Intended to help individuals as well as companies thrive in a working world made up of increasingly diverse work forces and ever more competitive markets, this book addresses the differences in men's and women's speaking styles, without maintaining the superiority of any one style of speaking. Reinforced with extensive examples drawn from research, the book offers new ways of understanding what happens in the workplace, ranging from the simplest exchanges to the most complex contemporary issues of the glass ceiling and sexual harassment. The book notes that sex differences exist even in the college classroom, where men and women exhibit different behavior in learning situations--men ask fewer questions but interrupt others more often in traditional classrooms and often find themselves designated as "spokesperson" in small group class discussions even when they are outnumbered by women. Chapters in the book are: (1) Women and Men Talking on the Job; (2) "I'm Sorry, I'm Not Apologizing": Conversational Rituals; (3) "Why Don't You Say What You Mean?": Indirectness at Work; (4) Marked: Women in the Workplace; (5) The Glass Ceiling; (6) "She's the Boss": Women and Authority; (7) Talking Up Close: Status and Connection; (8) What's Sex Got to Do with It?; and (9) Who Gets Heard?: Talking at Meetings. The book includes both a preface and an afterword by the author, as well as extensive notes and references. (NKA)