As bestselling author Suzette Haden Elgin proves, you don't have to live your life on red alert. With her Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense techniques, you'll be able to respond clearly to hostile comments from others--or deliver necessary negative messages of your own--without sacrificing your dignity or principles. You'll learn to:
Keep domestic disagreements from escalating
Deliver criticism to coworkers, employers, or employees
Handle aggressive, negative comments about race, politics, or religion
Provide discipline without increasing hostility
Use language that reduces tension and creates rapport in every situation