There are some really helpful information in this book that can help with any relationship. Some aspects do seem basic but I do think it is still a helpful guide.

This wasn't at all what I expected the book to be. Rather a collection of shorts than tips an instructions. Some good examples, but perhaps the title is a bit misleading for the content.

This book is written in short essays with the aim of giving insight into tips and tricks of relationships. I feel like we can all agree that no relationship is perfect but there is always some give and take with any kind of relationship. I enjoyed hearing other points of view and this book gave me a lot to think about.

Thank you NetGalley, Moody Publishers, and author James Hilt for this ARC!

‘How to Have a Better Relationship with Anybody’. I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t welcome some wisdom in this area! People can be hard. Hard to please, hard to agree with, hard to get along with, etc.. But as James Hilt expresses in his book, there are basic things that all people want that we can offer as Christians. By doing these things we are creating opportunities for others to feel loved, accepted, and hopefully see the love of Christ through our actions.

I liked this book for many reasons, one of them being the way that James writes. This book is organized into short essays with the aim of giving the reader some tips and tricks in relationships with others. James was also very relatable in his writing. I felt like I could connect to almost everything he said, and it took me by surprise to learn that this book was written before social media and cell phones. I honestly couldn’t tell!

I do wish that some things in the book could have been updated to reflect the time we are in now. I felt some statements on mental health weren’t accurate but this wasn’t a focus of the book nor did it affect the validity of James’s other words.

Everyone can benefit from this book. Whether you want to dive in and read it in its entirety like me, or if you want to read what’s relevant to you in your season. It’s helpful, relatable, and most importantly centered on Christ’s interactions with others and how we can learn from Him.

Thank you to Moody Publishers for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a good book with lots of good advice albeit some of the advice can be difficult to process at first. It takes a lot of thought, careful consideration, sometimes multiple readings to get in the mindset of headspace, maybe heartspace is a better or rather another way to explain. This is a book that I will return to again and again as I travel life and will be handy on my book shelf. Some of the thinking, the tasks we must do will be difficult. It can be difficult to forgive those who hurt us, more difficult perhaps to forgive ourselves but it is important and this book can help.

As someone who’s made her fair share of relationship missteps over the years, How to Have a Better Relationship with Anybody intrigued me when I saw it on NetGalley. It’s a look at relationships from a Christian perspective, and I found that it complemented God’s New Community and The Meeting Class quite well. While those two books focus on the importance of community, How to Have a Better Relationship with Anybody looks at how the individual functions within the community.

How to Have a Better Relationship with Anybody looks at 21 aspects of relationships, from avoiding bitterness and daring to connect to escaping jealousy and being vulnerable. Each chapter comes with a Biblical explanation of why this aspect of a relationship is important and ends with suggestions for practical steps that you could implement.

Some points that struck me were:

- Bitterness is long-lasting but often overlooked. It’s something that we need to work out because the one who’s hurt by it is us – the more we ruminate and nurture the roots of bitterness, the larger its effects on us.

- We must learn to have self-acceptance in Christ – that’s different from self-centred pride.

- Accepting things does not mean we should relish the hurt or count it as good, or as the book puts it, “acceptance is not approval.” Neither should we be praising God for evil things. As Paul Tournier puts it, “Accepting suffering, bereavement, and disease does not mean taking pleasure in them, steeling oneself against them, or hoping that distractions or the passage of time will make us forget them. It means offering them to God so that He can make them bring forth fruit.”

- Loving someone means confronting them in love if they need it, especially if they are part of the Body of Christ.

- Sometimes, God brings people into our lives to show us our faults (the book also cautions us that we shouldn’t assume everyone is brought into our lives for this purpose, but to remain sensitive to this possibility).

There are some very good reminders on how I should be interacting with others, but I did notice something in the book that made me uncomfortable. In one section, the author states that many “mental disorders are bitter attacks on others”. I definitely don’t agree with this and I think it’s a harmful generalisation. This doesn’t appear again in the text and the author doesn’t elaborate on it, but I felt it was noteworthy because the book is generally on point and I was disappointed by this statement.

