Lifescripts for Family and Friends What to Say in 101 of Life's Most Troubling and Uncomfortable Situations

"Mom, Dad, we have to talk..." For all the times you're confronted with a complex or painful situation with someone close to you, here's the book that tells you exactly what to say and how to say it. And it will help you navigate smoothly through what could be an extremely stressful talk. Using the same tested formula from the bestselling Lifescripts, and organized into five sections -- Parents, Siblings, Children, Spouses, and Friends -- each of these 101 scripts includes a dialogue flowchart and a list of topics that touch on your attitude, timing, preparation, and behavior. Whether you're asking your parent for a loan, confronting your brother about his drinking problem, turning down a child's request, asking your spouse for a divorce or separation, discussing funeral planning with a parent, or bringing up your sibling's bad manners, this book will give you everything you need to say...and help keep the peace in the family.

Erik Kolbell is an ordained minister and practicing psychotherapist in New York City. The co-author of three books, he has also written for The New York Times.