Daring, astute, and smart, The Nature of Power Struggles, is a powerfully revealing work of nonfiction. Author Montgomery Stewart examines our search for self and relationship and how it is often frustrated by competing beliefs, differing models of behavior, and our mixed motivations caused by fear and love. Stewart reveals the fragile nature of alliances that we create with others, along with the constant quest for fairness in our relationships in order to better understand this struggle. Within this framework, we are constantly dealing with how we all use our power to force, manipulate, and persuade others into action, and as a result, most individuals today are actively engaged in a struggle for power. This modern behavior by individuals and institutions drives how people commonly treat one another in various situations. With benchmark research and relevant case studies that highlight human dynamics in business, personal relationships, and cultural and religious expression, this rewarding exposé shows how persons and groups historically struggle to get their footing in order to inevitably manipulate the system to get what they want. In twenty-four easy-to-read chapters with titles like “The Subjective Nature of Fairness,” “Love, Respect, and Fear,” and “Moving between Social and Economic Classes,” the author illustrates the reasons why Americans continue to struggle in their pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness and the factors that contribute to this struggle. Stewart makes great strides in explaining how people operate and navigates their world. Ultimately sparking meaningful dialogue about the elements of conflict, this text also examines the brick wall many Americans face when it comes to exercising their rights so that they might accept what is fueled by human nature and what it is they can control.

The Nature of Power Struggles by Montgomery Stewart is for those readers who wish to:

• Examine various forms of power
• Explore the fragile nature of alliances
• Recognize the subjective nature of fairness
• Understand how we emulate three primary models of behavior
• Comprehend how beliefs are in competition with each other
• Discern how information is always filtered through our beliefs

This text reveals how to recognize what drives others as individuals and en masse. While Stewart’s book is more descriptive than prescriptive, he discloses the path we must take if we wish to learn to resolve these issues and accept the fact that some issues are irreconcilable. By addressing a number of instances of ironic behavior and attitudes in our society, Stewart reveals how to manage the people in your life, how to discern what’s possible in a given situation, and how to accept what is not possible.

ForeWord Clarion Review

SELF-HELP

The Nature of Power Struggles
Montgomery Stewart
BookSurge Publishing
978-1439-275504
Four Stars (out of Five)

Most people face power struggles during their lives, whether in relationships, friendships, or the workplace. Depending on the experience and outcome of the struggle, it can turn out to be a victory, a defeat, a compromise, or even a life-changing event.
In The Nature of Power Struggles, a comprehensive and ambitious book, Montgomery Stewart casts a very wide net. He addresses power struggles in the context of person-to-person relationships, the battle of the sexes, and societal issues (including racial, cultural, and group prejudice). He also talks about power struggles within the United States and elsewhere.

Stewart begins with a general discussion of power struggles and what he describes as “forms of power,” in which he notes the differences between force, manipulation,guilt, victimization, and persuasion. Stewart concludes that “the less sophisticated and knowledgeable a person is, the more likely he or she is to use force . . . By contrast, the more sophisticated and knowledgeable individuals tend to use manipulation and persuasion whenever possible.”

Stewart then explores three “models of behavior”—war, games, and social engineering. He explains the attributes of each and makes the point that individuals and groups who operate using different models of behavior are rarely able to reconcile their differences. The author goes on to cover various aspects of power struggles, including alliances, control, opposition, and disassociation. A particularly intriguing chapter in the book is entitled “The Subjective Nature of Fairness.” Stewart says he has seen similar power struggles in diverse industries “over money, control, authority, position, status, ownership, and recognition.” The problem in all of these struggles, he writes, is the definition of “fair.” Fair, argues Stewart, “is an easy concept to discuss and a difficult one to implement.”

Stewart’s concluding chapter is perhaps his most insightful. “One reason we struggle for power,” writes the author, “is due to the system of beliefs that we have inherited in this country.” In explaining his theory, Stewart says our society relies largely on “the war model in making decisions.” He further states, “Although many profess and speak of the need to act from a place of love, most human beings are more responsive to and act out of fear.”

Cartoons call attention to some of Stewart’s main points in The Nature of Power Struggles. However, the reader may find the cover and interior illustrations, which depict angels and devils doing battle, a bit inappropriate for the subject matter.  Stewart can be redundant at times, but, on the whole, he’s produced a well-written, expansive work that will provoke serious thought about life’s power struggles.

-Barry Silverstein

Right in the middle of my full-time job, my work to take home, my siblings needing support, and my car needing to be replaced, my mother’s life changed. She began having symptoms of multi-infarct dementia and I began having symptoms of stress, overwork, and frustration. The question was always, how do I do this and not drive my mother or myself crazy? Both of our roles ended with her passing, but my frustration over the lack of guidance and support continued. After some rest, I started talking to other people whose parents were beginning to need their care and attention. I read magazine articles. I found out my stress was normal, and that in those stress indicator tests, this new caretaking role was almost as stressful as moving, starting a new job, and a few other things combined. It was then that I decided to shed some light on this area of care, to help others, who like myself, struggled to live their own lives while they cared for the ones who once cared for them.

I can’t tell you exactly where to go for a good diagnosis, or who to hire to cook meals for your parent or to help with dressing them, but I can offer you suggestions on how to approach some of these areas. I can tell you some things to look for on this road ahead and how to go about seeking out the assistance and support you need to travel it well. This is a daughter’s eye view. I hope you find this book useful.

