Gossip: Ten Pathways to Eliminate It from Your Life and Transform Your Soul (Paperback)

~ (Author), Bob Burg (Author) "A nineteenth-century folktale tells about a man who went about slandering the town's wise man..." (more)
Key Phrases: lashon hora, destructive speech, positive speech, Book of Genesis, Mount Sinai, Rabbi Weinberg (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said that speech is power, a concept explored in Lori Palatnik and Bob Burg's insightful little book Gossip: Ten Pathways to Eliminate It from Your Life and Transform Your Soul. The authors discuss the role of lashon hora (evil speech) in the Bible and in Jewish tradition, exploring the immediate and even the eternal consequences of negative gossip. The book is accessible and well-designed, with powerful pull-out quotes from sources as diverse as Maimonides and Henry Ward Beecher, all illustrating the destructive power of evil words.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

Gossip is like a fired bullet-once you hear the sound, you can't take it back

Evil speech can destroy friendships, break up marriages and ruin businesses. Gossip-negative talk, put-downs, rumors, accusations-not only hurts the person being talked about, it also hurts the person speaking and the person listening. In short, gossip has a negative impact on everyone. Yet, despite these negative consequences, gossip has been around since the beginning of humankind and continues to be a popular but destructive pastime.

Throughout this timely and enjoyable book, you'll learn what the Bible and Jewish wisdom have to say regarding speech and how their teachings relate to our world today. You will also learn via real-life examples how to break the gossip habit and how to teach others to do the same. Gossip will help people develop skills to improve their lives by getting along better with others; mending old hurts and reclaiming lost relationship; keeping good relationships from going bad through hurtful words; and strengthening relationships they already have by speaking in a more encouraging and productive manner.

The purpose of this book is to extinguish the fire of evil speech and help us live in a gossip-free environment. The result? Positive interactions with the people around us, the healing of relationships and a more complete self.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Simcha Press (August 25, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0757300553
• ISBN-13: 978-0757300554
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #104,737 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Many are called to be read, few are chosen!, August 30, 2002

By	Jim Brown (Slidell, LA United States) - See all my reviews

Just as 'many are called, but few are chosen', many books are written, but few have impacted my life as much as Gossip. It will cause you to take a serious look at your speech and how your words can literally destroy not only relationships, but individuals as well. The path to greater happiness, by eliminating harmful discussions from your daily conversations, will literailly jump off the pages for you as it did for me. It is an easy read but powerful in content. I highly recommend it IF you want happier relationships.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gossip, September 19, 2002

By	"mom4234" (Irving, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This is an excellent book! An easy read, but very powerful, enlightening, and life changing. I did not realize the magnitude of what encompasses gossip! Bless yourself by reading this book.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb Book On A Relevant Topic, January 23, 2003

By	Richard K. Biggs (Gainesville, GA) - See all my reviews

If you have the bad habit of gossiping, or if you're around people who do, this is a must read!

Perhaps Charlie "Tremendous" Jones, a noted speaker and author, put this book in its proper perspective with his cover testimonial: "It took only a few pages for me to ask God to forgive me."

Using "10 Pathwways Of Positive Speech" as their framework, the authors offer practical ways to overcome gossip, and insightful tips for discouraging others from speaking negatively about others.

I loved the chapter on The Reverse Gossip Game. The reader is encouraged to "repeat only the good people say" versus "telling people the gossip said about them or others." But the gem of this book is found in the closing chapter. "The Best Story Ever" is a classic example of why we should guard our mouths wherever we are.

Don't let this 146-page book deceive you into thinking it isn't profound enough. Each of the 18 chapters is packed with useable information that can transform your life--and the people around you by the example you set.

Put an end to gossip by learning from, and acting on, the wise advice found in this remarkable resource.