Summary of Book Chapters 1-12
Chapter Summaries
# One: Welcome By Many To Many
This Introductory chapter has many of the twenty-five key individuals or couples speaking directly to the readers about how they dealt with a thinking, feeling or valuing issue.
On her way from Vermont to California, Aunt Sarah doesn't feel well and stops in Colorado to visit her cousin, Dr. D. She meets Neighbor Nadi and others and gets health help. Information from the neurosciences of brain and mind structure/functioning with a focus on the cognitive, affective and behavioral mind domains are interwoven into the extensive dialogue.
Lisa Lu has a charmed life-marriage-kids-job-as she wanted until she developed extreme anxiety and couldn't leave the house. Self-help processes didn't work here and she sought the professional help of Kelly Sinclair, MSW. Interwoven into the dialogue, is extensive information on anxiety and how one deals with it actively in an assertive manner--by accepting it and experiencing it; then it will disappear over time. Specific steps and directions are given.
Chapter Four:
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The chapter gives Information on how emotions are transmitted
through the brain & moves to the human need for stimulation
or for excitement. Multi examples, involving thousands of
people, are given.
Judy Bearister begins talking to Nadi about her gambling
problem but is interupted.
through the brain & moves to the human need for stimulation
or for excitement. Multi examples, involving thousands of
people, are given.
Judy Bearister begins talking to Nadi about her gambling
problem but is interupted.
Chapter Six
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A small group of helping professionals meet in Nadi’s back yard to talk about the difficulties Americans have in dealing with conflict and some of the situations with which they are working. That includes a financial driven brother-brother dispute, living with a Home Owner’s Association, and dealing with an adult son who is living at home and doesn’t have a job. Theoritical concepts, along with different ways of helping people deal with the conflicts/disputes in their lives that can be growth times are discussed and infused into the extensive dialogue.
# Nine. Valuing Values
Values underlie everything humans say & do. They are essential to life yet if followed blindly, can lead people to major relationship and/or communication difficulties. Nadi & Nana talk about values & then politics. Dr. D. discusses Colonial Values. Nadi listens to Judy Bearister on Judy's unusual gambling issues--she wins! Theoretical concepts are infused into the dialogue to help readers go from these examples to their own examples.
Chapter Ten: The Great John Deere Tractor Caper
A major theme is that everything is connected, influential and a
change in one area influences all other areas. This is a major
paradigm of system’s theory which is illustrated over & over again
as several lawn tractor owners experience relationship and major
communication issues. Each of the three hurdles that can occur
in communication: miss-speaking, miss-hearing, and/or miss-
interpretation actually occurs multiple times. Dialogue is funny,
challenging and illustrates what happens many times each day
all over this country; theoretical concepts are infused into the plot
and eventually used to get all the tractors home to the right
owners so peace returns to the neighborhood.
Passive-aggressiveness, almost an
epidemic in America today, is approached
from a variety of views i.e. Glass is half-
empty or half-full,Negative score-keeping,
Self-fulling prophesy, and many other
classic dramas are explored. Characters,
new and old (Hello Bitch & Bastard, Pat of
SNL) demonstrate what passivity does to
communication, relationships, our way of
life and even our country. The antithesis to
it all follows in Chapter Twelve. Extensive
first person dialogue is intertwined
with theoretical concepts and theories.
epidemic in America today, is approached
from a variety of views i.e. Glass is half-
empty or half-full,Negative score-keeping,
Self-fulling prophesy, and many other
classic dramas are explored. Characters,
new and old (Hello Bitch & Bastard, Pat of
SNL) demonstrate what passivity does to
communication, relationships, our way of
life and even our country. The antithesis to
it all follows in Chapter Twelve. Extensive
first person dialogue is intertwined
with theoretical concepts and theories.
# Twelve: Antithesis to Nothing.
Winnie, a heifer, and Sir Charles, a thinker, lead the discussion of ways to change from a passive-aggressive approach to life. Judy and John Bearister return to Nadi’s backyard to plan additional ways to communicate and influence Ian, their adult son, who is stuck where he is in life. Assertive Communication basics are offered all, along with other theoretical concepts. Rene shares about life in America as a black Frenchman and the poem "The Station" is paraphrased.
Coming Soon: Chapters 13-25. Some are there and more are being written weekly.
All those presenting are also waiting impatiently to tell their story.
To learn about becoming a "Book Reader", click on the button below.
All those presenting are also waiting impatiently to tell their story.
To learn about becoming a "Book Reader", click on the button below.