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The Asshole Survival Guide

How to Deal with People Who Treat You Like Dirt

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The Asshole Survival Guide

By: Robert I Sutton
Narrated by: Robert I Sutton
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About this listen

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of The Asshole Survival Guide written and read by Robert I Sutton.

Being around assholes, whether at work or elsewhere, can damage performance and affect wellbeing: having one asshole in a team has been shown to reduce performance by 30 to 40%. And social media has only given rise to further incivility -- 40% of people have experienced harassment online.

But in The Asshole Survival Guide, Stanford professor Robert Sutton offers practical advice on identifying and tackling any kind of asshole -- based on research into groups from uncivil civil servants to French bus drivers, and 8,000 emails that he has received on asshole behaviour.

With expertise and humour, he provides a cogent and methodical game-plan to fight back. First, he sets out the asshole audit, to find out what kind of asshole needs dealing with, and asshole detection strategies. Then he reveals field-tested, sometimes surprising techniques, from asshole avoidance and asshole taxes to mind-tricks and the art of love bombing. Finally, he explains the dangers of asshole blindness - when the problem might be yours truly.

 Communication & Social Skills Management Management & Leadership Personal Development Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Relationships Stress Management Workplace & Organisational Behavior Workplace Culture Business Leadership

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Critic reviews

'With cutting-edge research and real-life examples that are thought-provoking and often hilarious, this is an indispensable resource' (Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project)
'At last someone has provided clear steps for rejecting, deflecting, and deflating the jerks who blight our lives' (Robert Cialdini, author of Influence and Pre-Suasion)
'If only Bob Sutton's book had been available to help me deal with the full complement of 1st-class assholes I've encountered in my 50-year professional life. No names shall be mentioned' (Tom Peters, co-author of In Search of Excellence)

A contemporary classic

(DANIEL H. PINK)
As much as we try to avoid assholes, inevitably they appear in our lives. Bob Sutton gives a menu of clear, thoughtful, and practical solutions for surviving and thriving in that painful situation. With cutting-edge research and real-life examples that are thought-provoking and often hilarious, The Asshole Survival Guide is an indispensable resource.
Bob Sutton is very wise and very funny, AND he can tell you exactly how to handle the unfortunate reality that into every life a few assholes must fall. The Asshole Survival Guide is destined to become your go-to resource whenever you find yourself dealing with people who would treat you poorly (Susan Cain, New York Times bestselling author of 'Quiet')
At last someone has provided clear steps for rejecting, deflecting, and deflating the jerks who blight our lives. Better still, that someone is the great Bob Sutton, which ensures that the information is useful, evidence-based, and fun to read (ROBERT CIALDINI)
No matter what industry or profession you work in, you will always encounter people who are unpleasant, off-putting, or downright self-centered. Thank goodness Bob Sutton has provided us with such a well-crafted guide for surviving these jerks. It is mandatory reading for anyone who strives to endure, escape, fend-off, and bring them down (CHIP CONLEY)
With humor, understanding and comprehensive research - and an ah-ha moment on every page - this is a must-have for leaders and climbing stars alike, from the expert on the subject. Bravo! (MARSHALL GOLDSMITH)
This is the guide you need for handling the worst people in your life-and making sure they don't rub off on you. If you've ever had a horrible boss, client, or colleague, this book is bursting with advice that's often ingenious and always actionable. And if your world has been free of jerks, consider this an insurance policy (Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of 'Give and Take' and 'Originals' and co-author of 'Option B')
All stars
Most relevant
I struggle when dealing with assholes. This book contains invaluable suggestions which allows dignity to be kept intact.

So relatable and practical!

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A valuable and enlightening book.

I found the affirmation that it is OK to just leave a toxic situation very wise. I would previously have viewed such action as running away, but the author convinced me it is not.

Very Good

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I read this book whilst dealing with a sly asshole at work... it was invaluable in helping me de-stress, remove the emotive element and see the problem clearly.
It is helpful is a huge variety of situations... including making sure that we the readers don't act like assholes also ;)
The world needs this book... more than ever.
Empower yourself!

The best! Life-changing - & amusing in the process

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Good for those who are in office environments and are starting from scratch or need to reach out not to feel isolated. But I couldn’t find any pragmatic solution for my situation.

Descriptive with some vague hints of possible approaches to the issue

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I usually prefer books like this in a physical format, however I found listening to this extremely easy, useful and I retained a lot of the information given. Would recommend this book 100% for anyone struggling to deal with difficult people.

An excellent book

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