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Handling Difficult People: Easy Instructions for Managing the Difficult People in Your Life
Practical advice for interacting with toxic personalities.At one point or another, you'll encounter someone who is inconsiderate, irate, or aggressive and you'll need to know how to effectively manage the situation. "Handling Difficult People" helps you deal with the toxic personalities in all areas of your life, including in the workplace, at home, and during everyday interactions. Inside, you'll find the strategies and tools you need to spot the ten most common personality types and information on why these people behave in such an irritating manner. This book also teaches you what you should do when you're confronted by a difficult person as well as how to avoid these types of people altogether.
With the time-tested advice and techniques in "Handling Difficult People," you'll confidently manage any toxic situation--and learn what you can do to help yourself.
With the time-tested advice and techniques in "Handling Difficult People," you'll confidently manage any toxic situation--and learn what you can do to help yourself.
150 pages, Paperback
First published April 18, 2013
6 people are currently reading
300 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 25, 2013
Handling Difficult People By Jon P. Bloch
"Handling Difficult People" is the helpful book on different kinds of difficult people, and how to deal with them. Professor Bloch lists ten difficulty personality types and provides three basic tools that will help the reader respond to them. This useful 150-page is composed of the following ten chapters: 1. The Big Bully, 2. The Big Mouth, 3. The Brick Wall, 4. The Constant Complainer, 5. The Drama Queen, 6. The Know-It-All, 7. The Procrastinator, 8. The Snooty Snob, 9. The Temper Tantrum Type, and 10. The Two-Face.
Positives:
1. Engaging, accessible and succinct prose.
2. Excellent format. Each chapter contains: clues on how to spot the personality type, explanation of how that person came to be, how to avoid that type of person, and how to better deal with that type of person.
3. Takes a grounded approach based on sound logic and reason.
4. Identifies ten kinds of difficult people.
5. Provides reasonable response on how to keep encounter with difficult people to a minimum. " And if a Big Bully does start picking on you, a group setting makes it easier for you to disengage from the situation."
6. Provides sound advice on how to respond to difficult people by type. " You can usually shut a Big Mouth up with just a few well-chosen words. You might be thinking that that sounds mean, but you needn't feel guilty. It might actually be good for the Big Mouth to be reminded that other people like to be heard once in awhile, too."
7. Breaks encounters with difficult people by: casual, at work and in your private life. " If you feel you must stay engaged in conversation with a Constant Complainer at a social event--let's say it's your boss's spouse, or you are trying to impress your date by showing how socially engaging you are--then you probably do not have much to lose by simply listening, nodding, and smiling in affirmation."
8. Each chapter ends with a Not-So-Fun Facts About a difficulty type. "Research suggests that women are more likely to accuse men of being Brick Walls--of never listening to them--than men are of accusing women of the same thing. Though, of course, sometimes the roles are reversed."
9. The Drama Queen and The Know-It-All chapters were my favorites.
10. So how did difficult people get that way? "As children, Drama Queens never feel like normal kids. Sometimes they grow up spoiled and overly pampered; they are very much the apple of Mommy or Daddy's eye, and everything they say or do is wonderful and perfect."
11. The author provides many practical examples that serve as springboards to understanding. I won't spoil it here but the Know-It-All example was classic and telling.
12. Helpful advice. " Procrastinators will not respond well to criticism. They will think you are nagging them, and this will remind them of their crummy childhoods--which will of course only increase their inner fear, and make them even less able to function."
Negatives:
1. No references, no citations, no notes, and thus no links.
2. No formal bibliography.
3. One size does not fit all. The author did not stress enough that difficult personality types can be a combination of types.
In summary, a very accessible and fun read. Professor Bloch categorizes ten difficulty personality types and provides the tools to deal with them. If you are looking for a fun, well-grounded and quick reference on how to spot, and deal with difficult people this is a surprisingly good book.
Further suggestions: "Work with Me: The 8 Blind Spots Between Men and Women in Business" by Barbara Annis and John Gray, "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking" by Susan Cain, "The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business" by Charles Duhigg, "Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us" by Daniel H. Pink, and "The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement" by David Brooks.
