Surrounded by Vampires Book Review (Thomas Erikson)
Summary: Here's the narrative stake you need to stop those energy vampires!
5
Vamp killer!
Vampires really exist, however not the ones that drain your blood… rather, the ones that drain your energy and author Thomas Erikson best sums up these “energy suckers”…
Perhaps I could have coped with all that if I hadn’t also had the misfortune of working with a number of colleagues who habitually drained me of an almost unbelievable amount of energy. Some days, their attitudes and ways of responding to and handling the situation left me feeling as if I had been robbed of my entire will to live…
… strangely enough, just ten minutes later – or thirty seconds later – all of your profound ideas are gone, just like that. Every last thought of a new, bright future has been ground to dust. Your ambitions are all shattered… Your day, or week, or year started out so great, and now it all just feels hopeless…
You encountered a vampire. A vampire whose calling life is to quickly and efficiently extinguish people’s dreams, obscuring anything that so much resembles a bright future.
An energy vampire crossed your path.
So if you are having trouble with vampires in your life, then Surrounded by Vampires might give you the perfect strategies in dealing with these energy suckers. Well written with its insightfulness, this book is also presented into bite-sized chapters that help you deal with these creatures that plague humanity.
Further, the author uses the DISC (Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness) theory in his approach that helps the reader identify which quadrant they are connected to that in turn will help them to deal with energy vampires. It’s all about preserving your energy reserves and how to handle these people and situations that complicate your life.
I also enjoyed how Thomas Erikson addresses the different types of vampires and how their personality traits have led them down this path. For example, one such energy vampire is the perfectionist who love control and are often masterful when it comes to concealing their emotions. They also don’t like to admit their own mistakes, are workaholics, micromanagers but more importantly, keep their promises. They have a weakness and his answer to deal with perfectionists (aka control freaks) is negotiation.
What about drama queens? Pander to their ego and stay positive with your body language and words. What about the bully, the unstoppable tyrant. Do your research, ask for more time if needed, say no and if the workplace is toxic, walk away. The passive aggressive person? The eternal victim? The Narcissist? The annoyers? Again, Thomas Erikson goes into great detail about these personality types, including the best ways to acknowledge this and work with them.
As mentioned, the author uses the DISS assessment and the four colours of human behaviour – red for dominance, yellow for influence, green for stability and blue for compliance and how to use their traits against them to ensure your important energy reserves are safe. He ends the book on making a list, one side with the energy providers, those who make you feel good and the other, the energy vampires. The key, make sure you keep regular contact with the good people in life that will help bolster your energy and allow you to take on the vampires!
Brilliant!
About the Author
Adrian Gunning Adrian lives in Melbourne Australia and has a huge passion for gaming, technology and pop culture. He recently finished his a Bachelor of Journalism and is currently focusing on games journalism. When not writing and playing video games, Adrian can be found in Comics 'R' Us debating the pros of the DC Universe and cons of the Marvel Universe.
Related Posts
Ultimate Spider-Man 4 Review (2024) →
LADY DEATH FUNDS VIDEO GAME ADAPTATION IN 48 HOURS VIA ONGOING KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN →
GEOFF JOHNS & GARY FRANK’S CHART-TOPPING SERIES GEIGER TO BE COLLECTED INTO A DELUXE HARDCOVER FROM IMAGE COMICS & GHOST MACHINE THIS JUNE →
