Learn how to give AND receive criticism - an important life skill
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Using this as part of our Stephen Ministry Continuing Education.  We agree that this has great information for ANYONE.  It's a great follow up to "Speaking the Truth in Love".  Recommend it for any Christian study group to read together and discuss.  Would love if someone would come up with a study guide for this book.
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This book shows you how people throughout the ages manipulate situations and others. You will gain insight into the real world with this book.  Learn how to optimize yourself, others and every circumstance.  Read books like The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People to learn how to lead yourself and get along with others and Optimal Thinking: How to Be Your Best Self, to learn how to bring your best self to any situation, make the most of it and bring out the best in others.
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The principles in this book are simple ideas but difficult to put into practice.  One of the hardest things to do is admit a mistake and accept criticism.  Making mistakes is human, and honest feedback is a gift.  Self reflection is an important part of self development.
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[Brief] is an excellent guide for anyone who wants to be better in their professional and personal life.  The author rightly identifies that all of us are drinking from a proverbial fire-hose of facts, figures, opinions, concerns, emails, briefings, images -- and none of us has the time or the mental capacity (much less the desire) to pay attention to even half of it.  You won't get your point across unless you can start saying less.  Saying less, if done well, is saying more.

Unfortunately, when it comes to our own voices, all of us have a bit of a tin ear.  I found that [Brief] helped me hear myself better.  It licensed me to say less, to pause more often, to listen more deeply.  And the book's outstanding techniques have really added clarity and focus.
1890027
"Learn How To Be The Perfect Bitch" is not about being nasty. It is actually a pleasant little book that will help you get what you want out of life by being slightly more assertive. Whether you want to improve your love life or want a promotion at work, the ideas in this book are invaluable. By reading this book you will learn how to be more spontaneous and mischievous. You will also realize you don't have to be a doormat for people to like you. After putting some of the practical tips to work in your life you will probably notice more respect at home and at work. This book has an interesting title but it is not at all about promoting being bitchy. Men will however all become your slaves. (sorry I couldn't help myself) I just don't think you should wear anything like the woman on the cover, especially not in public. :) Well unless you don't want to be taken seriously.

~The Rebecca Review
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This book show how the constant disregard of people who like to spend time alone to do projects and/or prefer to think before they speak has been a problem with actual consequences. In places where extroversion is celebrated and introverts are criticized for their difficulty to "open up", life can be hard. This book helps to explain why that is and why the extroverts need to back off, the the introverts sake and their own. If you feel like you are criticized for being quiet or not being enough of a bragger or any thing like that, I would highly recommend reading this book.
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We all contribute to the negativity that we assign to others without realizing it! Reading this book will help you understand how and why we do it, and how to stop it so that your life and relationships are more peaceful and harmonious.
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I read it late in my life (23 years old) and I wish I had read it younger. Nevertheless, I learned so much from it - and it has significantly improved my relationships with people. I sincerely believe I became a better person because of this book.

You'll learn field-tested strategies for dealing with difficult conversations (problematic situations in life) and a general framework for how to interact with people.

I've purchased extra copies of this book to share with friends; gave one to a teenager - should make a big difference not just in one person's life, but all those s/he interacts with from there on.
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There will always be some kind of conflict when working with other people; however it does not always need to be a major stressful incident day after day. Elizabeth B. Brown's new book, "Working Successfully with Screwed-Up People," will help each of us to feel less stressed at work and in general with our interactions with others.  It can be so easy to point the finger to others and place the whole blame on someone other than one's self.  Brown encourages each of us to look at ourselves and makes change how we can and that is changing ourselves.  She devotes an entire chapter to the point that each of us choosing our own behavior, that is our choice and an area that we can makes changes in.

I love the organization of this book!  It is split into several chapters and each chapter has well-defined section.  Each chapter concludes with a list of insights and also questions allowing the reader to really apply the information to his or her own life and encourages really thinking about the information and making changes.  The book is very thought-provoking and you will really think about your own life and how you can make changes within yourself and your behaviors, words and actions to make interactions with others less stressful.  An interesting, thought-provoking read for everyone!

"Available May 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group."
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I gave this book a 5/5 rating because I was very impressed on how the book had a lesson on how you can be a better person and tell the truth!
_ Kennley Henry. starbuck  MN
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When I saw advertised on Amazon The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How to Make Your Life Better (and Other People's Lives Better, Too) I said yes, send it along.  Im guessing that like me, many readers would like to know how to make life better!  Will Gretchen Rubin, our author, deliver on her promise?  For some people,  yes.  They will see themselves and others well described in this book and think about things they might do to be more effective in accomplishing their goals and objectives at home and at work.

