Norm Cairns' Mistakes, Misstatements, Lies and Other Miscommunication Tactics is a unique collection of short stories depicting how easy it is to incite and escalate miscommunication during human interactions. Cairns' book is a combination of personal anecdotes, vignettes, fiction stories, poems, and autobiographical writings crafted to help readers understand the importance of language and its role in perception and forming human connections. Readers will enjoy an amusing verbal exchange where the characters debate what the first question posed in the history of humankind could have been. Step into a world where one man's deceptive act causes unspeakable distress to another man. But what if, in this case, the deceiver is also the deceived? Take this journey with Cairns as he delves into the intricacies of communication. This book is one anthology that you will never forget!

Norm Cairns' Mistakes, Misstatements, Lies and Other Miscommunication Tactics is a fascinating blend of wit, satire, drama, suspense, and philosophy. The author's humorous reflections on the global pervasiveness of American English will grasp your attention. His musings on the significance of language and communication cleverly set the pace for the other stories that unfold, making this book creative and intriguing from beginning to end. This hilarious intellectual work explores the highs and lows of interpersonal interactions. It is a captivating and entertaining book for readers who enjoy discovering how words and language sculpt events and relationships that unfold throughout life. Trust me, you'll want to give it a read, even if just for the fun and absurdity of it.

Mistakes, Misstatements, Lies and Other Miscommunication Tactics is a humorous collection of loosely connected short stories, art, and poetry by Norm Cairns. The book opens with two detectives having a conversation with an old man in a cafe in Albuquerque, New Mexico. One of the men reveals his wife is having an affair with two different men and that someone has stolen his identity. Thus begins the search for the person who stole Frank Dawson's identity. Another man claims to be Frank, even though Frank is locked up in jail in Bernalillo County. In another story, the narrator unexpectedly comes across an AI in an internet chatroom. Meanwhile, a monologue reveals some unique adventures and the narrator learns that the use of personal pronouns can be quite tricky.

If you enjoy droll humor, you will have a blast with Mistakes, Misstatements, Lies and Other Miscommunication Tactics. Author Norm Cairns has a style of his own. I think the experimental narrative structure of this anthology will appeal to readers who love flash fiction and short stories that are interconnected with characters and themes. Identity theft and miscommunication and its unexpected consequences are two of the major themes in this collection. The characters are quirky, and you will definitely chuckle out loud multiple times while reading. Toward the end, the book features three more short stories, including a science fiction tale, a mystery, and a horror story from the author's own life. It's an eclectic collection of stories, art, and poems. This is an entertaining anthology that I heartily recommend!