The Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense FROM OUR EDITORS
Physical abuse is one thing: Though it hurts like hell, it is usually over fast, and the mark it leaves brands your attacker as the bully he or she truly is. Verbal violence, however, is another matter. It hurts just as much...but, because it leaves no marks, it seldom wins you sympathy or assistance. Worst of all, victims don't always know they've been assaulted. In its subtlest, most dangerous form, verbal abuse is dispensed with a smile or in an aggrieved tone that suggests the mugger is the injured party. How do you defend yourself against phrases beginning: "If you really..." or "Don't you even care..."? In this book, psycholinguist Suzette Elgin shows you how to recognize different attack modes (from "polite" put-downs to guilt-inducing reproaches) and how to deflect verbal blows with a few carefully chosen words that compromise neither your dignity nor your honor. Filled with examples and alternative scripts, this book reveals shrewd, nonviolent techniques that will save you years of sparring with bullying bosses, backbiting coworkers, guilt-producing mothers, condescending spouses, or child tyrants!
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Become a "black belt" in verbal self-defense! For anyone who's ever been pulverized by put-downs, rankled by reproaches, or irritated by insinuations, here's a revolutionary book that devotes itself completely to tactics of verbal self-defense. The Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense teaches you how to defend yourself diplomatically in delicate family situations and in the hard-nosed business world. And this book is so thorough and easy to understand that you can read it once and become the kind of person everybody admires—the person who stays unruffled during confrontations, who always says the right thing, This book explains the various ways that people will try to bait you and then it tells you how to stop them with a few carefully chosen words. It also helps you avoid the self-defeating, overly emotional attitudes that many people assume during arguments. Explains attacks and defenses with helpful features like these: The 8 Types of Verbal Attacks The 4 Principles of Verbal Self-Defense The 5 Personalities & How They Communicate Dialogues that Show Effective & Ineffective Defense Strategies Instructions on Voice Control & Body Language All the ammunition you need to survive the battle and win the war! 311pp.
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