Albert J. Bernstein

To answer the title's question, I am probably not the only sane one in my place of employment. Even so, reading this book has made me more frazzled than I was before reading it. It's probably not designed for reading in extended sittings. The tone is very snappy and rapid-fire, almost glib in places. A very bare-bones scenario is presented, then the author provides some advice on how you can control your own reactions to the situation instead of wasting needless energy getting upset over show more something you can't control. Easier said than done, though, and some of the solutions were presented with an almost audible "Duh!" that was really not necessary. I think the number of scenarios could have been cut down significantly with no negative effect.

Overall, if you're looking for a book on how to deal with people at work, Dealing with People You Can't Stand, by Rick Brinkman, has a less snarky tone and provides more comprehensive scenarios. show less

I found this book at a time when I really needed it. I was dealing with a psychopath at work, a man who left behind him decades of human wreckage. Ruined careers, wounded souls, emptier wallets, and incredibly anger were his legacy. Yet he maintained a veneer of cordiality, the very picture of a gentleman.

I accepted the task of mastering him. The company needed a software project completed in spite of this man, and they were willing to pay top dollar to the person willing and able to take show more him on... and win. I had met his type before, but hardly knew anyone so miserable as he seemed to be.

Other books and life experiences gave me a good framework for understanding power in relationships. This book gave me key insights into what went on inside the minds of the "stuffed suit" guys who had serious personality disorders. show less

Very heterocentric and lots of "men are from mars women are from venus" bullcrap, but if you can overlook that, there's a lot of good information in this book. Recommended reading for anybody with obnoxious people in their life that they don't know how to deal with.

{W}hen people are driving themselves crazy, they have neuroses or psychoses. When they drive other people crazy, they have personality disorders.

In this book, psychologist Bernstein describes the five personality disorders that most often drain (i.e. the “vampire” of the title) people’s emotional energy: antisocial, histrionic, narcissistic, obsessive-compulsive and paranoid. It’s very interesting and applicable but I’m left feeling muddled; his organization of the material and his show more repetition among the various disorders did not enhance clarity. show less