We can learn to speak other languages, but do we truly understand what we are saying? How much detail should we offer when someone asks how we are? How close should we stand to our conversational partners? And should you apologize the same way in Tokyo as you would in Toledo? So much of communication depends on culture and context. Drawing on research from psychology, linguistics, and sociology as well as anecdotes and popular culture, Roger Kreuz and Richard Roberts describe cross-cultural communication in terms of how language is used and not just what words mean, resulting in a primer on how to avoid conflict and truly get our message across.