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Book Description
From the Press Release:
Born out of her own highly public encounter with betrayal and its emotional aftermath, Surviving a Shark Attack (On Land): Overcoming Betrayal and Dealing with Revenge is one of Dr. Laura Schlessinger's most personal books. As Dr. Laura's legion of fans know and appreciate, the radio host, nationally syndicated newspaper columnist, and perennial New York Times bestselling author never skirts controversy, and here she offers an incisive and unsurprisingly plain-speaking look at the hot-button topic of how to deal with the traitorous, backstabbing "sharks" we confront in our personal and professional lives.
"Every single human being on the face of the earth has been betrayed, backstabbed, undermined, screwed over, or had their reputation attacked at least once in their lives," Dr. Laura writes. "It's a horrible experience, leaving you stunned, seared, sad, and very, very angry." When subject to a stealth land shark attack, the first reaction is shock and disbelief. When attempts to shut down the betrayal fail, the typical next response is to strike back. Often, that action only makes things worse. So, what is the source of betrayal and how do you survive it? How do you keep other peoples destructiveness from destroying you?
Drawing on her personal experiences, as well as those of myriad listeners and readers, Dr. Laura examines the nature of betrayal, and the healthy and unhealthy ways to deal with it. With her own brand of practical wisdom she explores:
- Why some people are good and some are bad
- The motives that drive people to betray their friends and colleagues, including possessiveness, entitlement, competition, defensiveness, greed, jealousy, unhappiness, expedience-and just plain evil
- How to know whether you've truly been betrayed, or whether you are at fault for letting it happen
- The difference between daydreaming about vengeance (good) and actually seeking revenge (not so good)
- Adopting a philosophical approach to revenge
- When to forgive and forget (if ever)
- Getting on with your life after you've been betrayed
Can betrayals be blessings in disguise? "Betrayals can teach you-if you're listening-to allow people their faults and strengths and to use your own judgment to determine where to place each individual in your solar system," says Dr. Laura. Trusting everyone is foolish and leaves you open to becoming a victim, she adds, but "maturity gives you perspective and the security to make assessments necessary to protect yourself and get the best results when dealing with people. People are unpredictable, not transparent. It is important that you internalize your experiences so that you can use them as a basis of judgment."
The culmination of more than thirty years talking to radio callers about feelings of betrayal and revenge, Surviving a Shark Attack (On Land) is vintage Dr. Laura: astute, opinionated, uncompromising, and applicable to all our lives.
