The Narcissist's Playbook

How to Identify, Disarm, and Protect Yourself from Narcissists, Sociopaths, Psychopaths, and Other Types of Manipulative and Abusive People

By: Dana Morningstar

Narrated by: Dana Morningstar

Length: 7 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

Do you have a narcissist, sociopath, or psychopath in your life, or think that you might?

Do you continually feel anxious around someone in your life, but can’t pinpoint why?

Do conversations seem to go off track, leaving you feeling knocked off balance and confused?

Does it feel like they are making your life a living hell, but they insist that you are too sensitive, crazy, or to blame?

Perhaps you know you are being manipulated or abused, but don’t know how to make it stop. The Narcissist’s Playbook can help.

Some of the topics covered in The Narcissist’s Playbook are:

• What manipulation is and isn’t.
• How to spot manipulative behaviors early (and why most people struggle with this).
• How and why people get caught up with manipulators, and why they have a hard time breaking free.
• How to identify the emotional “hook” that is keeping you stuck in manipulation and what you can do about it.
• How to effectively disable manipulation as it is happening.
• How to identify the common personality traits that are frequently exploited by manipulators.

You can take back your life. The Narcissist’s Playbook tells you how.

©2019 Dana Morningstar (P)2019 Dana Morningstar

powerful

this is a good read! great read! it really helped me to understand that I can't change a person with these types of disorders. but I can change how I deal with them. they might not change but you can. she tells you the best way to deal with them. I found it especially helpful that she explain what to do with people who you cannot remove from your life just yet due to family, work or religious issues.

If someone is treating you nice and then treating you mean, loving you and then hurting, you telling you they'll change and then doing the same thing to you over and over, leaving you and coming back, treating you mean and then doing grand displays of love, being unbelievably cold to you even when you're being loving or even crying get this book. it will help you understand the wildly jawdropping ride you are on then it will show you where the exit is.

Validating and helpful

Wish I had read this book during my marriage to a narcissistic abuser and gaslighter. It validates your emotions while you are undergoing or recovering from the manipulative and unethical behavior of a narcissist. A good deal of the battle for healing is recognizing your own reality and what the heck is going on with a person who vowed to love you. I also have dealt with narcissists in my family and at work, so all the same principles apply. While the world’s Pollyannas (well-meaning friends, family members and out-of-touch therapists) are denying what is taking place, Dana Morningstar helps you step back into your own truth, see the abuser for who they are and strengthen your identity as someone with healthy boundaries. Highly recommend.

Life Changing!

I have been into the topics of relationships and narcissistic abuse recovery for over a year.
I started with YouTube videos and lectures, and that introduced me to articles and books (one of which is this one).

I enjoyed reading every single page. It's very clear, informative, organized, and easy to understand.

It highlights the values of self-love, healthy boundaries, healthy bonds, innate locus of control, and how to employ that to your life and relationships.

It also points out to certain abusive personalities and behaviors, and how to be able to respond to it, and not be stuck in its trauma bonds.

Read it. You won't regret it. You'd definitely learn something new, useful, and applicable to your own life.

Thank you, Dana! Great book!

Extremely Helpful in Understanding Your Behavior as the Target

Outstanding information if you’ve been victimized. Many things I’ve figured out but this book helped me to connect the dots sorta speak. It also answered some questions & addresses concerns about potential future interactions that might happen with a person who has behavioral issues. This book is highly recommended for anyone who has experienced confusion & eventually the destruction from being too close to an abuser or a manipulator.

Great in helping to Understand Manipulative types

I am so glad that I got this book on audible, I will purchase the paper form so I can have some references to refer back to when I want and need to. It really helped me to understand person with this manipulative behavior and it is different forms of it. I'm dealing with a daughter in law that has this behavior, she learned from abuse from her father & mother. Unfortunately with her behavior our son is sucked into this but will tell you he is not, and he is not brain washed. We can see with his behavior change, is because of her having such subtle ways of introducing her ways at looking at things, she knew he was a target before they started dating, then my husband & I became her target. She got from us what she could, monetarily, and our son. She has thrown us away, but our son just can't see her behavior yet, as not healthy on how you treat others and no appreciation. She continues to play victim, and not recognize her attacks on people & relationships. I would definitely recommend this book.

