Foster, chair of the psychiatry department at Pennsylvania Hospital, and Joy, a psychiatry resident at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, explore a topic just about everyone in the workplace can relate to: dealing with colleagues whose habits disrupt workflow and cause a variety of problems. The good news is that these types of behaviors, including bullying, micromanaging, and acting entitled, can all be addressed and corrected. The authors show how to identify disruptions, discuss the personality traits responsible, and share effective responses. They list disruptive personality types, including "drama kings and queens," "bean counter" types who bottleneck progress, and oddballs who just don't fit in. They also invite readers to ponder whether they themselves are the "office schmucks." Along the way, they share cringeworthy stories of difficult behavior and successful turnarounds that inspire. This is a timely must-read for managers and anyone who has ever had to deal with a difficult coworker; it addresses a ubiquitous problem in a proactive, positive manner that should get the desired results. Agent: Eric Lupfer, William Morris Endeavor. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

There has been a rise in how to manage difficult people at work books. Has the workplace become nastier, more hostile, or simply more competitive in this second decade of the twenty-first century? There's no clear answer, but as psychiatrists Foster and Joy point out, there's always at least one schmuck (Yiddish for jerk) in the office. And because life necessitates getting along with all kinds of personalities, they provide this handbook for doing so. Other than the typologies of 10 disruptive individuals, labeled with clearly recognizable names, what differentiates this guide? First, an in-depth explanation of what lies underneath, along with relevant citations. The Narcissist, for instance, usually suffers from low self-esteem. Subtypes are identified in engaging story formats that teach the best and most effective techniques to handle these folks (along with a checklist at the end). Intended for human-resources professionals or more leisurely study by general readers, Foster and Joy's insights would gain more readership if illustrated with charts and enhanced with layouts designed to break up solid text.--Jacobs, Barbara Copyright 2017 Booklist