You can't say that to me "Can't you do anything right?" "I can't believe you would feed that junk to your child " "What is this? And don't tell me it's a casserole, I already know that." "If you really cared about me, you wouldn't behave this way." Sound familiar? Each of us occasionally feels the sting of very unpleasant language from those who are closest to us--spouses, employers, friends, relatives. But frequent and repeated use of unanswerable questions, scalding accusations, sarcasm, insinuations, and even icy silence is more than simply unpleasant; it is abusive, destructive, and...

Do you ever feel as if you and your child speak different languages?

Does your teenager fly into a rage when you ask a simple question?

Does your toddler wage the Battle of Bedtime each night?

Here's help from bestselling communications expert Suzette Haden Elgin. As the mother of five and grandmother of nine, Dr. Elgin has spent a lifetime talking with kids both personally and professionally. In this refreshingly direct and down-to-earth book, she shows you how to talk to your child about anything and everything--positively, productively, and above all,...

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
*...

For some employees, verbal abuse can be the everyday language of doing business. Defending yourself from these verbal abusers--calmly, professionally, and successfully--can be crucial to your on-the-job success.

Nationally recognized linguistics expert and author Suzette Haden Elgin applies her acclaimed techniques for combating verbal attacks to common workplace situations. Powerful yet unthreatening, her proven strategies will help you recognize and defend yourself from verbal abuse--everything from casual obscenities and racist or sexist language to sarcasm, cutting jokes, and subtle...

Many of us view language as a tool, a means by which to communicate our thoughts and emotions. But is there more to language than just "talk"? Can learning languages actually change the way you think? In The Language Imperative, best-selling author and linguistic scholar Suzette Haden Elgin examines the power of language to shape our lives. She confronts some of the most pressing issues parents and educators face today: Is it a good or bad idea for Americans to have command of more than one language? Should learning languages be a luxury for only the rich? Or should it be a goal of the...