Combining literary criticism and theory with anthropology and cognitive science, this highly relevant book argues that we are fundamentally shaped by dialogue. Patrick Grant looks at the manner in which dialogue informs and connects the personal, political and religious dimensions of human experience and how dialogue and literacy are being eroded for many reasons, including advances in digital technology. The book begins by tracing the evolution of our communication skills and looks at ways in which interconnections among tragedy, the limits of language, and the silence of abjection contribute to an adequate understanding of dialogue. Looking at examples such as "truth decay" in journalism and falling literacy levels in school, alongside literary texts from Malory and Shakespeare, as well as a broad range of theorists including Gadamer and Bakhtin, Grant shows how literature and criticism embody the essential values of dialogue. The maintenance of complex reading and interpretive skills is recommended for the recuperation of dialogue and for a better understanding of its fundamental significance in the shaping of our personal and social lives. Tapping into debates about the "value" of literature and the humanities, and the challenges posed by digitalisation, this book will be of interest and significance to people working in a wide range of subjects, including literary studies, communication studies, digital humanities, social policy and anthropology.