"Conversations" offers the reader a unique insight into life in Ireland at the beginning of the twenty-first century. The author talks with people from all over the island about their everyday lives, and the reasons - both inspirational and purely practical - which compel them to live as they do. We gain an intimate insight into what fascinates us most about other people - how they live, what makes them tick, and what makes them get up in the morning. Inspired by the work of the pioneering American oral historian Studs Terkel, MacIntyre allows his forty-nine subjects to relate in their own words the stories of their lives. Typically, these are voices that are heard only rarely, but their distinct and compelling individuality resonates far beyond the final page. MacIntyre has selected his subjects with the reporter's instinct for what makes a good story and the filmmaker's feel for what is fascinating about the everyday. Shaped by their experiences, hopes and fears, "Conversations" captures something of the heart and soul of modern Ireland.