As bestselling author Suzette Haden Elgin proves, you don't have to live your life on red alert. With her Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense techniques, you'll be able to respond clearly to hostile comments from others—or deliver necessary negative messages of your own—without sacrificing your dignity or principles. You'll learn to: *Keep domestic disagreements from escalating *Deliver criticism to coworkers, employers, or employees *Handle aggressive, negative comments about race, politics, or religion *Provide discipline without increasing hostility *Use language that reduces tension and creates rapport in every situation