High-Maintenance Relationships

As someone who has always been a bit awkward socially, books like these are very helpful. If you're looking for deep insights into character flaws or permission to write off difficult people, you might want to look elsewhere. However, for a light hearted overview of the many annoying people we all deal with from time to time, this book hits the mark perfectly. Dr. Parrott offers help for dealing with those around us that we just can't escape. Every once in a while, someone's quirks and pitfalls overwhelm their lovability. That's when we can all use a strategy for relating. Dr. Parrott does not, and never would, suggest continuing in an abusive relationship (as was suggested by another review). He does offer some simple hints to help us deal with nutty people while recognizing our own tendencies to nuttiness. Beyond that, he aims to foster empathy by giving possible reasons for said nuttiness. Should you find yourself in a situation at school, work, church, or anywhere else where unavoidable difficult people complicate your life, this book can help you navigate those relationships.

I read this book when I had just graduated from college and was entering the professional workplace for the first time. This book gave a great overview of problem personalities and some suggestions for dealing with them. I found the book to be helpful.

Les Parrott write a wonderfuly applicable book especially for today's work environment. With bosses who are "steam-rollers" to neighbors who are "gossips," Parrot takes you on a humorous yet real journey to explore 15 different types of problem personalities that you and I deal with everyday. I have ever used this book for a young adult book study on how to cope with the people we encounter every day. A must have and a must read to survive in the jungles of personal relationships.