"Handling Difficult People" is the helpful book on different kinds of difficult people, and how to deal with them. Professor Bloch lists ten difficulty personality types and provides three basic tools that will help the reader respond to them. This useful 150-page is composed of the following ten chapters: 1. The Big Bully, 2. The Big Mouth, 3. The Brick Wall, 4. The Constant Complainer, 5. The Drama Queen, 6. The Know-It-All, 7. The Procrastinator, 8. The Snooty Snob, 9. The Temper Tantrum Type, and 10. The Two-Face.
Positives:
1. Engaging, accessible and succinct prose.
2. Excellent format. Each chapter contains: clues on how to spot the personality type, explanation of how that person came to be, how to avoid that type of person, and how to better deal with that type of person.
3. Takes a grounded approach based on sound logic and reason.
4. Identifies ten kinds of difficult people.
5. Provides reasonable response on how to keep encounter with difficult people to a minimum. " And if a Big Bully does start picking on you, a group setting makes it easier for you to disengage from the situation."
6. Provides sound advice on how to respond to difficult people by type. " You can usually shut a Big Mouth up with just a few well-chosen words. You might be thinking that that sounds mean, but you needn't feel guilty. It might actually be good for the Big Mouth to be reminded that other people like to be heard once in awhile, too."
7. Breaks encounters with difficult people by: casual, at work and in your private life. " If you feel you must stay engaged in conversation with a Constant Complainer at a social event--let's say it's your boss's spouse, or you are trying to impress your date by showing how socially engaging you are--then you probably do not have much to lose by simply listening, nodding, and smiling in affirmation."
8. Each chapter ends with a Not-So-Fun Facts About a difficulty type. "Research suggests that women are more likely to accuse men of being Brick Walls--of never listening to them--than men are of accusing women of the same thing. Though, of course, sometimes the roles are reversed."
9. The Drama Queen and The Know-It-All chapters were my favorites.
10. So how did difficult people get that way? "As children, Drama Queens never feel like normal kids. Sometimes they grow up spoiled and overly pampered; they are very much the apple of Mommy or Daddy's eye, and everything they say or do is wonderful and perfect."
11. The author provides many practical examples that serve as springboards to understanding. I won't spoil it here but the Know-It-All example was classic and telling.
12. Helpful advice. " Procrastinators will not respond well to criticism. They will think you are nagging them, and this will remind them of their crummy childhoods--which will of course only increase their inner fear, and make them even less able to function."
Negatives:
1. No references, no citations, no notes, and thus no links.
2. No formal bibliography.
3. One size does not fit all. The author did not stress enough that difficult personality types can be a combination of types.
In summary, a very accessible and fun read. Professor Bloch categorizes ten difficulty personality types and provides the tools to deal with them. If you are looking for a fun, well-grounded and quick reference on how to spot, and deal with difficult people this is a surprisingly good book.
Further suggestions: "Work with Me: The 8 Blind Spots Between Men and Women in Business" by Barbara Annis and John Gray, "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking" by Susan Cain, "The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business" by Charles Duhigg, "Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us" by Daniel H. Pink, and "The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement" by David Brooks.
February 11, 2020
Such A Powerful Book.
Personally I Always Love The Books That Let You Stay One Step Ahead Of Your Environment, I Found This Book To Be One Of Those.
The Book Is Not Stereotyping - But Within It's Boundaries Would Educate You About The The Difficult Types Of Personas Out There, And How In The Correct Manner You'd Interact With Them Or Perhaps Run Away When Things Gets Too Poisonous.
Think Of It In This Way,
If You Are Able To Find Out Through The Help Of This Book, That Which Difficult Personality Type You're And Then Start Working In Ways To Improve On It - Then This Book Would Turn Out To Be Priceless For You.
I Don't Get It, This Book Have Got So Many Negative Reviews On It.
I Can Only Think Of Two Possibilities:
1. When People Read About Themselves In The Book, They Have Difficulty Accepting That They Fit Into Such & Such Difficult Personality Types
2. When They Read The Book, They Don't Have The Mindset To Learn Out Of It Rather Read To Denounce Somebody's Work - Thinking They'd Come Out As Geniuses.