Gretchen begins her book with a test we need to take to identify our most important Tendency: Upholder, Obliger, Rebel, and Questioner.  Gretchen tells us: You are the best judge of yourself.  If you believe that a different Tendency describes you better, trust yourself.  I took the test and the results told me that I am a Questioner.  This result is  accurate, but like the good questioner that I am, I question the validity of Gretchens test.  Is it reliable, valid, independent, and comprehensive?  The answer is no.  We need to do just what Gretchen says; that is, look at the descriptions of each Tendency and decide for ourselves what Tendency describes us best.

Does the fact that her test is not valid mean that Gretchens book is useless?  Not at all.  Many readers are going to enjoy Gretchens relaxed and breezy style of writing as she talks about our Tendencies and how they affect our interactions with people at home and at work.  Her book is often a fun read.  Her book may not qualify as science, but her observations about people are often valid.  She says about me that I put a high value on reason, research, and information.  Absolutely!  Also, she tells me that I make decisions based on information and reason.  Right again.  She goes on to say that as a Questioner I hate anything arbitrary.  Well, hate is too strong a word, but by and large she is correct.  Gretchen described me well and I  think many other people who read her book are going to agree that one of her Tendencies is going to accurately describe the way they behave with people at home and at work.

Most self-help books and self-help tests don't qualify as science.  Even a famous test like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) has received much criticism from scientists.  That criticism does not stop more than 2.5 million people from taking this test every year.  We should be guided by science, but not ruled by it, at least in my opinion.  Remember, as a Questioner I even question some of the results science gives us, particularly when these results come from our doctors.  My doctor tells me that science tells him that taking supplements like glucosamine for knee pain is useless.  I question his findings; my glucosamine supplement definitely helps my knees.  My doctor tells me it is all in my head.  I tell him my head is not a bad place to start if my head helps relieve the pain in my knees.

Gretchens test for the four Tendencies may not be valid according to strict scientific standards, but much of her advice and counsel is valid, at least for me.  Additionally, Gretchen invites readers to participate in her blogs and web site.  She wants to open up communication with as many readers as are interested in communicating with her and other like-minded people.  Her book will provide all the particulars readers need to hook up with her.
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I had the fortunate opportunity to meet with the author on my book tour to the UK (London) in February and honoured to have received copies of both of his books for review (1 and 2). Mr. Malone and I have similar backgrounds but from different parts of the country. There are haters out there and those who really hate to hear the truth, as I have learned from my own personal journey in the field of government and criminal justice. Ridicule and criticism are the last arguments of a fool. Truth is transformed into power when you dissolve prejudice and make yourself receptive to the world as it really is. This is the "ugly truth" that people care not to hear or absorb. Truth's power is rarer than generally imagined. It can be maintained only by cultivating a genuine openness~a willingness to see, rather than merely look. When your inner life is clouded, your influence is under a shadow. If you are fearful, you will be attacked; if you cloak genuine mysteries in dogma, opportunities for new insight will be lost. Mr. Malone share's his perspective in great detail with hopes of helping better protect the people, including arming them with knowledge, wisdom and the truth...
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California author John Daly, a protocol Pro for major corporate clients, developed The Key Class, a program for teaching soft skills to students in highschools throughout California and it is that program invention that has led to he writing two books  - The Key Class: The Keys to Job Search Success, and now this new book 74 Key Life Skills for a Happy, Successful Life. It is no wonder he is the 2015-2016 President of Partners in Education. Teaching those intangible subjects of behavior, etiquette and protocol has been missing form our school system for too long and it seems that Jons books will fill that gap.

John sets the tone of his instructive book in his warm and brief Introduction: This book is a collection of articles written over the past 18 months. Each one represents a life skill that needs to be addressed if you are to be successful at anything  work, relationships or life. It is divided into four basic sections: Behavior, Workplace Conduct, Image, and Interaction. To make it in this world, you have to not just fit in but also stand out. A paradox you think? Not really. Your behavior with others, no matter where you are will allow you to fit in. The image you project to others and the interaction you have with them will make you stand out.

Some of the topics John addresses in this immensely readable books include Why Behavior Matters, Lets Start from the Beginning with Manners, Rudeness Is the Weak Mans Imitation of Strength, Social Media Creating a Less Civil Society, Social Media Missteps that Will Haunt You Forever, The 11 Traits of a Respectful Person Equal Success, Lying and the Importance of Being Earnest, Nothing Replaces Persistence as a Formula for Success, The Benefits of a Positive Attitude, How to Stress Someone Out with Your Cell Phone, Social Media Etiquette for College Students, Why Workplace Conduct Matters, Personal Values Employers Want in Employees, Unprofessional Behavior Could Lose Business and Your Job!, Why Gossip in the Workplace is Lethal, The Importance of Image Building, The Likeability Factor, and How You Can Improve Yours, Your Cell Phone and the Impression You Make with It, Why Successful Interaction Matters, Top 9 Conversation Etiquette Mistakes, How to Bond with Your Boss, How to Gain Employee Commitment, How to Provide Constructive Criticism, Conversation as an Art Form
and so many more terse and well considered topics.

