Into the Hidden Wisdom of People Around You and co-author of Extraordinary Learning for All During these troubling times, we all need to become better listeners. By dissecting the different channels of listening and drawing on the art of Japanese conversation, Dr Haru Yamada shows us how to enhance our listening skills. Read this wonderful book! It will improve your personal and public lives. -- Mike Mochizuki, Japan-U.S. Relations Chair, George Washington University