DEALING WITH PEOPLE YOU CAN'T STAND

Though one of the author/narrators occasionally sounds too dramatic, both are comfortably engaged with their ideas and are easy to hear overall. They make this state-of-the-art guide sound both important and down-to-earth. Their discussion explains the real intentions of 10 types of difficult people, such as the Sniper and the Know-It-All, and shows how to listen and respond to each type more skillfully. The examples are realistic, and each chapter ends with a summary of principles and action steps. The emphasis is on holding one’s ground by understanding motivations and using the detailed strategies that work with each type of misbehavior. This is social science writing at its best—analytical thinking applied to frustrating interpersonal situations to help people become more proactive and constructive in their lives. T.W. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2012]