BookEnds Talks to Salvatore R. Maddi & Deborah M. Khoshaba

  • By: Jessica Faust | Date: Oct 06 2006

Salvatore R. Maddi & Deborah M. Khoshaba
Book: Resilience at Work: How to Succeed No Matter What Life Throws at You
Publisher: Amacom
Pub date: February 2005

In order to help others, Maddi and Khoshaba obtained their doctorates in clinical and health psychology, teach at the University of California, Irvine, and engage in psychotherapy, consulting, research, and writing. Their emphasis on resilience through hardiness is known throughout the world, and has led to much recognition, awards, and media coverage.

Author Web site: www.HardinessInstitute.com

BookEnds: Describe your book in 50 words or less.
In our turbulent times, resilience is badly needed. Our self-help book emphasizes the importance of the pattern of attitudes and skills we call hardiness in providing the courage and strategies that help people turn stressful circumstances from potential disasters into growth opportunities.

BookEnds: What do you think distinguishes your work from other similar books?
We provide hardiness assessment and training for resilience that is supported by twenty-five years of scientific research and state-of-the-art practice. There is nothing as definitive out there. Our book provides an especially unusual and validated introduction as to how to think about, and work on transforming, stressful circumstances to personal and social advantage.

BookEnds: How do you think your book is important to readers?
Our book helps readers understand and accept that life (especially these days) is inherently stressful, but that this need not be undermining. Indeed, addressing stresses through hardiness makes them milestones for learning and developing, which process leads to the most fulfilling and satisfying life.

BookEnds: If readers only take away one thing from your book, what would you like it to be?
That our turbulent times, looked at and dealt with through hardiness, are a gift rather than a curse.

BookEnds: How have people responded to your book?
We continue to receive appreciative reactions from people who are quite willing to share with us their stressful lives, and how they are dealing with that better through the courage and strategies of hardiness they learned in the book. Reactions have come not only from people in the U.S., but also from other countries, such as Japan, Italy, and Singapore. Also, a number of consultants and companies here and abroad have become involved with hardiness assessment and training through having been introduced to the approach by our book.

BookEnds: What else are you working on?
Debbie Khoshaba is working on another self-help book on how to become an experience architect by reflecting on your ongoing experiences in a way whereby you can better select directions that make sense and lead to greater fulfillment. Sal Maddi is considering another self-help book on how parents can raise offspring with sufficient hardiness to be resilient in our turbulent times.

To learn more about Salvatore R. Maddi & Deborah M. Khoshaba, see Our Books at www.BookEnds-Inc.com.