Everyday slights eat away at people,” said Chicago Tribune columnist Jon Yates, “Sometimes it’s easier to forget about it than fight the battle. But, when you stand up for yourself, you’re standing up for others. We’re all in this together.”

Yates has been writing the consumer-advocate column “What’s Your Problem?” in the pages of the Chicago Tribune since 2005. Now, he’s come out with a book by the same title. It’s filled with practical advice on how readers can become their own problem solvers. Yates will be signing copies of his book on Thursday, January 5th, at 6:00 p.m., at the Billy Goat Tavern, 430 North Lower Michigan Ave.

The Iowa native first got into journalism with the quaint idea he might be able to help people, but admits consumer activism kind of “goes against my nature.”

“I was shy. I never spoke up in class. Writing the column has really helped me get out of my shell,” Yates said. “My approach is to start off nice. If nice doesn’t work, I give ’em hell. I’m not super-aggressive by nature but it’s amazing what you can accomplish by asserting yourself.”

Each week, Yates receives about 200 pleas for help. “Some are shocking, some are quirky and others fit universal themes,” he said. Dissatisfaction with contractors, for example, could be a genre unto itself.

“I contact the complainer, get documented proof of their problem and go to the company they’re complaining about,” Yates said. “They’re often unaware of what they did.”

The threat of bad publicity from the Tribune usually suffices to have the situation rectified. Still, there are problems that even Yates can’t solve.

“I print the ones I can’t help,” he said. “Readers step up with money, legal services. Many get resolved by other readers.”

The book What’s Your Problem? takes this to another level by instructing the reader how to become self-reliant in their own consumer wars. There is certainly plenty of need for these skills.

“There are so many sad stories. The ones in my column are just the tip of the iceberg,” he said. Many of Yates’ correspondents are simply “upset they’re not being listened to. Sometimes the money doesn’t count. They’re seeking a sense of justice.”

What’s Your Problem? offers hope to these sufferers. It gives tips on how to resolve billing problems, disputes with utilities and medical insurance denials.

“Threatening to leave and go to another provider is the best tool you have,” Yates said. The book also instructs consumers on how to find allies. “Every industry has watchdogs who can advocate on your behalf. There are state, federal and local agencies that regulate airlines, banks, funeral homes and car dealerships.”

Since the start of the recession, Yates said he’s detected a greater level of desperation among his readers.

“The tone is a little different. A lot more people are living on the edge.” Yates advocates for those seeking home loan modifications, seniors who have been mistreated by contractors and those with “phone bills larded-up with charges.”

“I help people on an individual basis. I get do something that makes a difference. I’ve helped people get their citizenship. I’ve gone to their swearing-in ceremony. It sticks with you forever.”