Customer Reviews

Life Preservers: Staying Afloat In All Your Relationships

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I found this book to be quite powerful in a very subtle way. Having grown up reading Dear Abby and Ann Landers as my main source of adult advice, I was quite pleased with the Advice Column Format. Actually, this book is a compilation of published and unpublished letters written to Dr. Lerner for the advice column she writes for New Woman magazine. I was impressed with the range of topics and problems that were addressed in this book. Harriet Lerner's advice is open minded yet firm; additionally she is not averse to sharing her own experiences. Since I tend to be so limited in time, I found this book to be a great "meal companion". While spooning down some cereal or grabbing a quick sandwich, this book provided the ideal "dessert". This is the first book I have read by Harriet Lerner and I am now anxious to start the Dance books.

Having read two other of Dr. Lerner's books on the Dance of Anger and the Dance of Connection, I was very disappointed in the lack of depth with this book. Probably little you could not find in an advice column from your local newspaper, except you could tab through for topics and carry it in your purse.

I liked the book. It didn't always apply to me, but good to read anyway.