Overall, I found this book to be a useful reminder on how we can work on ourselves (including accepting ourselves) to have better relationships with others. There is one area for concern, but for the most part, this should be helpful to Christians who are looking for practical advice on how to improve their relationships.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

I received an ARC from Moody Publishers, via NetGalley. This review is my opinion.

Great book, I don’t have a bad thing to say. With practical and biblical sound advice this book is a must-read for everyone. I like the tone, James Hilt use the Bible as his compass on how we should behave and act in our relationships. I like that the chapters are short and since are practical, you can take note, pray, and work on that area with a need to make stronger.

This was an interesting book that simply encourages you to have grace, listen, and see who people really are. It is an encouraging read in a time when the world is up in arms about everything. Listen with grace.

I thoroughly enjoyed working my way through this one and find it to be overall very well written. I would definitely recommend this one for most people, as this has helpful tips for all things, conflict resolution being the highest.

How to Have a Better Relationship with Anybody : A Biblical Approach
by James Hilt

The first chapter on bitterness really made me stop and think...and think and think...In fact I thought so much that I was not prepared to go onto the rest of the book for a while.

Everybody should read this book once a year at least to keep track on how they are doing in their relationships with others. And even with God and themselves. (Are you bitter towards yourself??) Many of the suggestions are more or less common sense, but we are frail humans and we forget!

The practical application at the end of every chapter are useful info.

I like that the author has been a counselor for so many years so we are more confident that he has the know-how and experience and knows what he is talking about. All his advice is backed with biblical principles.

Thank you Netgalley and Moody Publishers for the ARC. This is my honest opinion of the book.

Hilt has tremendous experience in what makes good relationships work and he outlines in 21 short chapters some of the key gems that he's learnt in his time. He covers such topics as bitterness, jealousy, comparison, competitiveness, humility and the basic chestnuts associated with kindness: thank you, listening, patience, telling people they're special and honesty in confrontation.

The entire premise is based on a Christ-like perspective and reflects many observations and experiences Hilt has had over the years within the church. Each chapter ends with a suggested form of application which perhaps were a little simplistic. Discussing this book in a group would be an effective means of self-discovery and practical application.

I especially appreciated how he ended it with an emphasis on small groups and how they can a tremendous vehicle for people to effectively practice the principles he lays out in this book.

All of the principles are relevant to all forms of relationship as the title suggests.

Highly recommended.

Title: How to Have a Better Relationship with Anybody
Author: James Hilt
Genre: Nonfiction
Rating: 4 out of 5

You can have a better relationship with anybody—God, your children, your spouse, or friends. The answers for how to do so are found in Scripture. Counselor James P. Hilt has helped hundreds of people who wanted healthier, happier relationships with his principles derived from the insights of Scripture. He will help you:
Identify and get rid of problems that separate you from others:
Stop feeling bitter and resentful
Listen more effectively
Become more patient
Celebrate others more readily
Feel more satisfied in your relationships

Study what the Bible has to say about relationships, apply these healing truths to your life, and discover the remarkable difference it can make. Christ’s love can flow unhindered through your life. Don’t put up with disconnection and resentment any longer.

This was an insightful read that offered both insight and tips that were feasible and doable (Not far-fetched and almost laughable tips for those of us just trying to live our lives and keep all the balls in the air.). The voice was relatable, like talking to a friend, not preachy or condescending, and it incorporated biblical principle and scripture into anecdotes from the author, making it feel even more like sitting down for a chat with a friend that has a little more experience than you.

James Hilt is an author and a counselor. How to Have a Better Relationship with Anybody is his newest book.

(Galley courtesy of Moody Publishers in exchange for an honest review.)

