Reviewed by Tammy Ruggles for Readers' Favorite

Unleashing the Power of Respect: The I-M Approach, by Dr. Joseph Shrand, is a powerful, highly relatable self-help guide that examines human behavior and seeks to improve it through the lens of respect. Behavior can be a puzzling thing sometimes, and most humans try to understand, change, and work with what is presented. If you've ever thought that even your own behavior is confusing, or wondered why you do certain things a certain way, this book can help shed light on it. More than just understanding behavior, however, this book and this author seek to change it for the better with respect, and in doing so, may even make the world a better place to live and operate.

Dr. Shrand takes a deep dive into respect--the nature of it, why it's important that we all become aware of its power and effect when we use it. With disrespect comes a level of judgment, bitterness, and confusion. But turning disrespect into respect, and adopting a respectful attitude toward people, situations, and communities can be a life-affirming and life-changing experience for everyone concerned. The author uses the stories of his patients as examples and puts forth the idea that people aren't broken, but are able to alter the way they act, thus improving their circumstances fairly quickly. His patient Jan and how the trust they'd built defused a life and death situation is just one memorable example. I like his concept of being in the driver's seat when it comes to how we live our lives and respond to situations. It gives us a sense of empowerment to think that we don't have to be stuck, that maybe there is something we can do to change ourselves and our environment after all.

The tools Dr. Shrand offers are actionable and come from four domains, all using respect as the guiding force. This approach can lead to more understanding and trust, and even more appreciation. Another lesson is that we can only control our own actions and not the actions of others, but we CAN influence them with respect, value, and positive regard. Being a former social worker, I recommend this book to help professionals, support groups, and individuals seeking to improve personal and professional relationships. If you're looking for a different approach to life, and seek to make changes in positive ways that are grounded in the concept of respect, Unleashing the Power of Respect by Dr. Joseph Shrand should be at the top of your reading list.