Description

Perhaps the hardest thing to remember in the throes of a crisis is that every bad break can also be a blessing. Indeed, there are always unexpected benefits in misfortune, provided we meet our crises with a shift in outlook. Born of the author's own terrible trauma, What Doesn't Kill You presents hard-won advice and practical exercises to help readers most effectively navigate the winding path from loss to regeneration. Rich with stories of people who have come through tragedy to find new or different meaning in their lives—from the author's own story of her daughter's near-fatal car accident to the experiences of survivors of the September 11 attacks—What Doesn't Kill You will help readers not simply survive adversity but harvest a new kind of strength from it.

Praise for What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger

"This book is a must-read or a must-give if you or someone you know is dealing with loss."
—Sacramento Bee

"This is a really valuable book for anyone whose life feels as though it is coming apart. Rooted firmly in Maxine Schnall’s own experience and enriched by the examples of the other people she has worked with, What Doesn’t Kill You tells you not only how to survive loss but also how to find meaning in it."
—William Bridges, author of Transitions and Managing Transitions

"Ninety percent of the greatest things that ever happened to me were the result of smashing defeats. This book has hundreds of true stories about survival. It is a must read."
—Phyllis Diller

"A must-read for anyone in crisis. Rather than offer platitudes, Schnall gives us real life examples of people who have used tragedy to turn their lives around. Her inclusiveness and attitude of sharing experiences rather than pretending to have a universal solution for anyone who is grieving makes this book work from the very beginning."
—Cheryl Dellasega, author of Surviving Ophelia

"I wish I had the opportunity to read What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger three years ago following my motorcycle accident . . . it would have been great-tasting medicine."
—Pat Croce, author of I Feel Great, and You Will Too! and 110%: 110 Strategies for Feeling Great Every Day

"Maxine Schnall has written a much-needed book—especially for these difficult times. By sharing her profound wisdom with us—as well as her personal story and those of others—she shows us that we truly can find surprising gifts in any misfortune. I highly recommend it to anyone who is in crisis or has experienced a loss of any kind."
—Beverly Engel, author of The Power of Apology: Healing Steps to Transform All Your Relationships

Extended Copyright Information

Copyright 2000 by Maxine Schnall. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Previously published by Da Capo Press, a member of the Perseus Books Group.

Cover deisgn by Kimberly Glyder.
Cover photograph copyright L'aura Colan/Photonica.

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About the Author

Maxine Schnall is the Pulitzer Prize nominated author of five books and a former contributing editor with Women's Day. She was a popular host of her own longtime radio show in Philadelphia and New York. In 1974, Schnall founded Wives Self Help Foundation, Inc., the first marital hotline in America, and has served as its executive director ever since. A relationship expert and workshop facilitator, she lives in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania.

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Opening Lines (Experimental)

Ilene and Rona.
but it comes from within.
It is there all the time.
This book was shaped by a tragedy that struck my younger daughter seventeen years ago when she was twenty-two. It has taken me all this time to be able to write about that terrible event and the lessons it taught me, as many ...

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Copyright

Copyright 2000 by Maxine Schnall.

All Rights Reserved.

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