Customer Reviews

How to Have That Difficult Conversation You've Been Avoiding: With Your Spouse, Adult Child, Boss, Coworker, Best Friend, Parent, or Someone You're Dating

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Does the mere word "confrontation" give you a stomach ache? If so, it may help to know that, according to Cloud and Townsend, the word literally means to come face to face with another person-- in other words, it is a positive relational term. This book gives practical, step-by-step advice on how to have difficult but vital conversations with people you are in relationship with. It outlines strategies for how to prepare, how to remain loving, and how to keep the conversation on track. Although it focuses on "big" conversations about matters that may have been brewing for a while, it is also useful for smaller, day-in day-out kinds of confrontations. Some people grow up in homes that encourage this kind of interaction, and some people grow up avoiding such matters. Cloud and Townsend give a biblical basis for operating in both grace and truth, just as Jesus came full of grace and truth.

This book is best understood in the context of the book Boundaries, by the same authors. However, it can also stand on its own.

Apparently, at some point in the past, there was a book called, Boundaries Face to Face. Thankfully, Cloud and Townsend changed the title to something a bit more practical. Though I would never pick up `Boundaries Face to Face' I immediately picked up `How to Have That Difficult Conversation You've Been Avoiding With Your Spouse, Adult Child, Family, Boss, Coworker, Friend, Parent, or Someone You're Dating.'

Having a lot of opportunities to listen to people who are wondering how to have difficult conversations with others, this book will become a permanent, staple reference. It is simple, practical, and gives godly wisdom on the art of confrontation and communication.

Overall the book is great. I think a little more attention could be paid to dealing with people who refuse to stay on topic, but this is really a very minor point throughout the book. Overall, it is an excellent guideline for biblical confrontation with others and I would highly recommend it.

For a full review go to my blog in my screen name and click on the Readings category.

Full of practical considerations; enabled me to think about areas in the relationship I had not considered before. Highly recommend.

This book has helped me tremendously with how to have a truthful conversation with someone that is difficult, abusive, or who has crossed your boundaries. It will be especially beneficial for people struggling with codependency. I recommend this book highly!

This is a wonderful practical book. I don't know anyone who wouldn't learn a few things from reading this book. Buy it. Read it, and the world will become a more peaceful place.

This book is a great purchase. It was in great shape when I got it. It is an asset to any library.

Townsend and Cloud have done it again - this book is fantastic. It provides a lot of food for thought and helps a person think through the process of having those conversations you've been avoiding. It's made me realize that I do more harm than good by always being the "peacemaker". A loving confrontation can take things to a much better place.

I've been looking forward to reading this book for a long time. It seems like there is always at least one person you need to have a difficult conversation with all the time.

This is an excellent book. It would have made a big difference in my life 20 - 30 years ago. I highly recommend this book. It is easy to understand. covers every facet without being too wordy. I really like the approach promoted in the book. I like the way it shows how to apply biblical prinicples, and gives scripture (if one wants to reference scripture).

I bought this book looking forward to being able to become more assertive and to handle criticism or have difficult conversations with anyone. I started reading and to my dismay, there was a quote from the Bible. I thought this was just an example, in order to make a point, but the more I read, the more Biblical quotes started pouring from every page! I don't have a problem with religion, but this is not what I paid for. Finally, I turned to the back of the book, and the first shelving recommendation is Christian Living!!! Unbelievable! I was expecting a book that would give practical, scientific (the writers have doctorates) advice about a difficulty I am having, but instead, it is written for a religious Christian audience in mind.