Dare to Connect : Reaching Out in Romance, Friendship, and the Workplace

Rating:
Summary: Dare To Connect
Review: I didn't think "Dare TO Connect" was quite as good as Susan Jeffers' book "Feel the Fear". But she gave me many ideas to think about in communicating with others. The main idea of the book is to understand yourself and reach out to others. It is also a spiritual book about our Higher Self. It has given me a better understanding of how to treat others as part of God's plan. We are all here for each other.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely fantastic
Review: This is one of the most important books I have ever read, and I know it has been so for many of my friends. I say this because I started a weekly discussion group centered around this book and many people would tell me how profoundly grateful they were to be exposed to the concepts here.

I don't think it's fair to try to compare this book to her earlier "Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway" because that book is about overcoming fears that inhibit you, and this one is about new attitudes to make your social life flourish. There are a few parallels, but the books only compliment eachother.

The most important concept here for me was that of "everbody training" - the idea that social situations become more rewarding and less stressful if, instead of trying to create external successes, you focus on creating positive situations for everyone around you. Instead of pressuring yourself to get a woman's phone number at a party (getting something for yourself), make a point of helping her to have a good time there, even if it isn't with you (giving to the community). The neat thing about this is that it becomes easier to make contact with new people AND makes you a more desirable friend at the same time.

The author does NOT present gimmicks or strategies that only work for confident people in unusual situations: it ALL applies to everyone and helps build your confidence about yourself and your abilities in social situations. One caution: don't think you can read this book and suddenly go from being a shy nerd to a confident person with dozens of friends overnight! It takes time, practice and may need to be integrated into one's self-improvement efforts.