Life Preservers: Good Advice When You Need It Most [Paperback]

Harriet Lerner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 28, 1997

With wit, wisdom and uncommon sense, Dr. Harriet Lerner gives readers the tools to solve problems and create joy, meaning and integrity in their relationships. Women will find Life Preservers (more than 40,000 copies sold in hardcover) to be an invaluable motivational guide that covers the landscape of work and creativity, anger and intimacy, friendship and marriage, children and parents, loss and betrayal, sexuality and health and much more.

With new insights and a results-oriented approach, Dr. Lerner answers women’s most frequently asked questions and offers the best advice for problems women face today:

I always pick the wrong guys.
Should I move in with him?
I can’t stand my boss.
Should I leave my marriage?
How can I recover from his affair?
Is my fantasy abnormal?
Is my therapy working?
I miss my mother.
I can’t believe I was fired.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This collection of letters and replies, some of which were previously published in the author's New Woman magazine column ("Harriet Lerner's Good Advice"), covers many issues. Lerner (The Dance of Deception) offers advice to women on love, friendship, marriage, parenting and sexual politics. Her warm, conversational style is engaging and meshes well with her commonsense approach to problem solving. Lerner advises women that many emotional problems between people spring from a lack of communication, and that differences must be faced before they can be solved. A self-described feminist, Lerner is pro-choice and believes that same-sex love is as "normal" as heterosexuality. Despite the format, which dictates short answers to broad questions, the author provides thoughtful comments geared to helping women surmount their difficulties. Author tour.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

The author of the Dance of . . . pop psychology books (Deception, Intimacy, and Anger) sets sail on the ocean of self-help.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 372 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial; HarperPerennial ed edition (March 28, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060928352
• ISBN-13: 978-0060928353
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #318,255 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Harriet Lerner, Ph.D., is one of our nation's most loved and respected relationship experts. Renowned for her work on the psychology of women and family relationships, she served as a staff psychologist at the Menninger Clinic for more than two decades. A distinguished lecturer, workshop leader, and psychotherapist, she is the author of The Dance of Anger and other bestselling books. She is also, with her sister, an award-winning children's book writer. She and her husband are therapists in Lawrence, Kansas, and have two sons.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Therapist on call, December 17, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Life Preservers: Good Advice When You Need It Most (Paperback)

I became a big fan of Dr. Lerner after reading the The Dance of Anger. This book is different from her other books because it's in a question and answer format. I thought I wouldn't like this format, but I was wrong. Her advice is so amazingly strong and helpful. She answers so many questions and problems that I've talked about with my therapist, or that I haven't had the nerve to share with friends. I loved the section "Women at Work," because work has been a painful place for me, and I can't think of another book that offers so much help about dealing with an impossible boss or gossipy co-worker. You can't get better advice than this and it's a fun read.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Advice, December 17, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Life Preservers: Good Advice When You Need It Most (Paperback)

I keep this book in my bathroom and that's a high compliment. I never have time to sit down and finish a whole book, but this one is a feast of great advice that you can read every time you have a few minutes in between whatever else you're doing. There is so much wisdom packed in this book, and the way it's organized makes it very user-friendly. Having this book around is sort of like having a best friend or therapist on call. Some of the questions you've heard before "Should I stay or leave?" "Is my husband having an affair" "My friend is dating a jerk" "Is my fantasy normal?" "I can't stand my supervisor." But Lerners answers are unique and she's great at being serious and funny at the same time. Best of all, she tells you specifically what to do when you're hurting or in pain or don't know how to solve a problem. This book is such a gem although I wouldn't recommend it for men, just cause it's geered 100% to women.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful, August 7, 2002

By 

Diana M. Rodriguez (Alexandria, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Life Preservers: Staying Afloat in Love and Life (Hardcover)

This is a well-written book with terrific advice. Although I believe no one can solve serious issues by reading a book alone, this is a good start to understanding problems many people encounter.
Not a replacing for therapy, but a good guide for many.