This little book is a goldmine  read it, share it with your young adult relatives and friends, and incorporate Johns strong philosophy. This is what has been missing in the world today! Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, November 15
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I've always been told by my employer that I needed to work on my communication skills and I chose this book to learn how I could improve better. It helped me a lot on recognizing specifically my weaknesses. Now I feel more Confident when I communicate with others. Thank you!
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This is a perfect guide to develop control over our emotion and life for everlasting success. To be successful in our lives, we need to communicate things effectively, and in that endeavor, we need to be able to control our emotions well and craft our interpersonal skills. In this book, author describes many tips and tricks to hone your interpersonal skills and become more emotionally intelligent so that you can take charge of your life and be successful in achieving all your goals.
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"Self acceptance is not a license to do whatever we please. It's about striving to act within the scope of our values, and having curiosity around and empathy for ourselves when we don't'." -Hannah Braime  I like the quote because if I could treat myself that way I could treat you people that way, wouldn't that be nice. Your not an Ahole for cutting me off, your just failing to act within the scope of your values and I'm curious about this and have empathy towards you...sigh.

Initially I purchased this book just wondering what the sentence completion part would be. This sort of avenue is new to me.  I was very surprised at how thorough the chapters leading up to the exercises are. Theres like 13 straight forward informative chapters. To the point and solid with info, at least I think so.  I learned a lot and noticed that the wording or design of this book to be very sincere. There is a craftsmanship to it, thoughtful.  So before I even reached the sentence completion part I learned a great deal about daily practice, meditation, what to expect, Hannah's thoughts or point of view in regards. Real teachers are just honest people explaining  what they know to the best of their ability, so I appreciate that in this author.  Lots of compassion not a lot of B.S. and no claims of epiphany or ease, just honesty.

So for 3 bucks I get a foundation to self exploration, daily practice, and a learn about sentence stems.  It does become repetitive as there are six completions per stem but she states that the easy stuff is conscious and it takes some work to dig up he sub stuff (brilliant), and for me tough as I've some pretty good defense built up. So if I couldn't delve deep, I would just complete the sentences with insanity, which is fun. For instance, Week 3, Day 1, sentence 2...A time when I felt accepted by someone else was when...extraterrestrials abducted and forced me to make cheeseburgers for the tzars of the thunder-dome.

Anyways, this was well worth it and finally someone knows how to price a product in the digital age. Production costs are lower kids, so products should reflect this. This author will do very well over time because people like quality, life changing things. Price for an audience you plan to have a relationship with not for numerical customers.

Peace out mofos.
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In the book's Introduction, the author wrote that amongst the 5% who turned down his interview request, Richard Brandson asked the author face to face, "There are a lot of books on leadership. What will make yours any different?" The mission of this book "to help readers become a better and more effective leader, by helping them to be a better, more inspiring communicator." was thus inspired with the proposition of the following 12 principles:-

1. Learn how to be yourself, better, if you aspire to being a better leader and communicator.
2. Give voice to a compelling mission and a powerful set of values
3. Combine this with a vivid picture of the future, which you communicate relentlessly to drive behaviours in the present.
4. Keep your people focused on the key relationships that your organisation depends on for success, and make building trust in theose relationship a priority.
5. Make "engagement" a strategic goal, and use conversations to engage.
6. Become a fanatic about understanding audiences, before trying to communicate with them.
7. Listen in new and powerful ways, and learn to ask the right questions.
8. Prepare a potent point of view to communicate your messages
9. Use more stories and anecdotes to inspire the right behaviours
10. Be aware of the signals you send beyond your words
11. Prepae properly for public platforms - your reputaiton is at stake
12. Learn, rehearse, review, improve - always strive to be a better communicator.

As a frequent reader of similar books, I cannot agree that the author had fully achieved his goals. The fluency of the whole book had been impaired by the over stuffing of bits and pieces of various interviewees, whose pictured accounts in the appendix had added salt to wound. Actually, I did expect more from the journalist turned consultant/author. In short, readable, helpful but far from outstanding. Suggest you to check better alternatives on Amazon with higher quantity of five star votes.

p.s. Below please find some of my favorite passages for your reference.
If need be, great leaders get us to face ugly reality, and then they give us a new sense of direction and optimism. Along the way, they help us to see how what we do makes a difference. They listen to us and they respect us. We feel involved and committed. We watch them for cues, and we feel great when they recognize our efforts - and then we try even harder. We follow leaders because of how they make us feel. pg1
Too often, leaders use the achievement of financial goals as their purpose. They are more comfortable being rational and objective. Too often, followers say they don't get out of bed in the morning to achieve financial or other numerical objectives. They come to work and want to be inspired by a sense of doing something important, something that makes a difference. pg74
It's not what you say; it's what they hear. pg114
Logic gets to the brain, stories get to the heart. pg141