A Book That Changes How We Listen, Love, and Lead

What if better communication wasn’t about saying more but about listening differently?


At a moment when families feel disconnected, couples talk past one another, and everyday conversations too often escalate into conflict, psychologist and author Aaron Hoorwitz, PhD offers something rare: a deeply practical, visually immersive, and genuinely humane guide to communication that actually works in real life.

His latest illustrated masterwork isn’t just another self-help book. It’s a hands-on companion for parents, partners, therapists, teachers, and anyone who wants their words and their silence to create connection instead of distance.

Not Theory. Not Jargon. Real Skills You Can Use Today.

From the first pages, readers quickly realize this book is different.


There’s no dense psychology. No abstract lectures. No “one-size-fits-all” advice.


Instead, Dr. Hoorwitz translates decades of clinical, forensic, and academic experience into clear, everyday tools that can be used immediately:

• At the dinner table
• During emotional moments with children
• In difficult conversations with a partner
• In ordinary exchanges that quietly shape relationships

Readers don’t just learn what to do they learn when and why to do it.

Parenting That Builds Emotional Strength—Not Power Struggles
One of the book’s most transformative contributions is its approach to parenting.


Dr. Hoorwitz compassionately reveals how many well-intended parental responses advising, correcting, reassuring, questioning can unintentionally shut children down emotionally. Even when parents are “doing everything right,” kids may feel unseen or unheard.


This book shows parents how to:

• Recognize when to lead and when to listen
• Respond to children’s emotions without dismissing or escalating them
• Reduce meltdowns, resistance, and chronic power struggles
• Build emotional intelligence, self-esteem, and independent problem-solving

These are not permissive techniques. They are structured, intentional, and deeply effective, helping children feel safe enough to grow.


Parents often discover something surprising:

Helping Couples Feel Connected Again—Not Just Coexisting
For couples, the book addresses a familiar ache:
“We talk… but we don’t really feel close anymore.”


Dr. Hoorwitz explains how many relationships drift into emotional “parallel play” being together physically while remaining disconnected emotionally. Arguments repeat. Defensiveness rises. Intimacy fades.


Through gentle but precise guidance, readers learn how to:

• Reflect feelings without judgment
• Paraphrase in ways that reduce defensiveness
• Notice and respond to nonverbal communication
• Restore curiosity, presence, and emotional safety

Small shifts in attention and language can radically change how conversations feel. Couples report fewer arguments, deeper understanding, and a renewed sense of closeness in everyday moments.

Communication Skills—Used at the Right Time, for the Right Purpose
This book doesn’t overwhelm readers with random techniques. Instead, it teaches discernment.


Parents and couples learn how and when to use skills such as:

• I-messages
• Negotiation
• Limit setting
• Redirecting attention with choices
• Compassionate consequences
• Ethical rewards and reinforcement

Rather than a hodgepodge of tips, the book offers a coherent framework for choosing the right response in the right moment reducing confusion and increasing confidence.

Hypnosis, Demystified—and Made Ethical

One of the book’s most unique achievements is how it reframes hypnosis.


No swinging watches.


No loss of control.


No stage tricks.


Dr. Hoorwitz explains that hypnosis is something humans engage in every day—through language, attention, and suggestion. Conversations themselves are often quietly hypnotic.


By understanding this, readers learn how to:

• Communicate more consciously
• Influence ethically, without manipulation
• Use language that supports growth, trust, and cooperation

These insights apply to parenting, relationships, therapy, education, leadership, and everyday life.

Where Psychology Meets Taoism and Biblical Wisdom

Without preaching or promoting a belief system, the book beautifully aligns with ancient spiritual wisdom.


Readers familiar with Taoism will recognize themes of presence, attunement, and wu wei effortless, non-coercive action.


Those grounded in biblical traditions will resonate with principles of humility, compassion, restraint, and listening before speaking.


The book quietly bridges psychology and spirituality, reminding readers that deep listening and respectful influence are timeless human truths.

A Visual Experience Unlike Any Other

This is not a text-heavy manual.


With over 300 AI-generated illustrations, appearing on nearly every page, the book transforms abstract ideas into instantly graspable concepts. The images function as:

• Teaching tools
• Metaphors
• Cognitive anchors

They make the learning memorable, engaging, and accessible especially for modern, visual learners.

Psychology, technology, and creativity come together in one immersive experience.

About the Author
Aaron Hoorwitz, PhD, is a licensed psychologist with decades of experience in psychotherapy, hypnosis, family systems, and communication theory. He is widely respected for his rare ability to explain complex psychological processes with clarity, depth, and compassion.


🔗 Learn more at his official website:
https://sites.google.com/view/aaronhoorwitz/home
🔗 View his professional profile on Psychology Today:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/aaron-hoorwitz-latham-ny/300252

Experience the Ideas—Through Conversation

In a fitting extension of the book’s forward-thinking approach, readers can also explore its concepts interactively through Aaron’s Chatbot a conversational guide based on the book’s teachings.


If you already use ChatGPT, you can begin interacting here:
https://chatgpt.com/g/g-694aaf81ea4481918c6aaa5187d04c98-aaron-s-chatbot
(Please note: device compatibility may affect access.)

Why This Book Is a Must-Have
This book is essential reading for anyone who:

• Wants calmer, more connected parenting
• Misses emotional closeness in their relationship
• Works with people professionally or personally
• Is curious about ethical influence and everyday hypnosis
• Values both psychological science and spiritual wisdom

It doesn’t just teach communication.


It changes how conversations feel.

👉 Visit Dr. Aaron Hoorwitz’s website to explore the book and his work:
https://sites.google.com/view/aaronhoorwitz/home
👉 Connect through Psychology Today:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/aaron-hoorwitz-latham-ny/300252
👉 Experience the ideas firsthand through Aaron’s Chatbot:
https://chatgpt.com/g/g-694aaf81ea4481918c6aaa5187d04c98-aaron-s-chatbot

Where to Purchase
Rules of Thumb for Taming the Monsters Within Us by Aaron Hoorwitz, PhD
Readers can purchase this groundbreaking illustrated guide in Hardcover or Paperback from the following trusted retailers:

🛒 Amazon
Hardcover:
https://www.amazon.com/Rules-Thumb-Taming-Monsters-Within/dp/B0GGVVWXR7
Paperback:
https://www.amazon.com/Rules-Thumb-Taming-Monsters-Within/dp/B0GGVP63QV

📚 Barnes & Noble
Hardcover:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rules-of-thumb-for-taming-the-monsters-within-us-aaron-noah-hoorwitz/1149209392]Paperback:[/b]
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rules-of-thumb-for-taming-the-monsters-within-us-aaron-noah-hoorwitz/1149209392]🏛️ The Ewings Publishing[/b]
Hardcover & Paperback:
https://www.theewingspublishing.com/product/rules-of-thumb-for-taming-the-monsters-within-us/

Whether you’re a parent, partner, professional, or lifelong learner, this book offers tools you’ll return to again and again. Choose your preferred format and begin transforming the way you listen, connect, and communicate—starting today.

Contact Information

April Andrews

FulFillment Officer

The Ewings Publishing

Contact via E-mail