Toxic People: 10 Ways of Dealing with People Who Make Your Life Miserable

Some people really can make you sick!

Is there anyone in your life-a relative, boss, friend, even a lover or spouse-who drives you crazy? Are there people who make you feel inadequate, unworthy, or just plain miserable? If there's someone who is not supportive and does not wish you well, then you've got a "toxic" person in your life.

Do you recognize any of these toxic terrors?

-The opportunistic user

-The control freak

-The meddler

-The arrogant know-it-all

-The me, myself, and I narcissist

-The instigator

-The emotional refrigerator

-The liar

Dr. Glass not only helps you identify the "toxic" people in your life, she also provides ten techniques for successfully dealing with them, including:

-Tension-blowout

-Unplugging

-Direct confrontation

-Humor

Some people really can make you sick!

Is there anyone in your life-a relative, boss, friend, even a lover or spouse-who drives you crazy? Are there people who make you feel inadequate, unworthy, or just plain miserable? If there's someone who is not supportive and does not wish you well, then you've got a "toxic" person in your life.

Do you recognize any of these toxic terrors?

-The opportunistic user

-The control freak

-The meddler

-The arrogant know-it-all

-The me, myself, and I narcissist

-The instigator

-The emotional refrigerator

-The liar

Dr. Glass not only helps you identify the "toxic" people in your life, she also provides ten techniques for successfully dealing with them, including:

-Tension-blowout

-Unplugging

-Direct confrontation

-Humor

Publishers Weekly

Certain people seem to exist to make us miserable. Glass, a California ``communications expert,'' terms these terrors Toxic People and identifies 30 types, some with humorous labels such as the Smiling Two-Faced Sneaky Back-Stabber and the Eddie Haskell. She provides a Toxic People Quiz to help readers identify which category a suspect toxic terror falls into and suggests 10 techniques to handle these folk: Humor, Direct Confront, Calm Questioning, Give-Them-Hell-and-Yell, Love and Kindness, Vicarious Fantasy, etc. And since we're all toxic, to some degree, a section on Toxic Comments and a Toxic Image Inventory are offered to help readers identify their own destructive behaviors. While the book doesn't rise above pop psychology, it is entertaining. Author tour. (May)

Lillian Glass, Ph.D., is an internationally know lecturer, communications specialist, and media personality. She is the author of this book's companion, Attracting Terrific People, as well as He Says, She Says, Talk to Win, and Say It Right. Dr. Glass has a bicoastal practice in Beverly Hills and New York. She currently resides in New York City.