Customer Reviews

Anger Management: 6 Critical Steps to a Calmer Life

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Peter Favaro provides numerous tools to help those who want to get a handle on their emotions, particularly anger, and to improve their relationships with others. He is always careful to define his key terms and reinforce essential principles, and he provides example after example of difficult situations and how to deal with them. The book is well organized and full of techniques that will help you overcome frustration. Favaro's suggestions are all useful. However, the book does not explore the risks involved in some of the techniques. While Favaro is careful to explain that not all techniques work for everyone, he downplays the possibility of negative reactions to conscientious, careful communication in many work-focused organizations, and underestimates the power of context and workplace culture. Otherwise, this is familiar but useful conflict resolution material. We recommend this book to self-help beginners who want to improve their conflict resolution skills by changing their behavior.

I have to say I was disappointed. I expected something on Anger Management but this book really is more about personal interaction and management from that perspective. I guess I expected something more geared towards examining anger individually and methods to deal with it as an individual. Does that make sense?

To wit, the book's examples are all in the form of an angry exchange between two people. Interpersonal. What I wanted to read was more along the lines of dealing with situational anger if that is the right expression.

Okay, having described my expectations and the reality of the book... I thought it was a fair book that might offer some insights to someone that is constantly getting into angry tirades with other people. Interestingly - you don't have to be the 'angry' person. Maybe you are in a situation where you have to deal with a few angry people? This book addresses that situation directly and indirectly.

I thought it was interesting that the author defines anger as being predatory or stemming from frustration. I happen to deal with the former in the form of my boss and the latter with a lot of my co-workers because of my boss and the nature of our work.

Worth reading if you are in this situation or want some other perspective on your own angry behavior.

Darin