“One day I am going to be the world’s greatest poet. I’m going to get people like Kenneth Petrucci… He gave me a lot of ideas. One day I want to be as good as him,” Muhammad Ali is quoted as saying in 1976.

Petrucci and Ali crossed paths at a hotel were they talked where they got into a conversation about how people don’t realize how they are viewed by others. It occurred to Petrucci Ali’s quote was ideally suited for the cover of his book “What to do when people become difficult even if the difficult person is you.” 

In a recent interview Petrucci said his book has not only reached the shelves of bookstores and Rhode Island libraries, but it’s also found its way into the hands of MSNBC’s “Hardball” host Chris Matthews, Cranston Mayor Allan Fung as well as WJAR anchor Gene Valicenti.

Petrucci, who describes himself as a psychotherapist, didn’t write his book just for celebrities.

Petrucci called his 2015 book much more than a book, saying that it is also a movement. One that he found has made people impacted by the book comfortable enough to approach him and share their stories. He said that a doctor going through the early stages of a divorce brought the book home and it helped in trying to keep the married couple together. Another woman, he said, patched up a relationship with her mother after reading it. Its 39 sections offer a variety of situations that readers may find themselves in. 

This Saturday from 12:30 to 3 p.m. Petrucci will lead an interactive workshop at the Pontiac Free Library. He will talk about his book, described as a “handbook in dealing with human beings”. The book’s 224 pages cover situations such as handling difficulties when returning an item, preparation for consulting an attorney and how to deal with customer complaints.

Raised in Providence, Petrucci traveled to study, earning degrees at the University of Memphis and later, the University of Houston. It Houston, Petrucci hosted a self-development talk show where he would answer psychological questions from callers. Petrucci wanted to offer much more than what he previously knew, so he set out for a degree that would help provide better answers to those who called in.  

He was asked by the Community College of Rhode Island to lead a seminar based on his life’s work and findings. He then continued leading those workshops in the state for 10 consecutive years. After traveling back and forth from Houston, he moved back home to Rhode Island to be with family.

He said recent workshops are based on the effective principles written inside the book. He will take questions and answer them, but will also make a point to help the audience understand that they may be a difficult person for other people just as others are difficult for them.

“One of the reasons we don’t want to take responsibility for our lives is because it takes time, energy and effort to learn and to grow,” Petrucci said.

Within the workshop, Petrucci said that the audience interacts with him and with others – it is not simply just a lecture. He takes pride in his hands-on approach to this subject. The event also doesn’t fully end right at 3 p.m. A flier says that Pontiac Free Library will loan Petrucci’s book to library cardholders on a first come, first serve basis. But for those who aren’t able to take a copy home from the library or would rather have their own, Petrucci’s book is only $10. He said that the book is worth more, but he wanted to keep his book affordable for anyone who might like one.

For anyone hesitant to attend the event, Petrucci said that it’s important to develop a life skill of learning, especially about themselves.

“We have two choices,” he said. “To make as much as we can of the time we’re here. Or to decide not to make as much of the time we have here.”

To register for Saturday’s workshop call the Pontiac Free Library at 737-3292. Petrucci will also host a workshop at Rogers Free Library in Bristol on Sunday, Feb. 23.