Review: Talking to Crazy

Title: Talking to Crazy: How to deal with the irrational and impossible people in your life

Author: Mark Goulston

Date Completed: 16 May 2016

I went into this book thinking the author would talk more about those mental illness. While he did devote a small section to the topic (mainly focusing on when to seek professional help), the majority of the book was devoted to the "normal" sorts of crazy we all find in the workplace, our families, and society at large. Things like how to deal with a 'know-it-all,' how to kindly say no to a manipulator, how to handle when a person is playing you off other another, how to help someone cope with fear, how to mend relationships, etc.

The chapters were relatively short and provided good suggestions and methods for talking with a wide variety of people. The author provided real-life scenarios for each technique which helped see how it would be applied in the wild. I wrote down a few suggested questions/techniques that I thought would help me with the everyday 'crazy' I encounter working with the general public and in my personal life. Another thing I appreciated was Goulston's 'take the log out of your own eye' first approach. He devoted an entire section to dealing with our own crazy and how keep it at bay while under attack, and regrouping when you do lose it.

If you find yourself in a situation where someone is "driving you crazy" but it isn't severe enough to seek out a professional therapist, maybe see if some of Goulston's suggestions and techniques can help bring understanding and harmony.