How to Hug a Porcupine: Easy Ways to Love the Difficult People in Your Life (Little Book. Big Idea.) [Hardcover]

June Eding (Editor), Dr. Debbie Ellis (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 10, 2009 | Series: Little Book. Big Idea.

How to Love the Difficult People in Your Life

Most of us know someone who, for whatever reason, always seems to cause problems, irritate others, or incite conflict. Often, these people are a part of our daily lives. The truth is that these trouble makers haven’t necessarily asked to be this way.

Sometimes we need to learn new approaches to deal with people who are harder to get along with or love.

How to Hug a Porcupine: Easy Ways to Love Difficult People in Your Life, explains that making peace with others isn’t as tough or terrible as we think it is–especially when you can use an adorable animal analogy and apply it to real-life problems.

How to Hug a Porcupine provides tips for calming the quills of parents, children, siblings, strangers, and other prickly people you may encounter. Among other tips, How to Hug a Porcupine includes:
*Three easy ways to end an argument
*How to spot the porcupine in others
*How to spot the porcupine in ourselves

With a foreword by noted psychotherapist Dr. Debbie Ellis, widow of Dr. Albert Ellis,  How to Hug a Porcupine is a truly special book.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr. Debbie Joffe Ellis is a licensed psychologist in Australia and mental health counselor in New York. She is affiliated with several major psychological associations and societies including being a Member of the Australian Psychological Society, and an International Affiliate Member of the American Psychological Association. For several years, she worked with her husband, Dr. Albert Ellis, giving public presentations and professional trainings in Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), as well as collaborating on writing and research projects, until his death in 2007. She now continues to present, practice and write about his groundbreaking psychotherapeutic approach of REBT. She has also co-authored several forthcoming books with Dr. Albert Ellis. She currently has a private practice in New York City, and also delivers lectures, workshops and seminars throughout the U.S.A. and across the globe.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Hatherleigh Press (March 10, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578262933
• ISBN-13: 978-1578262939
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.6 x 7.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #607,928 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Love your Porcupine!, August 6, 2009

By 

C. J. Pearmon "aka Jay or Chanda" (Austin, TX, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Hug a Porcupine: Easy Ways to Love the Difficult People in Your Life (Little Book. Big Idea.) (Hardcover)

How to Hug a Porcupine is a small book about relationships with "thorny" people. Using the metaphor of the porcupine, tips are given about how to deal with the defensive person who raises their armor when seemingly attacked. The book explains how using questions and re-affirming your interest in the person can help expose their softer, gentler side. By understanding the porcupine personality, the nature of conflicts can be better understood and dealt with.

This tips are easily read and quick to digest, yet they hold much insight into dealing with a defensive personality. While this book will not be helpful to everyone, for those in relationships with kind-hearted, yet easily hurt people, there will be a wealth of information to be gleaned from the pages. At it's most basic, the book preaches a kind, gentle, patient examination of people and the root of issues beneath the exterior words tossed around. This type of reminder is useful for everyone.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Debbie Ellis is the Real Thing, April 6, 2009

By 

R. Woolf "Woolf" (Boonton, NJ United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Hug a Porcupine: Easy Ways to Love the Difficult People in Your Life (Little Book. Big Idea.) (Hardcover)

Ellis has insight into simple ways to manage my thinking - it has given me more satisfaction in my life.

She makes each idea clear and easy to apply to real life.

A nice payoff for a seemingly simple book!