Small talk is hard for some people. But what happens when a country's citizens find it difficult or don't engage in small talk culturally with their fellow citizens or foreigners? Is small talk an essential key factor for a functioning society or is it just superficial blah? And why are some countries better at it than others? Does it give them an advantage in international relations? Is it a key success factor in gaining friends or winning in business? So many questions. Let's find out.

We engage in this upcoming episode with some of the best small talkers in the business. Ready to shoot the breeze with host Dan Harris are fellow podcaster partner and Senior Editor of the Süddeutsche Zeitung Claudia Koestler, BBC Radio and commercial radio host Warren Moore, British/American Psychotherapist Margaret Cavanagh and Japanese cultural ambassador Yuka Ogura.