Wow, this is a powerful read. It starts right out of the gate. The examples, research studies, strategies, and action items in this book are life altering. Many of which I have personally practiced and grown tremendously through. David does an amazing job of painting a very clear picture on what works and what does not work for building up the value in one’s life. He also backs the tips and action items with data and multiple research studies of thousands of people. This is the book to build up the best version we can be to provide the best version we can be to all those around us. A very clear and concise manual on self altering and impactful growth. I HIGHLY recommend!

This book has so many good gems about how to live better our lives and deal with emotions in a practical and positive way. The author has many examples in each chapter to illustrate the many points that he’s trying to make. The book is well researched and well explained.
I enjoyed it a lot and with the way is structured I can easily go back and revisit the main points as at the end of every chapter there is a summary and food for thought.

Emotions and feelings are powerful and can become overwhelming at times. I found this book practical and filled with valuable information I can put to use immediately. The author gives simple and sound advice as well as using real life examples. Humor woven throughout keeps a smile returning regularly. I will return to this resource over and over to learn to strengthen my emotional muscles. I highly suggest you buy this book today to support the areas you may need help with.

David has done a remarkable job with this book. I have been a student of people for 40 years, the most recent decade or so as a behavioral health registered Nurse. His self disclosure added the necessary element of credibility to this book. The book is very well presented and organized so it is way to listen to and finish.
As someone who has both struggled and succeeded with conflict, this book hits the elements squarely on the mark. He provides emotional scenarios we all can relate to while also providing the insight that only comes from someone who has lived those scenarios.
For anyone wanting or needing insight into your emotions this is a MUST read.

it’s a great book that brings together scientific studies with deeply personal experience. It will definitely lift you up and give you the tools to grow. Also, only the second person I’ve ever heard use the word reciprocity, especially how important the concept is.

Overall, this was a great listen. Here’s what I liked best:
This book is narrated by the author, and his enthusiasm for the material comes through. He has good energy, and his voice is pleasant to listen too. I read this book first before listening to it. I definitely preferred the author’s voice to my own.
This book has a lot of very useful lessons about how we can be better in our interactions with other people. Instead of getting angry or just thinking someone is stupid, you can use the tools in this book to 1) uncover why a person is acting the way they are and 2) be prepared to respond to a conflict. Then you can engage that person and address the conflict in a positive and constructive way. This is one of those books that we all probably need to listen to or read every so often to refresh our toolbox. I found myself thinking about situations I could have handled differently (better) in my own life as I listened to this book.
I liked how the author used real-life examples throughout the book to illustrate his points.

“Family Law is good people at their worst.” There is zero doubt how Enevoldsen has seen it as a family attorney. Emotions in family court cases made otherwise considerate, smart, and caring people… into total wrecks.
It was absolutely soul-baring to hear how even in his own personal life, with a minor degree in Psychology, still found his emotions & suicidal thoughts funnel him into the barrel of a gun in his mouth.
More important, it’s amazing how he got out of that deep, dark place. Enevoldsen makes the science of emotional resilience make common sense. “Emotional Embuffination” is just that. Emotions are like muscles. You must work out to get stronger. You must continously grow.
The combination of how he turned his life around & that of his clients… is awe-inspiring. Not to mention, duplicatable like a well-run exercise plan. A great read & every chapter has question prompts like a workbook.
Highly, HIGHLY recommend!

Years back, I was fired for not disclosing that I had a part-time second-hand car business. Even though I’d worked for my employer—a third-tier bank—for over a decade, I was accused of financing customers to purchase vehicles in a competing business to that of my employer. I appealed the decision, which included attaching a copy of my business license that showed what I was authorized to do, but it went unheeded. With my termination benefits denied, my employer, somehow, had known that I wasn’t in any position to sue him for wrongful termination. And to make matters worse, my business, being part-time, struggled and barely returned a profit in the few months that I’d been in operation.

The resulting conflict made me feel like a victim of an unjust system personified by my former employer. In his book Emotional Embuffination, David Enevoldsen addresses three major components related to the psychology of conflict, namely the characteristics of conflict, the psychology of why and how people fight (happening in the now, and it focuses on resolving the conflict), and how to emotionally strengthen oneself against its effects (happening over time, and it focuses on becoming emotionally fit). Hence, “emotional embuffination” is the process where one is made strong emotionally to the extent that it eliminates or makes one prepared for a conflict.

In the subsequent years after my termination, I suffered from the effects of my strife with my former employer. Accordingly, I liked and benefited from Enevoldsen’s discussion on how to resolve and prepare for a toxic relationship or conflict. Before reading this book, I used to perceive myself as a victim of an oppressive system run by owners of businesses. Consequently, I stopped looking for jobs because I felt I had no power over the actions of others. For a while, I actually felt good about it because I could conveniently blame others for my problems. However, as a way of regaining control over myself through the process of “emotional embuffination,” I benefited from Enevoldsen’s discussion elaborating that the first step to the process was to denounce the victimhood mentality.

On other positives, Enevoldsen’s nonfictional writing is engrossing and relatable because he’s included a lot of little examples and experiences from the many legal cases he has handled over the years. With my basic education, I never thought I could enjoy a book authored by a family law attorney as I did with this book. Even so, there were a few editing errors in the book though not enough to affect its rating. Since I didn’t dislike anything, I rated the book 5 out of 5 stars.

I recommend this book to both professionals and non-professionals looking for an efficient and effective means of settling interpersonal issues and disputes, be it in the family, in business, in the community, or in the international arena. The book draws on real-world examples from the author’s many first-hand experiences in the family courtroom. However, it may be less suited to a reader intimidated by academic writing.