Asserting Yourself: A Practical Guide For Positive Change, Updated Edition (Paperback)

~ (Author), Gordon H. Bower (Author) "Assertiveness has many forms..." (more)
Key Phrases: assertive script, assertive reply, assertive replies (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Do you want to enjoy happier relationships? Do you feel frustrated at work? Are you ever uneasy in social situations? _Asserting Yourself_ shows how you can make a change for the better by asserting your wishes clearly and convincingly.

With this book, you'll build your own assertiveness program that will work for YOU. Start with requesting clarification or protesting a rip-off. The authors provide exercises to improve your self-esteem, to look and feel assertive, and to develop meaningful friendships. Soon you'll feel confident about standing up for your rights against unreasonable demands and put-downs.

The authors' celebrated "DESC scripts" present a practical four-step technique for handling interpersonal conflicts. _Asserting Yourself_ shows exactly how to effectively prepare and deliver persuasive messages that you can adapt in your own life.

About the Author

Sharon Anthony Bower is President of Confidence Training, Inc. She has led communication workshops for Apple, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, the Bell companies nation-wide, and governmental agencies. She hold masters degrees in counseling from Stanford and in theater from Northwestern.

Gordon H. Bower is Professor of Psychology at Stanford University, having received his Ph.D from Yale. Author of seven books and more than 200 papers, he is internationally recognized for his studies on human learning and memory. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press; 2th edition (June 23, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201570882
• ISBN-13: 978-0201570885
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #195,563 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Asserting Yourself, October 24, 2001

By A Customer

This book is extremely useful. I can truly say that it has changed the quality of my relationships in a profound way. The authors teach you how to solve problems with people in relationships ranging from strangers to friends to family. I found answers to problem situations that had frustrated me for years. It taught me how to stand up for myself and ask people to change their undesirable behavior in a way that they are willing to cooperate with. (Most of the time). I am amazed at how well their techniques work. This is not about how to control people. It is about how to control your self. There is an alternative to fighting or giving in. If you want to have happier relationships with people and feel much better about yourself, buy this book.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book, July 13, 2002

By	sivasu (San Jose, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This is a very good book. Unlike other books in this category which dish out a lot of advice, this book gives practical step-by-step instructions that can be easily implemented in real life. The authors have used some innovative techniques from the fields of acting and theatre into assertiveness training. Reading and rereading this book often will definitely help everybody to improve their own lives as well as the lives of people whom they interact with.

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not bad, but..., June 21, 2002

By	Ms Diva "cycworker" (Nanaimo, B.C. Canada) - See all my reviews

in many ways it's interchangeable with alot of other books on the topic of assertiveness out there. It's worth reading, certainly, I just wouldn't pay full price for it. The DESC model, and the quiz at the beginning to help the reader determine how assertive s/he currently is are great. The material on self esteem and stress were boring to me; I'd seen it before with other sources. Chapters 4 and 5 were the best; they got into the exercises/activities and the DESC model. The remaining chapters weren't as strong. The book started to drag at that point. That said, I do like that the author gave the reader alot of opportunity for practice; the exercises themselves are good. I just wish that there'd been more actual content and information. She could've done a supplemental workbook to include all the extra exercises.