God Help Me! These People Are Driving Me Nuts [Paperback]

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2001

How can we get through a day filled with difficult people? How can we begin to answer the call to love others as God loves us? GOD HELP ME! THESE PEOPLE ARE DRIVING ME NUTS is a practical, humorous, and informative book that integrates cutting-edge psychology, case studies, and healing principles. Building on years of personal and professional experience, Popcak gives realistic strategies to help us assess, cultivate, and benefit from mature, peaceful relationships.

Editorial Reviews

Review

We all know people who make us want to tear our hair out . . . Popcak is a wonderful antidote to this problem, sharing a wealth of insights and solid wisdom. -- Mark P. Shea, author, MAKING SENSES OUR OF SCRIPTURE

From the Author

If you are struggling with the difficult people in your life, then I hope you will let me walk along the road with you and perhaps ease your burden. This book will help you find the peace you are looking for in your life and relationships. There is hope! Let me show you how to make peace with the difficult people in your life, and help you celebrate the joy that comes from knowing that you have what it takes to make your life work.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 149 pages
• Publisher: Loyola Press (April 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0829415580
• ISBN-13: 978-0829415582
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #656,809 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Positive conflict resolution at its christian best, September 11, 2001

By A Customer

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This review is from: God Help Me! These People Are Driving Me Nuts (Paperback)

I would have given the book 5 stars if I hadn't read his other book, "parenting With Grace..." There is some overlap in the material which I think could have been avoided. However, I still think this book is a gem. Most of it is devoted to resolving conflict with people whom you would like to continue a relationship with, but are somehow having trouble with at the moment. The author's strategies for dealing with friction in relationships is squarely rooted in Catholic spirituality. He counsels the reader to assume a positive intent behind even the most negative behavior, a loving and affirming approach in line with the treatment philosophies of other great therapists like Virginia Satir. He is also realistic in pointing out situations when the "difficult" person is someone with whom you should sever the relationship completely. Everyone who wants to resolve interpersonal conflicts in a positive way should read this book. It's also an excellent thesis on how to love one's neighbors (and enemies. They may well turn out NOT to be enemies after all, when you take the trouble to find out the positive intent behind the negative behavior and realize that their nastiness really has nothing to do with you personally). Good work, Mr. Popcak. Keep those gems of wisdom coming!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Start with this book, July 24, 2005

By 

Richard (Oakland County, Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: God Help Me! These People Are Driving Me Nuts (Paperback)

Excellent advice. The book offers practical, loving help in dealing with difficult people. It's not overly technical or preachy. I've read a lot of good books about this topic, such as Difficult Conversations, How to Make Peace with Anyone and I am a family law attorney and mediator. I am recommending this book to my clients trying to avoid a divorce.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing difference, December 7, 2007

By 

Stratiotes Doxha Theon "2 Thes 2:15" (Richmond, Missouri) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: God Help Me! These People Are Driving Me Nuts (Paperback)

Despite the fact that I am generally repulsed by the self-help genre, and in particular when they are filled with acronyms that smack of formulaic platitudes, I must admit that this little book was a welcome surprise. There are formulaic acronym chapters but the author does not insult our intelligence with empty promises that make it so simple. He reminds us that changing others is nothing more than manipulation and a losing battle. The only person we can change is ourselves. Mr. Popcak gives us some helpful ways to do just that. And, while giving us those tools, he reminds us how the Christian can fulfill the command to turn the other cheek without turning into a doormat. Many Christian versions of this genre are full of advice for being "nice" without a word on boundaries. Others are so intent on stressing boundaries they have little challenge to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. There seems little available that does not fall into one extreme of self-centeredness and the other of false holiness. When they do attempt to bridge that gap, they seldom provide the tools to determine the difference or when one approach applies more appropriately than another. Mr. Popcak, while leaving much to our own common sense, provides us with the bridge and practical tools for crossing that bridge ourselves. His comments are, at times, profoundly simple and direct. But they have a proven track record for the serious Christian wanting to find the balance between loving their neighbor and being their neighbor's doormat. My repulsion of such books has been lessoned discovering this little gem of common sense.