The Art of Managing Everyday Conflict: Understanding Emotions and Power Struggles [Hardcover]

Erik A. Fisher (Author), Steven W. Sharp (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0275981843 | ISBN-13: 978-0275981846 | Publication Date: April 30, 2004 | Edition: 1

We all have power struggles affecting each of us in every stage of our life, nearly every day. We all get wrapped up in conflicts, but often have no idea how to resolve them. This book dicusses the "hows" and "whys" of conflict and provides easy-to-use solutions for most situations. The focus is on the role of emotion. Conflict results from the way in which we view our own power, and our views on power are largely influenced by our emotions. So we must begin by looking closely at our emotions. Fisher and Sharp guide us to pinpoint those and see how emotions move us into playing one of the classic roles in conflict - Victim, Persecutor, Instigator or Rescuer. And we learn how emotions can play productive purposes; how they can be used to minimize and remove serious conflict in our lives. The text includes vignettes, anecdotes, personal inventories, illustrations and concrete exercises. While general readers will find this text of interest, it will also provide valuable information for students of psychology, sociology, business management, human resources and family studies.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“This is a helpful little book for people who deal with conflict in their professional, social, or personal lives or within themselves--that is, everyone. Written by a practicing therapist and a freelance writer in a clear, no-nonsense style that is free of jargon and strong on useful metaphors, the book examines the relationship between power and emotion in a wide variety of interpersonal relationships....Recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates and above; general readers.”–Choice

“The author gives you some clear revelations concerning conflicts that you will encounter in life; the emotions you will deal with and the why's of feeling as you feel....I enjoyed this work and plan on doing a little more study with this book and some self-examining. I think this book would profit all that take the time to read it and put into practice what is being told to them. An interesting spin, not boring, but very insightful.”–MBR Bookwatch

About the Author

ERIK A. FISHER is a licensed psychologist in Georgia. He has dedicated his career to the advancement of human potential in the physical, mental and spiritual realms.

STEVEN W. SHARP is a freelance and technical writer. He lives in Alabama.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Praeger Publishers; 1 edition (April 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0275981843
• ISBN-13: 978-0275981846
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,109,504 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Helpful, April 23, 2005

By 

Shirley Priscilla Johnson "Author/Reviewer -... (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Art of Managing Everyday Conflict: Understanding Emotions and Power Struggles (Hardcover)

I have read countless self-help books; some I have taken to heart and others I have not. This work I found to be very interesting and enlightened me in many ways. The author gives you some clear revelations concerning conflicts that you will encounter in life; the emotions you will deal with and the why's of feeling as you feel.
He explains the concept of the 'power struggles' that we have within ourselves, and how important it is to work to understand them and make the necessary changes.
It is always hard to see ourselves as others see us, our flaws and weaknesses; but with understanding, comes the ability to change.

I enjoyed this work and plan on doing a little more study with this book and some self-examining. I think this book would profit all that take the time to read it and put into practice what is being told them. An interesting spin, not boring, but very insightful.
Shirley Johnson

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Knowledge is Power, July 21, 2004

By 

Robert A. Taylor "Bob" (Colorado Springs, CO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art of Managing Everyday Conflict: Understanding Emotions and Power Struggles (Hardcover)

This is the first book that I've read which establishes the relationship between emotions, power, and conflict. The book is easy to read and understand, and there are many thought-provoking examples and a self-inventory at the end of each chapter, and I found these to be quite helpful. If a person wants to understand conflict, he/she must first understand his/her sense of power and the emotions that we feel motivated by. This book explains these things very well, and I highly recommend it to everyone.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful and useful book, July 18, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Art of Managing Everyday Conflict: Understanding Emotions and Power Struggles (Hardcover)

I have read a lot of self-help books in the past and I really enjoyed this one. It has a lot of useful tips to practice in daily life and it really helps you understand how emotions effect your interactions with other people. I finally can consciously identify the emotions I feel when dealing with the people in my life. This has helped to elimate many potential conflicts because I was able to change the outcome. I recommend this book highly.