Book Review

Basic Details:

Book Title: Bringing Shadow Behavior into the Light of Day

Subtitle:

Author: Phyllis Quinlan

Genre: General Medical Issues/Bullying/Psychology

Part of a series?

Order in series:

Best read after earlier books in series?

Available: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42058579-bringing-shadow-behavior-into-the-light-of-day

Overall score:

I scored this book 5/5

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Short Summary of the book:

Ever wondered about those people at work who display difficult behaviour? You know the ones, the bullies, the people shouting unfair, bullying, and victimisation when they don’t get their way? The ones who always pick on other and for whom nothing is ever good enough? This book attempts to give an insight into the psyche of these people and gives a few tools on how to deal with them and how not to.

What I liked about the book:

The book was easy to read and helped me to decide whether I was the bully or the other person was. The fact I asked myself the question to start with already showed it wasn’t me but I discovered some undesirable characteristics of myself too which will need addressing.

What I didn’t like about the book:

I liked the entire book.

My favourite bits in the book:

I loved the idea of showing support to the person being the victim of a bully by standing behind the victim and placing a hand on their shoulder in support. I will definitely adopt this from now on where I can and encourage team members to do the same when they come across it.

My least favourite bits in the book:

There were none.

Any further books in the series? Any more planned by this author?

This is the first book I’ve read by this author.

What books could this be compared to and why?

It can be compared to several other self-help books. However, it is also a great read for those in management (healthcare or elsewhere) dealing with staff members who are disruptive to the team.

Recommendation:

In summary, I would recommend this book to the following readers:

Children No

Young Adult Probably

Adult Yes

If you like to find out more about how to deal with disruptive behaviour in the workplace, this book may be the book for you. It may also help teachers in supporting pupils who are the target of bullies and can form the basis of their projects to reduce bullying in schools.

Book Description by Author:

Skills and knowledge alone are not enough to ensure the consistent level of staff engagement needed to achieve patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes necessary for success in the 21st-century. Positive attitudes and collegial behaviors are now vital to realizing strategic benchmarks and goals. The distraction of laboring within an unhealthy work environment will handicap the staff’s ability to make a genuine connection with their patients.

This book provides healthcare leaders with a guideline for the assessment and management of the disruptive behaviors of bullying and incivility. It is time to definitively address the behaviors that lurk in the shadows and undermine RN and other professional caregiver’s vitality and resilience. How we treat each other is directly related to how we engage our patients and their families.

About the Author: