CONTROL is all around us-between husbands and wives, boyfriends and  girlfriends, parents and children, teachers and students, and bosses and  employees.  Even though LaMont Prospect earned a Bachelor's Degree in  English (UW-Madison), a Master's Degree in Social Work (UW-Milwaukee)  and a Doctorate in School Psychology (Loyola University-Chicago), this  book does not preach or tell people what to do or how to live their  lives.  It has no psychological jargon or textbook language.  If someone  was to say "you need to do A, B, C and D with your life," that would be  controlling.  Of the 44 chapters, thirty-four are real stories about  real people and how the need for control ruined their lives and the  lives of others around them.  The other 10 chapters are about entities  that try to control people.  While some of these entities may seem  rather obvious, most forms of control are very subtle.  The goal is to  help readers recognize unhealthy forms of control and how to deal with  it.

About LaMont Prospect

        LaMont  Prospect was born in Racine, WI.  After earning a BA in English  (UW-Madison, 1981), he worked in the Racine Theatre Guild where he  landed leading roles in "The Drunkard," "A Bed Full of Foreigners," and  "The Three Cuckolds".  Upon returning to Madison to complete a minor in  Theatre/Arts, he was cast as William Shakespeare in an MFA production of  "Dark Lady of the Sonnets." For a brief time, he worked professionally  in the improv comedy group "The Ark" (Joan Cusack among its cast  members) and subsequently appeared in three independent films:  "Momma's  Boy," "Tagged," and "An Addict for my Addictions."
           Prospect's acting career was side-tracked, however, when the demands of a  family business took him to Florida to manage a 40-acre orange grove.   Eventually, he moved to Milwaukee to work in the family travel agency  which afforded him the opportunity to visit Japan, Taiwan, China, Italy,  Greece, England, Portugal, Kenya, Canada, and the Netherlands.  
          After leaving the family business, Prospect earned an MS in Social Work  (UW-Milwaukee, 1993), and also co-authored the article "Behavioral  Profiles of Pre-School, Latency, and Teenage Female Incest Victims"  (Child Abuse and Neglect) with Professor Elizabeth Sirles.  He completed  his PhD in School Psychology (Loyola University of Chicago, 1999), with  his dissertation-"Raising Math Scores on the Illinois Goals Assessment  Test"-involving 1200+ children in the Chicago Public Schools.  Licensed  in both School Psychology and School Social Work, Prospect has been  employed as a School Psychologist in the Milwaukee Public Schools for  the last 10 years, where he  has worked with hundreds of students,  teachers, principals and parents both in regular and special education.
           In 2008, Prospect published CONTROL-A Book About People With An  Excessive Need to Control Other People Or Things And About People Who  Allow Themselves to Be Controlled By Other People And Things.  Prospect  has been exhibiting CONTROL all over the U.S. at such places as the 2009  NY Center for Independent Publisher's Book Fair, the 2009 LA Times  Festival of Books Fair, the 2009 Printer's Row Chicago Book Fair, the  2009 Wisconsin State Fair, the 2009 Decatur Book Festival (GA), and the  2009 Miami Book Festival.   

Discussion Points with LaMont Prospect,

Author of CONTROL

1. What was the impetus that inspired you to write CONTROL?
      One day, I woke up and began thinking about my life.  I realized that  even though I have a good education and a good job, I did not feel  entirely happy.  I began to examine people and things around me.  I  started to think about the affect certain people and things can have  over your life.  This is what inspired me to write this book.

2. How does "control" manifest itself into our everyday lives?
      The excessive need for control is all around us.  It can affect us in  jobs, relationships, and even in school.  If one is not able to  recognize how a person or thing is affecting them, a person may end up  living someone else's version of their and never self-actualize or live  the life one was intended to live.  This book examines the way an  excessive need for control can affect husbands and wives, boyfriends and  girlfriends, parents and children, teachers and students as well as  bosses and employees.  

3. How did you find people who were willing to relate personal narrative and be open with you about their control issues?  
      All of the stories were written through observation and personal  experience.  In order to protect any of the relatives or friends of  people I knew, the names were changed in the book.  Other than that, the  stories are all true and nothing was embellished.

4.  What insight can you give to those who suffer from control issues (both victims and aggressors)?
       The book was written to help both victims and aggressors recognize  unhealthy forms of control.  Often times, a person may not even know  that they are being controlled or acting in a controlling manner because  many forms of control are very subtle.  Once a person is able to  recognize these unhealthy forms of control, it is up to them to find the  best way to avoid such situations or work towards a better life no  matter how bleak a circumstance may be.

5.  Who is your intended audience for CONTROL?  Who would benefit most from reading your book?
      Since control (or the attempt at it) is something that almost everyone  has to deal with, this book is for everyone.  It should be noted that  this book does not offer any easy answers.  Many situations that involve  control are quite complicated, and some situations vary depending upon  the person you are dealing with, such as a mother, a father, a boss, or  friend.

6.  How do people become "control freaks"?

 I  prefer to say "people with an excessive need for control" rather than  using a label like "control freak."  Often times, a person's attempt to  control someone may be in direct relation to how chaotic things are  within that person.  The more chaotic things may be for an individual,  the more he or she may have a desire to control other people and  things.  Depending upon the situation, a person may voluntarily decide  to try to control another person, or in some instances, be asked to do  it.  The desire to control someone or allow yourself to be controlled  may be conscious or unconscious.