How to Get Along with Difficult People

Written by internationally known speaker and author Florence Littauer, How To Get Along With Difficult People is a straightforward catalogue of difficult personality types one is likely to encounter at church, at college, at the office, or in any other walk of life, and advice for getting along with each of them. The witty takes on hard-to-deal-with personality traits, humanized through alliterative names such as Gertrude Grudge, Bob Bossy, and Larry Lazy. Though How To Get Along With Difficult People frequently discusses irritation-inducing personalities in the context of a church group, its practical advice will prove invaluable to any reader who isn't a hermit. Highly recommended.

The world is full of difficult people. Of course I'm not one of them, but I know several who are. Florence Littauer asks people who take her class to list all the things they don't like about other people. (I could fill a book.) Then she starts to meddle and asks them to list their own faults. (Like we have any.) The list of don't likes is crowded with things like complainer, gossiper, liars, bigots, and on and on and on. The list of their individual faults includes things like overeating, preoccupied, poor willpower, etc. Not a difficult person in the bunch. The truth is we all have our moments when difficult is the right word to describe us. Littauer profiles people like Sally Spiritual, Marvin Music, Sam Sermon, Joyce Judging, Bob Bossy, Debbie Depressed, Gloria Gossip, and others. I recognized myself a few times. She does a good job of pointing out those weaknesses we see in others and ignore in ourselves. There is even a Parade of Pious Personalities Skit at the end of the book. I enjoyed this one.

This book is great for understanding others. It helps us to realize that everyone is difficult at some point, including ourselves. The key is finding out one's strengths and weaknesses to see what part they play in your life and what part you can play in theirs. This book also helps to understand ones self.

Excellent book!!! I'm not much of a reader. It usually takes me forever to get through a book and it's not very often I actually make it all the way to the last page. I don't know what it is about this one - probably her "sanguine personality." First it intrigues you to find your "personality" and place in her stories. Next, it is engaging, entertaining, and funny. Finally, it is an awesome resource for creative ideas on how to get along with people, including yourself. I am loving this book and scrounging for time all day long to read some more of it. A keeper! You'll have it all marked up in no time, and you'll be in a much better mood after every bit of it you read. Also, does your church family sometimes spat with each other? Do you all sometimes not get along? Are you, as the Pastor's wife or director of the drama department, maybe looking for a skit or presentation to present to your congregation with a non-threatening, highly motivational, and very funny message to help everyone have a sense of humor with each other and forgiveness for the melting pot of personality differences you all have? This book has a terrific little skit at the end of it that you may be very interested in. Very healing in the midst of a church split where emotions have run rampant and small wounds have festered. Just an overall great message to present to any congregation. Everyone will take home some inspiration for getting along with others in the church, at home with family, at work with coworkers, anywhere where we are challenged to get along with several personality types. Business Managers, Principals, and Bosses: The skit would also be a good team-building presentation for that next big staff meeting at work.

This book helps the individeal deal and relate to personalities they deem to be difficult. Every individual has difficult people in their lives and Littauer gives a good step-by-step how-to book on these types of relationships. The other book with a somewhat different direction that needs to be read in tandem with this book is Jeff VanVonderen's WHEN GOD'S PEOPLE LET YOU DOWN!!!