Best Book on how to stop being targeted

This is the best book I have read/ heard on how to identify the red flags and stop being targeted by manipulative people. This book have validated so many feelings I have had. It has helped me to see exactly how many people in my life have and are draining my energy and taking advantage of me. It has given me the courage to do what is right for me and to stop doubting my intuition.

This is simply a very excellent book!

I am not going to gush, but say truly that you will be exposed to very helpful information and ideas, and gain incredible insight to problematic persons and behaviors; all of which will enhance your understanding, and facilitate your protection and or recovery from abuse and manipulation. The book is really well written and narrated masterfully by the same person. Highly recommended!!!

Repetitive listi

This book mainly lists traits and behaviors of a narcissist repetitively. Not particularly insightful and does not offer practical application.

amazing book

this book has literally brought me back from the edge and helped explain that I'm not as crazy as I was conditioned to be

Insightful

I’ve been following Dana Morningstar on her informative live chats and videos on YouTube, this is an excellent book and I’ll be listening to it more than once. Thank you Dana, your information is helping me understand and a big part in my healing journey.

Great self assessment and help

Gave me a good foundation to recognise why I've been manipulated so easily by my 2 long term relationships and not realised till it was to late, gives you good insights to yourself and the behavior of others, boundaries or lack of them, gives you the tools to help you not allow this to happen again, I have read this twice and will dip back into it many more times

It’s ok

I can see how the book could be very helpful for someone who has gone through abuse. However the book doesn’t seem revolutionary-most of the reasoning seem to be just common sense.

On point!

So useful and insightful, everything resonated, work to do on me but at least I know I’m not crazy …thank you!

spoilt

robotic narration spoilt it. gave up after first chapter. waste of time and disappointment

Interesting subject matter, narrator grates though

Gives good insight into the thought processes of narcissists/sociopaths but I found the overall tone to be somewhat sanctimonious. Some of the advice the author (who also narrates) dispenses comes across as itself being manipulative; ironic considering the book advises how to avoid being manipulated. I get the impression the author is not a people-person (perhaps as a result of her own life experiences) and presents as quite dour and cynical. I suppose if one repeatedly finds oneself in situations where they are being manipulated and taken advantage of perhaps it might be beneficial to look at who the common denominator is. This is not addressed within the book. Repeated use of the term "crazy-making" was also a sticking point.

For beginners to the subject, but could de better

I am quite familiar with the subject Narcissist’s só to me the book felt quite repetitive.
Nevertheless it did give important insights (especially in the last chapters).
Something that could be better: she speaks too much about those who are physically abusive and those who scam you for money.
Though those exist, the majority hurt you without beating you or stealing your money. Though the author does speak about this it is very subtle. For someone new to the subject I find it very easy that once they hear money scam or being physically abused they can very easily dismiss the subject because their partner aren’t that bad. And it is a lie. Psychological abuse can be even more damaging. The worst thing is: it is much harder to identify. Physical abuse is easy to see. Being scammed for money too. The real issue is identifying the rest

A must for anyone in a narcissistic relationship

If you’re considering buying this audiobook then buy it. The author is really therapeutic to listen to. She explains manipulation and the different tactics used so well. And gives workable exercises on how to overcome falling prey to one again. I’ve found it really useful and recommended it to friends. A must have for anyone in a narcissistic relationship. I have bought the book so that I can dip in and out and go over key sections for me. I am definitely glad I listened to the audiobook first though as I find it more helpful being read by the author.

Life changing lessons taught with heart!

Dana Morningstar is an exceptional person, author, educator and broadcaster on the topic of narcissism / problematic behaviour in relationships and healing after abuse. Her wisdom on this subject - achieved through professional and personal experience - is invaluable and she shares it in such a sensitive, yet powerful way that resonates, captivates you and stays with you. Dana provides the information required to establish boundaries as a solid foundation for healthy relationships. Through her books and weekly livestream on YouTube, I have learned so many skills to enable me to establish clear boundaries for the first time in my life, appreciate and value myself, create a life that nourishes me and only accept healthy interactions and relationships that I am deserving of.

School curriculums would benefit from Dana’s teachings so that children could establish healthy boundaries from a young age which would make for a much healthier and happier society.

Thank you for your tireless effort, work and teachings in this area, Dana. They are sincerely appreciated and have helped so many people to thrive after abuse and develop healthy relationships, often for the first time in their lives. In your words: There is so much right about you 💜