Towards the end of the hit movie, Dreamgirls, Beyonce's character, Deena sings passionately of the devastating effects on her and her relationship with her husband who refused or was unable to listen to her during her meteoric rise to fame. Dr. Gloria Sterling has written a book on this specific subject and she is well equipped to do so.

Dr. Sterling is a marriage and family therapist with 25 years in practice. The ability to listen is fundamental in her field, so when I came across her book, Is Anyone Listening: A Primer To Change Your Life Forever, I was curious what she would have to say with so much experience to draw from.

Turns out she's observed firsthand that not listening causes grievous damage to a person's relationships. Not just their primary relationship, but all their relationships ,and she has decided to address this in a condensed and consequently very potent little book.

She makes her case in the first 30 pages. The rest of the book is comprised of short listening-themed meditations against high quality images. The book is a good choice for a big talker like me who can stand to be reminded communication goes two ways. It would also serve as a great gift book because it's thoughtful, beautiful, and ultimately effective.

If you expand and enhance your listening skills, listening to life, to God, to others, and to your own internal voice, can you change your life? After reading this book, I would say, absolutely.