Drawing on the author’s decades of experience as a psychologist, trainer and advocate for women, this small but perfectly formed, pocket-sized book contains bite-sized snippets of insight and inspiration on communication, relationships, work, body image, overwhelm, emotional trials and more. Pop it in your bag or nightstand and draw on it to boost your self-belief, awareness, energy and assertiveness each day – or gift it to friends and family to help them confront life’s everyday challenges.

'The classic assertiveness bible' GUARDIAN Do you sometimes struggle to state what you want (or don't want)? Do tricky conversations go wrong? Does it at times seem easier to suffer in silence? This book has the solutions you need. Despite recent advances in gender equality in education, the workplace and the home, in practice many women and girls still find it a challenge to speak up and be heard. Assertiveness - defined by psychologist and assertiveness trainer Anne Dickson as clear, honest and direct communication - is an art, which can be learned. Instead of being governed by the desire to please - the Compassion Trap - assertiveness teaches us to take charge of our own feelings and behaviour, without blaming others. In her pioneering handbook, now fully updated to mark its 40th anniversary, Dickson draws on her long experience of in-person training to give all women the practical skills and tools we need to assert what we feel and want, manage difficult conversations, avoid being sidetracked by culturally learned behaviours, say 'No', and find self-acceptance.

Every one of us faces the need to speak up in difficult situations at some time. We may not like doing it, but not speaking up usually makes matters worse. So how do you communicate to your partner that something they do drives you mad, without it ending in a row? How do you correct or criticise a colleague without generating repercussions that you'll regret? How do you tell someone clearly of a decision that you know will cause disappointment or provoke strong disagreement? How do you handle conflict? Anne Dickson tells you how. She describes a range of difficult conversations that frequently occur in intimate, social and work situations, and reveals simple but powerful techniques that will help you to transform the situation. You'll discover how to:*communicate directly and honestly - without damaging your relationships* keep to your point - without backing down or getting into a fight* initiate a discussion - without encountering resistance or attack* offer criticism - without antagonising the other person* manage your anxiety - and develop genuine confidence in your authority* and much, much more.

?This book unfolds rather like a good novel; it is compelling and convincing. The authors approach their topic with a great deal of background and superb organizational abilities. As the premise unwinds, readers are provided with excellent explanation and justification, as well as real-life accounts of people and their experiences. As a side benefit, the book also yields an admirable example of well-done qualitative case studies that are triangulated effectively with survey methods.? --Sara U. Douglas, University of Illinois Social Responsibility in the Global Market illuminates an alternative way of conducting business that bridges the consumer?s social concerns and the producer?s financial concern through a compatible, nonexploitive, and humanizing system of fair trade. In-depth case studies introduce past successes and failures for seven Alternative Trading Organizations (ATOs) as they foster artisan empowerment, cultural integrity, and business sustainability. An integrative model synthesizes business conditions, tasks, and skills imperative for effective functioning of a fair trade system in an increasingly competitive global market. Mary Ann Littrell and Marsha Ann Dickson?s treatment of ATOs provides useful insights for academics in marketing, international development, entrepreneurship, and anthropology. In addition, this book offers practical finance for practitioners in international development, socially responsible businesses, and consumers concerned about impacts of their marketplace decisions.