Personally I Always Love The Books That Let You Stay One Step Ahead Of Your Environment, I Found This Book To Be One Of Those.
The Book Is Not Stereotyping - But Within It's Boundaries Would Educate You About The The Difficult Types Of Personas Out There, And How In The Correct Manner You'd Interact With Them Or Perhaps Run Away When Things Gets Too Poisonous.
Think Of It In This Way,
If You Are Able To Find Out Through The Help Of This Book, That Which Difficult Personality Type You're And Then Start Working In Ways To Improve On It - Then This Book Would Turn Out To Be Priceless For You.
I Don't Get It, This Book Have Got So Many Negative Reviews On It.
I Can Only Think Of Two Possibilities:
1. When People Read About Themselves In The Book, They Have Difficulty Accepting That They Fit Into Such & Such Difficult Personality Types
2. When They Read The Book, They Don't Have The Mindset To Learn Out Of It Rather Read To Denounce Somebody's Work - Thinking They'd Come Out As Geniuses.
April 12, 2020
I will just keep avoiding all of these should I encounter them.
March 1, 2023
This book is a God send. I had agoraphobia for a long time because I couldn’t understand for the life of me why people were nasty to me for no reason. I still avoid them like the plague, but there will be times when standing up for yourself is unavoidable. Some narcissistic personality types back you into a corner. But then I got to see my own personality in this book and it hit too close to home. Wonderful book for those who have to be around nerve wracking people
March 2, 2024
Based on the first 2 entries it seems to be a guide to spotting and bullying neurodivergent people that aren’t necessarily doing anything wrong. The second one was more overt, and in the first it suggests labelling people as big bullies for being withdrawn, distracted or not making eye contact.
September 30, 2023
General. If you are usually interacting with people, and have the sense of human nature you wont need this.
April 23, 2025
It's exactly what it says and what it's supposed to be.
May 5, 2025
It's aight
Read
May 5, 2025The book does give clear instructions and examples. But I find the lack of real information to be disappointing. It’s a book you don’t have to read if you already have common sense.
May 4, 2025
3.5 stars to be more precise.
Pros: provides a fairly easily understandable description of the different types of "difficult" people (e.g. drama queen) we may encounter at work or in our family; the motivations/childhood stories of these different types of "difficult" people is actually quite helpful (certainly helped me better understand why some members of my own family act in the manner described in this book).
Cons: came across as a tad judgmental, as everyone has more or less some difficult qualities - I don't think we live in a binary world where there are only "difficult" people and "non-difficult" people; also, the "strategies" suggested for dealing with difficult people seemed a bit manipulative/inauthentic to be honest (although they can be effective in some cases). I wish the book offered more insights on how we can better understand and communicate our boundaries and be able to forgive others if needed.
Pros: provides a fairly easily understandable description of the different types of "difficult" people (e.g. drama queen) we may encounter at work or in our family; the motivations/childhood stories of these different types of "difficult" people is actually quite helpful (certainly helped me better understand why some members of my own family act in the manner described in this book).
Cons: came across as a tad judgmental, as everyone has more or less some difficult qualities - I don't think we live in a binary world where there are only "difficult" people and "non-difficult" people; also, the "strategies" suggested for dealing with difficult people seemed a bit manipulative/inauthentic to be honest (although they can be effective in some cases). I wish the book offered more insights on how we can better understand and communicate our boundaries and be able to forgive others if needed.
November 29, 2013
I enjoyed this quick read about all the difficult people you may encounter in your day to day activities. Be it work, socilaizing, or in the family unit, you sometimes just cannot get away from these people. What I liked about this book is the strategies they give you on how to counter these personalities. Also, you come away with the feeling not to take their behavior personally(though that is hard), and it is their problem and issues, not yours. A lot of common sense in a small book.
Read
September 12, 2013Quick, easy read. Nicely describes 10 different types of "difficult people" and how to avoid or interact with them. Fun, good for future reference!
August 14, 2014
Everybody is somebody
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews