A review by blueeyedshook
Surrounded by Narcissists: How to Effectively Recognize, Avoid, and Defend Yourself Against Toxic People by Thomas Erikson

informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

Fantastic audiobook on narcissism. The author writes in a perfect mix of wit, hint of sarcasm, and serious content. And the narrator is fabulous. Kept me interested with perfect inflection and enthusiasm throughout. Content-wise, this book covers the span of so much information, but not in an overwhelming way. Very simple. I enjoyed that he didn’t downplay the potential dangers of narcissism while also acknowledging that we all have some narcissistic characteristics but that there is a difference between characteristics and a personality disorder. One of the most interesting things I learned from this was that a full blown narcissist personality disorder can, in fact, not be cured. That was interesting to me. He also talks about the points when this turns to abuse and when you turn and walk (or run) away. 
But along with that, he discusses the true nature of narcissism being born and growing in our current culture. How to treat people with these traits. How to avoid these traits in ourselves. How to recognize them as well and how they may interact with different personalities. Very thorough. 
I loved that there was also a basic test to answer “am I a narcissist?” Although of course he encourages that this must be officially diagnosed by a professional.
As someone who has a narcissist pretty close to me for a long time, I found myself saying, “yep, yep, yep,” so often and really was able to take away some good info on how to handle certain situations. I’d recommend this book.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting