With their 1994 international bestseller, Drs. Rick Brinkman and Rick Kirschner armed a civility-starved world with no-nonsense strategies for dealing with difficult people with tact and skill. Since then, the world has changed dramatically: technology designed to bring people closer together has only made it that much harder to avoid "people you can't stand."

At best, such people can make life stressful and unpleasant. At worst, they can keep you from achieving important goals. The good news is that you don't have to let them do either! It's fully within your power to bring out the best behavior in people who are at their worst. From this one-of-a-kind guide, you'll learn:

* How to identify 10 bothersome behaviors, and deal successfully with each of them
* How difficult people think, what they fear, and why they act the way they do.
* How to use advanced, sophisticated "listening techniques" to unlock the doors to people's minds, hearts, and deepest needs
* How to cultivate nine "take-charge" skills that turn conflict into cooperation by reducing the differences between people
* How to change the destructive behavior of the tank...the know-it-all...the grenade...the whiner...and many more!

Updated and revised for the digital age, this new edition of Brinkman and Kirschner's bestselling guide shows readers how to successfully combat the whiners, grenades, tanks, snipers, close-talkers, pedants, and other rude, crude, and inconsiderate people who can ruin your day at work, in stores, on the street, in restaurants, at the movies, in waiting rooms, by fax, phone, and E-mail, and online.