The Dance of Anger

Publisher's Summary

Anger is something we feel. It exists for a reason and always deserves our respect and attention. We all have a right to everything we feel - and certainly our anger is no exception.

"Anger is a signal and one worth listening to," writes Dr. Harriet Lerner in her renowned classic that has transformed the lives of millions. While anger deserves our attention and respect, women still learn to silence our anger, to deny it entirely, or to vent it in a way that leaves us feeling helpless and powerless. In this engaging and eminently wise book, Dr. Lerner teaches both women and men to identify the true sources of anger and to use it as a powerful vehicle for creating lasting change.

For decades this book has helped millions of listeners learn how to turn their anger into a constructive force for reshaping their lives. With a new introduction by the author, The Dance of Anger is ready to lead the next generation.

©1985 Harriet G. Lerner (P)1999 Recorded Books, LLC

Quick, concise, tactics and a good narrator

I've never left a review before. I'll first talk about the book, without trying to give away anything (read it!), and then the narrator.

BOOK: This book is really awesome. I'm not a fan of reading self help books, I find them preachy, repetitive, and drawn out. This was the exact opposite. The book was written like a good paper: tell them what you're going to tell them, explain it in detail, summarize what you've told them. She goes over what the book will do and what it won't do. Then she goes into it, providing ONE example. Towards the end, she introduces a new concept. Before she delves into the new concept, she summarizes everything you've just learned, gives a different spin on the example, and tells you what chapter to go back to if you need more help. She then reintroduces the new topic and explores that further. It was very clear, and very quick.

NARRATOR: She did an awesome job. SUPERB. I loved listening to her. I actually thought she was the author because she spoke so authoritatively. She didn't try to get fancy and come up with voices/accents for each character the author noticed. In fact, I did not appreciate how wonderful of a job she did until I started listening to the "Why Won't You Apologize" book by the same author, narrated horribly by someone else. Barbara Caruso did such a good job, I'm going to look for other books narrated by her. But for this self-help book, her ability to speak so clearly and authoritatively really just drove home all the points the author made. It was a wonderful combination.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Great Material, delivery feels dated

I read this for a class and it was an ideal supplement to my other class texts. The material is good, sometimes the delivery sounds dated. Great read for a man or woman.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Learn to benefit from power of anger!

Helpful for either gender, and for any relationships. Dr. Lerner explains how we can break the cycle of blaming in a relationship.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Read it now

So much practical advice and examples help learn your part in your relationships and how to change yourself to change the dynamic

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

A must read to manage your temper

the book gives good care studies of different types of situations where one can learn to manage anger while making oness point of view clear without antagonizing the other

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Most helpful self help book ever!

Any additional comments?

I originally read this book 20 years ago, and recently felt the need to revisit it. I downloaded the audio book (long commute) and found it just as helpful. The narrator was excellent, and I love the stories and different examples of how to put the advice into play. I only wish that there were a non gender specific version for reluctant men, because the advice given does bridge the gender gap if one is able to "hear" past the she/her narrative.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

FANTASTIC BOOK!

Wonderful advice for anyone who has relationships with others. I can see myself and/or most of my female relatives in many of the stories! I'm going to have to listen to it again to be sure it all sinks in!

Great Read!

Helps us understand our anger and emotions instead of feeling guilty about them. I loved the book.

Helpful in my personal life

I'll be listening this again, a lot of the examples in the book are very close to my personal life. I would have like a more in depth exploration of each scenario, but I will be going over them with my therapist. Thank you to the author, I think your book will help greatly in my life.

Excellent

This is an excellent book. A keeper should I say. While I read I had a lot of Aha moments and the examples and tips are so well explained. Every woman should have a copy.

A wonderful, insightful book

This is the 3rd time I've returned to this book and each time I find new insights. Harriet Lerner has helped a great many people with this book, the discussion on who is responsible for what, the questions she guides us to ask ourselves and the position of being for ourselves and not against others is just what I have needed time and again in my life.
Harriet helps us to see that as women we're often encouraged to feel responsible for the thoughts, feelings and wellbeing of others but not for our own, she calls this being in a de-selfed position. By owning the responsibility for our own wellbeing, seeing where and how our actions are part of the patterns in which we are entrenched, we can choose new behaviours breaking the cycle of impotent anger and using our anger as a tool for transformation and self empowerment.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

absolute gem of a book

Dr Lerner's understanding of human relationships is second to none, investing your time in listening to this book means improving your understanding of yourself and others

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Brilliant!!

As a relationship Counsellor I highly recommend this book to everybody, not just women. It covers all the things I cover with my couples so it was great to listen and be nodding and agreeing everything!

Fantastic book

Absolutely loved this book. Will be reading it again (and again). Brilliantly insightful. Packed with wise insight.

Not for men

As a man, I got a whole 3 minutes in before the anger started to dance. Chauvenistic to the extreme, which is a shame as some of non gender specific insight in the first minute was useful.

0 of 1 people found this review helpful

life makes more sense

well written, really to the point. excellent real life examples. no messing around. much clarity gained

0 of 1 people found this review helpful