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Rating: 
Summary: The author is a true jerk expert
Review: Dr. Paul Meier is the co-host of the nationally syndicated radio show "New Life Clinic" and has written many books. His personality on the radio is condescending and now I have discovered why--he's a jerk. And he has written the book to prove it, entitled "Don't Let the Jerks Get the Best of You."The idea for this book is great--dealing with the jerks you come in contact with. But during the reading of the book I discovered two things: first, he is really trying to get at the jerk within YOU, not in others. That's fine and he certainly convinced me that I'm a jerk at the highest level, but it didn't do much other than make me feel bad that I'm a jerk. It didn't help me much in dealing with others. Second, he proves himself to be the utmost jerk through his constant claiming that he's NOT a jerk anymore! He gives three "levels" of being a jerk (everyone falls into one of the three categories), and of course he claims that he may have been level two at one point but now he is the lowest-level jerk. He even calls himself a "good guy" who "doesn't mean to do wrong." So when he mistreats his wife or kids or patients, he excuses it away as being meaningless since he doesn't intend on hurting them. Can't he see that INTENT may have nothing to do with it? A person who backs their car into your car may not "mean" to do it, but that is not an excuse! They need to deal with the consequences of their actions (admit wrong, pay for damage, etc.) and he fails to see the need to do that! He then goes on to claim he has some "weaknesses"-- such as the fact that he like to pay for others meals or that he likes to spend all the money he makes on others! Wow--what weaknesses! He tells of how he invested lots of money in bad deals and the IRS charged him penalities--he again claims he was a well-meaning dope! Even in his proclaiming his weaknesses he comes across as a #1 jerk, not taking responsibility for his actions but claiming ignorance. He also humbly brags throughout the book (as he does often on his radio show) that he's a great husband and father and doctor--yet he tells stories of how he ignores his kids (one of his kids ran away from home as a teen), doesn't follow through on what he tells his wife, and he constantly pushes drugs. You would think the guy is a drug company rep if you listen to him on the radio--his solution to just about every psychological problem in life is drugs! This is a frustrating book. The IDEA of it is great. But it's mostly about Dr. Meier being a jerk and him lording it over the rest of us. The solutions are few. This book needs some good objective editing and rewriting before it will be of value to those of us who are dealing with jerks every day,
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