Too Nice for Your Own Good - Softcover

Robinson, Duke

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0446673862 ISBN 13: 9780446673860

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing, 2000

Synopsis

You want to be a nice person and feel good about yourself. But so many of the well intentioned things you do cause you burnout, bottle you up and leave you feeling unsatisfied.

This book will help you correct 9 counterproductive mistakes nice people make every day. Look inside at the book's Contents page that lists them, and see if they don't make you feel like you're looking in a mirror!

You quite quickly will learn how to:

-- Let go of your need to be perfect and please everyone all the time.
-- Say "no" to requests for your skills, energy and time, and feel great doing so.
-- Tell others what you want from them, and receive it, without appearing selfish.
-- Express anger without blowing up and harming your valued relationships
-- Disarm those who wrongly or irrationally criticize or attack you.
-- Be both honest with, and gracious toward, those who fail or disappoint you.
-- Cease giving advice to others and feel good simply giving them information.
-- Be genuinely helpful to addicted loved ones, rather than trying to rescue them.
-- Stop attempting to protect those in grief and begin supporting them.

This remarkable book will liberate you for a richer more enjoyable life ... and you still will be a nice person!

About this title

About the Author

In November 2000, Time Warner published this paperback version of Duke Robinson's hardback, award-winning book GOOD INTENIONS.

He published his second non-fiction book in December 2011, CREATE YOUR BEST LIFE: How to Live Fully Knowing One Day You Will Die .

In September 2012, he completed and published his first novel, SAVIOR: An Old Notion in a New Novel of Unthinkable Absurdity.

Robinson graduated in 1950 from suburban Philadelphia's Haverford High School. He holds a BA degree in philosophy (1954) from Wheaton College near Chicago, and a Masters of Divinity degree (1958), from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

Since 1960, he has lived in the East Bay of Northern California. For 28 years before retiring, he led Oakland's progressive Montclair Presbyterian Church. For several years during that ministry he also served as an adjunct professor at San Francisco Theological Seminary, from which he holds an earned doctorate (1979). Prior to retiring in 1996, he was known widely as a speaker and appeared often on Northern California television.

Since 2000, Robinson has lived in Rossmoor, an active adult community in Walnut Creek, CA.  Barbara, his beloved wife of 54 years died in 2008 (He writes intimately of her dying, and of his almost dying in 2009, in his CREATE YOUR BEST LIFE). He has four adult children, nine grandchildren and two, preschool great-grandsons, both of whom, he says, are "absolute geniuses."

In April 2014, he published A MIDDLE WAY: The Secular/Spiritual Road to Wholeness, a look at how we can integrate science and religion without the struggle to reconcile them.

His fifth book, a memoir, STANDING ON MY HEAD ... WITH MY FLY OPEN, was published by Big Hat Press of Lafayette, CA, in November 2015. Robinson was eight when he stood on his head.  He hits 85 in January 2018.

From the Inside Flap

HIGH PRAISE
for
TOO NICEFOR YOUR OWN GOOD:
Howto Stop Making 9 Self-Sabotaging Mistakes

"Highly readable, insightful, and compassionate...Duke Robinson extracts powerful, eminently practical lessons for everyday living from sound psychological principles."
Martin V. Covington, professor of psychology. University of California at Berkeley

"Do-gooders: Here's why you burnout...In this book, Robinson shows how too much of a good thing can lead to emotional and physical exhaustion."
New Orleans Times-Picayune

"The wit and wisdom of Duke Robinson is about to become national knowledge. And he does more than simply analyze the mistakes we all make as nice persons. Attention to this very readable and practical book can make a good difference in the way we live."
Paul H. Gertmenian, CEO, Henry Gertmenian Co.

"The mistakes described in this book are like the common cold...Duke Robinson has done a masterful job defeating these emotional viruses...Reading this book and taking it seriously could save hundreds of hours in therapy, and it's a lot more fun."
Dr. Robert R. Ball,executive director, the State of California's Self-Esteem Task Force, and author of Walking on Water

"Robinson's nine chapters turn the qualities of niceness inside out: 'trying to be perfect,' 'taking on too much,' 'not saying what you want,' ' suppressing anger,''reasoning with irrationality,' 'telling little lies,' 'giving advice,' 'rescuing others,' and 'protecting those in grief. Sound familiar? He says he can help you get over it without becoming an ogre."
The Dallas Morning Newspapers

"I wish this book had come along earlier in my career...These practical steps toward authenticity help us put our lives in order and feel good about it."
Darrell Floyd, retired human resources manager, Nissan Motor Corporation,

"An unsentimental blueprint for complete living as well as aprovocation to the highest humanity in all of us."
Leroy Aarons, founder and board member,
National Gay & Lesbian Journalists Association, author of Prayers for Bobby

"A superb book...transforming...In clear and simple language, Dr.Robinson shows how being 'nice' often means living by a tyranny of expectations."
Stanley F. Hogle,
Former executive director, Houston's Interface-Samaritan Counseling Centers

"Duke Robinson's book on 'mistakes made by nice people' is a big hit. He shows so clearly how niceness keeps us from growing and dealing honestly with one another."
Presbyterian Outlook

Edition details

• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0446673862
• ISBN 13: 9780446673860
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288