"In her international bestseller The Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense, psycholinguist Suzette Elgin showed us how to protect ourselves from the "slings and arrows" of verbal abuse by employing a whole arsenal of defensive responses. In this sequel, she introduces a whole new strategy, moving us beyond response into a more proactive realm. Illustrated with realistic examples, this practical guide teaches us a number of new verbal skills, including how to: * identify the five main verbal behavior patterns * isolate trigger words in various verbal attacks * anticipate the direction of a conversation * take control of a potentially explosive exchange * and defuse "time bomb" phrases. Written in a breezy, jargon-free style, this valuable little book will show you how to survive the battle and emerge the victor in the ongoing War of Words!" --provided by Goodreads.