1. How did you go from being a lawyer to being a writer?

My writing is based on my observation of human behavior. There may have been situations where what I observed was because of my role as an attorney or some other role I have played during my lifetime. In general, my writing has come from my need to express myself and to help others with the information I have that they may not know. People ask me questions all of the time about various things. So my latest book was my attempt to summarize what was involved in living independently, which is a transition most teenagers and young adults will have to make at some point.

2. You write about real-life practical situations, how do you do that, have you lived these experiences?

I write about what I observe and what I have experienced. I had to go through the process of leaving home as a teenager. When I left home at 17 it was after an argument with my father and I just left the house and lived first with a friend, then with an uncle before I was accepted at DePaul University and moved into a dorm at the Lincoln Park campus. When I saw some of my family members and friends go through this same situation with some of their kids, I told myself, there has to be a better way than someone getting kicked out of the house. Everyone knows that leaving home is inevitable, so let’s talk about how you are going to move out. Not everyone is going to college, so what are the alternatives? The book is not saying anything new, it is just a primer to get everyone thinking about how to make the change work for the family.

3. Are negotiations still part of the business?

We constantly negotiate all the time although we don’t think of our activities as negotiations. Little kids negotiate with their parents for candy, toys, and playtime. The kid wants to hear a yes to his or her request and the parent may say no. The kid may counter with another request or ask why they can’t have what they want. If he or she can’t convince the mother and get a yes, then he or she may throw a tantrum or start crying. No one thinks of this as negotiation though it is no different than your asking for a raise at work because you think you are underpaid or asking your girlfriend or wife for sex when she does not want to have sex. We are constantly trying to convince other people to give us what we want.

4. Do you think the fact that you have lived some of these situations contributes to the effectiveness of your advice?

The fact that I have gone through some of these situations, means that I am aware of what can go right and wrong. That is just experience. This new book is just a primer to get the family thinking about what is needed to have a teenager move out of the house and become independent. For example, Chapter 1 on moving out is just a list of common options a teenager has in terms of leaving home, but often at the moment, people forget that they have more than one option and they could use a reminder Chapter 3 on personal documentation is just a quick list of what you need and where to get it, but sometimes you’re so overwhelmed that you don’t know where to begin and you need someone to point the way. The book, its lists, and other information are there to help you see your way through these situations. You are either going to get a job, go to college or some educational program, or join the armed services. You can also start a business, but in my opinion, that is not always an easy proposition for most people at that stage of the game. So the book is just a tool to help the parents and teenagers organize their thoughts on what is needed to help the teenager become independent.

5. How important was it to you that you offer your book in Kindle as well as the usual paperback? Did you want to make sure to attract a youth audience?

Making the book available on Kindle is just giving the reader more options in terms of the format. Over half the books I currently purchase are in the Kindle format. It is convenient. With Kindle, I can read the same book on my desktop, laptop, and mobile phone. Kindle will even tell you what page you last read on another device. Mostly everyone has a mobile device (i.e., smartphone) and you can download a kindle reader on your smartphone and read the book on the go. If I am standing in line somewhere such as the grocery store, I will start reading a book.

6. How much did growing up in Chicago influence your desire to write this book and be a guide to teenagers and young adults?

I spent my youth in Chicago and that has had a general influence on me. But whether you grow up in Chicago or some other place does not matter, there are certain issues a young person will have to address anywhere he or she lives. Chicago is basically what I know although I lived in San Diego, California for 13 years and I lived in South Bend, Indiana for 3 years. Growing up in Chicago can be difficult it is certainly a hard existence, which was more apparent to me after I returned from San Diego. The winters are hard, the politics are heavy-handed and the city is still highly segregated. Of course, if you have lived here all your life then this is all you know.

7. Is there anything that ties your latest book to your previous work, The Nature of Power Struggles?

The two books are only related to the extent that parents and teenagers at some point, depending on the relationship, will engage in a power struggle. As a teenager becomes older and wants more freedom, they still have to understand that they live in their parent’s home and have to respect their parent’s rules. It is not always clear to a teenager that he or she is becoming an adult and being an adult is more than just having the freedom to do as you please, rather being an adult also means having responsibilities. Many teenagers and young adults want to be respected as adults, but they still act like children. A friend of mine who was raising his son once said to me that teenagers between the age of 19 and 24 were nothing but adult children. That is the period where you are making a transition. Of course, this depends on the individual. There are many teenagers who due to circumstances have had to take care of themselves at an early age, and for them, this observation does not apply.

8. Is your writing cathartic? Does it allow you to do for others what perhaps you wanted someone to have done for you when you first started out?

Writing my “Power Struggles” book was more cathartic than writing this latest book. With the latest book, I had the desire to help provide some information so a young person could have an idea of how to move out with the least amount of drama and pain. There is a lot of information available on the Internet, but you have to know how to access it. Google gives away a lot of software tools that a person can use to organize himself. These tools can be very helpful if you take the time to access and use them.

9. What will your next book be about?

My next book is about how police interact with the minority community and look at possible solutions for less violent encounters. I have been researching this for over a year and I hope to publish it in 2018.