How to Have a Better Relationship with Anybody by James Hilt, 160 pages. Moody Publishers, 2020. $12.
Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - NO
AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW
Hilt is of the opinion that emulating Jesus Christ is the best way to improve relationships -- with family, friends, spouses, everyone. Each chapter focuses on a principle, giving incorrect examples before gently illustrating to readers what might be a better approach according to the Bible.
While not a riveting read, I do feel uplifted from reading Hilt’s suggestions. Each chapter ends with suggestions for applying the principles Hilt highlights, and I like that he talks about improving our relationships with self not just with others. Overall, it’s a good book for the audience of adult believers in Christ.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

I have finally found a Christian self-help book which I found actually useful. And this comes from someone pretty much obsessed with this genre.

As the title suggests, "How to Have a Better Relationship with Anybody" is a practical guide to becoming a better person towards others. No, this isn't a book only for people in a relationship (for once!); rather, it teaches anyone how to follow the examples of various Biblical characters to please God through encounters with other people.

This book is organized into twenty one short chapters, each dealing with a different piece of advice including avoiding bitterness, saying thank you, escaping jealousy and being vulnerable. I liked that these segments were short as this made me much more likely to reach for the book. Each chapter is a well-research combination of Biblical examples and stories of real people, which is another hit for me.

At the same time, this book is not for everyone. It certainly requires a pretty deep knowledge of the Bible, so it's recommended for rather devoted Christians. In addition, I was not a huge fan of Hilt's writing style, especially the introduction which was awful and nearly made me drop it altogether. Ultimately, I'm really glad I stuck with it and learned a lot.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Moody Publishers and Net Galley for this free ARC copy.

I understood that this book states “A Biblical Approach” in the title, however, it was not at all what I expected when reading it. It started off a little rocky for me when, towards the beginning pages, this was said, “Sadly, many mental disorders are bitter attacks on others. That is why so many disturbed people are angry and manipulative.” I don’t agree with that statement, so I was worried the entirety of the book would be negative thoughts towards anyone with mental health issues and a comparison to the Bible of why mental disorders are not “real” or something. In my opinion, religion and mental health do not mix. Fortunately, there was not another mention about mental health in this capacity.

James Hilt would give a scenario about why you should or why you should not do something and then would give a biblical passage as an example. However, it was interesting and wasn’t in a way that was “shoved down my throat.” This was an interesting take on what I would deem a self help book. I did enjoy some of his ideas and ways on how to deal with a few issues I struggle with often. The book flowed pretty well and it was written well. I took a few notes for future reference.

I gave it three stars because I didn’t love it and I didn’t hate it. While it ended up surprising me in the end, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to anyone unless they specifically asked for a self help book, written by a counselor, that includes biblical references.

Thanks for the advanced copy of this.

A very well written book, I found it very motivational and have marked certain parts to go back over.

Thoroughly enjoyed working through it.

Thank you to Moody Publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book. I wouldn't say I needed to read this one as I have never struggled with making friendships; however, I did glean wisdom I hadn't expected throughout. The importance of effective listening and patience was super helpful to me (as these are probably two areas I struggle with the most.) I think there is something for anyone in this book and it is one I will recommend to friends.

I highly recommend this book. James Hilt writes about his expertise and experience in resolving conflicts in relationships that he has from working with people for many years. He uses real-life stories and Biblical examples to help us better understand how to navigate through complicated conflicts in our daily relationships. The book's chapters are short enough that one could be read a day so that the concept can be thought about thoroughly before going to the next chapter. I also enjoyed Hilt's down to earth style of writing because he is very easy to understand and explains everything clearly. Everyone who reads this book will gain some new insight and understanding into how to make their relationships better.

This book wasn’t what I was expecting but I think that it would resonate with the right reader. I just wasn’t the right reader.

You can have a better relationship with anybody—God, your children, your spouse, or friends. Counselor James P. Hilt has helped hundreds of people who wanted healthier, happier relationships with his principles derived from the insights of Scripture. Identify and get rid of problems that separate you from others. Stop feeling bitter and resentful. Listen more effectively.Become more patient. Celebrate others more readily. Feel more satisfied in your relationships. It was a fine book although i wasn't aware it was going to be very biblical.