This is a highly readable, comprehensive and very useful book. It is the result of "More than ten years of research, workshops, and programs with school systems, adult groups, and the media…" (p. 1) The research, involving the three authors, has developed a program for anger management summed up in the acronym RETHINK. This approach is the one discussed in detail throughout the book and covers virtually all imaginable situations where anger arises and needs to be mindfully and creatively managed.

RETHINK (very briefly) stands for:
R – Recognize your anger

E – Empathize with the other
T – Think about the situation of your anger
H – Hear what the other person is saying
I  – Integrate respect with your response
N – Notice your bodily reactions
K – Keep clearly focused on the present problem

Each of these skills is discussed throughout the book with relevance to the specific area where anger may occur, for example, at work or within the family setting. Readers are encouraged to develop these skills as they read, with the help of short question and answer notes, and with self-referential cases. In a sense it is an interactive book. It may be read passively, however, the engaging style of writing, together with numerous personal case studies, will soon get the reader involved in the process of creative anger management.

The importance of the R, recognizing the source of anger, cannot be overstated. However the authors tend to assume that this is easily accessible. In some cases it takes years of deep therapy to find the suppressed reasons for anger. This is not a trivial point and believe it should have been explained a little more clearly.

One of the key concepts stressed by the authors is to understand that anger is a natural, biologically evolved, and hence necessary, emotion. Suppression or denial of anger is almost as dangerous, and certainly more unhealthy, than its outright expression. Anger is energy and as such has to have an outlet – sooner or later. Correct management as demonstrated through Creative Anger: Putting That Powerful Emotion To Good Use allows us to use the power and energy involved in positive and creative ways rather than destructive, unproductive and unhealthy ways.

The book has thirteen chapters, a serviceable Index and a rather sparse, inadequate Further Reading section. To give prospective readers a feel for the book I'll list the chapter titles, as follows:

1 – Skills for Creative Anger     

2 – RETHINKing Anger Is Good for Your Health
3 – RETHINKing Anger Is Good for Your Relationships

4 – Recognize Anger in Yourself and in Others

5 – Hear with Empathy

6 – Anger in Couples

7 – Anger in the Family

8 – Anger in the Workplace

9 – Friends and Anger, and Anger in the Community

10 – The Anger-Violence Connection

11 – Cultural Differences

12 – Change Comes from Practice

13 – Regaining a Sense of Personal Power

The book is suitable for readers of all ages and levels of eduction and is not without its partly humorous moments. For example, the authors categorize styles of anger expression used by individuals as: Exploders, Imploders, Chip-Stackers, Blamers, and Transformers. "In which category do you fit, or do you fit in more than one?" the book asks rhetorically (p. 67).

I found some of the case studies very amusing such as this one which I've paraphrased for brevity. Lucy's car stalls in heavy traffic and will not restart. The driver of a huge truck behind her leans on his horn unrelentingly. Elements of road rage were all present. Lucy got out of her car offering the truck driver her keys and said, "If you can start my car for me, I'll take over and lean on your horn for you" (p. 71).

Creative Anger covers most of those situations we've all experienced and thought about briefly but perhaps never quite understood. As an example the paradox of family politics is discussed in detail in Chapter 7. The family setting on the one hand is supposed to be a place where we can feel secure, safe and emotionally happy. But in reality it often turns out to be a setting for extreme anger, which may turn to hatred, domestic violence with siblings and parents never speaking to each other.  If this is not dealt with creatively it then carries over into personal relationships, the workplace and the community at large.

Chapter 10 discusses and analyzes the Anger-Violence connection. Violence in our various global societies seems to have reached epidemic proportions and varies from minor road rage abuse to mass murder of groups of people in crowded places such as schools. As the authors explain, violence always has components of anger entrenched, had the anger been managed using a process such as the RETHINK guide and therefore sublimated, much of this violence would not occur.

"By teaching children, youth, parents, teachers, and others who work with youth, skills such as anger management and emotional intelligence, we do much toward creating a more peaceful and productive society" (p. 179).
My one minor criticism of this book is that it pretty much ignores genetic predisposition to anger, mentioning it only briefly on page 173. It also does not adequately discuss the role of hormones and psychological illnesses, such as ADHD, in the manifestation of anger, or at least anger provoking behavior. I'm not suggesting that these conditions result in anger regardless of the efficacy of the RETHINK process, but recognition of these conditions in certain susceptible groups, such as young adolescent males, might improve or extend the management program.

This book is suitable for, and highly recommended to the general reader who would like to live a more pleasant, happy life and especially to those who are in positions that encounter numerous persons in often highly stressed situations. Nurses, teachers, police officers and those in similar occupations are regularly called upon to diffuse and manage stressed individuals. Understanding and putting into practice the principles outlined in this book will help both themselves and others immensely.

© 2008 Rob Harle

Rob Harle is an artist and writer, especially concerned with the nature of consciousness and high-body technologies. His current work explores the nature of the transition from human to posthuman, a phenomenon he calls the technoMetamorphosis of humanity. He has academic training in philosophy of mind, comparative religious studies, art and psychotherapy. Rob is an active member of the Leonardo Review Panel. For full biography and examples of art and writing work please visit his web site: http://www.robharle.com

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