Difficult Personalities

**An indispensable guide to understanding―and living or working with―people whose behavior leaves you frustrated and confused.** We all have people in our lives who frustrate, annoy, or hurt us: workplace bullies, those who always claim to be right, or those with anxious or obsessive personalities. And most of us hurt others occasionally, too. Now, authors Dr. Helen McGrath, a clinical psychologist and professor, and Hazel Edwards, a professional writer, offer this highly readable, extremely practical guide to dealing with the difficult personalities we encounter every day―in others, and in ourselves. Taking the American Psychiatric Association’s widely used *Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders* (DSM-IV-TR) as its starting point, *Difficult Personalities* helpfully outlines over a dozen different personality traits and types, detailing their common characteristics and underlying motivations. It also equips readers with numerous strategies for dealing with difficult behavior, including: • Anger and conflict management • Optimism and assertion training • Rational and empathic thinking • Reexamining your own personality. Readers will also benefit from sections on making difficult decisions and maintaining romantic relationships. Perfect for anyone who has ever wished that other people came with a handbook, *Difficult Personalities* illuminates the personality differences that so often serve as barriers to cooperation in the workplace and harmony at home. **Praise for *Difficult Personalities*** **“A no-frills resource that is both easy to understand and highly informative…. McGrath and Edwards have avoided scientific jargon and created a handbook people can put to use immediately. There’s nothing difficult about this book, except for the subject it gracefully explicates.”— *Publishers Weekly***