"In Western culture listening has never been a prized pursuit, the way, for example, teaching or preaching has been. There will never be a Who's Who in American Listening. To pursue the desire to become a master listener, a 'listening warrior,' requires turning away from the dominant culture, a certain willingness to explore paths few have chosen," writes Mark Brady, who has taught graduate courses in deep listening for the last dozen years.
Brady has put together a very helpful anthology of 19 essays with sections on the promise, the practice, and the power of listening. Among the contributors are spiritual teacher Ram Dass; Cheri Huber, founder and teacher-in-residence at the Zen Monastery Practice Center; Christine Longaker, the former director of the Hospice of Santa Cruz; Fran Peavey, long-time social activist; Marshall Rosenberg, founder of the Center for Nonviolent Communication; Anne Simpkinson, an editor for Prevention magazine; Kathleen Dowling Singh, a therapist and workshop leader; and Rodney Smith, director of the Hospice of Seattle. Using a variety of terms to describe this type of communion with another deep listening, listening with the heart, listening with the third ear, devout listening (a Quaker term), fierce listening, virtuoso listening they offer suggestions, perspectives, and practices that will reinforce your intentions to be a good listener.