Never Be Lied to Again: How to Get the Truth In 5 Minutes Or Less In Any Conversation Or Situation

Never Be Lied to Again: How to Get the Truth In 5 Minutes Or Less In Any Conversation Or Situation
Average customer rating:

A painful read with some useful information

Wonderful

Great Book!

Fun and useful

Excellent book

Never Be Lied to Again: How to Get the Truth In 5 Minutes Or Less In Any Conversation Or Situation
David J. Lieberman
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Get Anyone to Do Anything: Never Feel Powerless Again--With Psychological Secrets to Control and Influence Every Situation

Reading People: How to Understand People and Predict Their Behavior- -Anytime, Anyplace

The Art of Seduction

The 48 Laws of Power

The Definitive Book of Body Language

ASIN: 0312204280

Amazon.com

When liars are being accused of something, they'll stay calm because they're working on their rebuttal; this is why detectives were suspicious of O.J. Simpson when he didn't express outrage when accused of murdering his ex-wife and Ronald Goldman. Never Be Lied to Again is bursting with tested tips like this for quickly determining when you're being boondoggled. Body language, facial expressions, sentence structure, and word choice can all reveal when someone is lying, says psychologist David J. Lieberman, and he includes 46 of these "clues to deception" to help you, including tricks for framing questions without putting others on the defense. Once you use your newly honed "human lie detector" skills to figure out if you're being lied to, you can then dig for the truth using the specific, influential words and body postures that Lieberman suggests. Written with flair and humor, Never Be Lied to Again is designed to help you get the upper hand in any situation, whether you're trying to figure out if your spouse is cheating on you or if you suspect your coworkers are cooking the books.

Amazon.com Audiobook Review

It's difficult to have honest communication in a world where people bend the truth to fit their needs. Even more difficult is confronting a suspected liar in an open, forthright manner. In Never Be Lied to Again, human behaviorist Dr. Lieberman coaches listeners to face unfaithful lovers, colleagues, and employees. Lieberman introduces the tape and the remainder is read by male and female voices in varied tones. These different voices pinpoint numerous verbal and physical clues that will help you detect when people are lying; "attack sequences" and "silver bullets" allow you to initiate discussions with the guilty party. Although much of the information is geared to personal rather than professional situations, this tape is still a good resource for starting uncomfortable conversations. (Running time: 1.5 hours, one cassette) --Sharon Griggins

Book Description

How many times have you been manipulated or taken advantage of by someone's lies? Are you tired of being deceived, tricked, and fooled? Finally, renowned behaviorist David J. Lieberman shows you how to stop the lies and uncover the truth-- in any conversation or situation. In a simple, user-friendly format, Dr. Lieberman gives you the tools to determine, with uncanny accuracy, if you are being lied to.Utilizing newly developed techniques in hypnosis and psycholinguistics, this book also shows you how to easily influence anyone to tell the truth-- within minutes. Use it in any situation, from casual conversation to in-depth interviews. Never Be Lied to Again is chock-full of colorful examples and engaging scenarios to help you keep from being taken advantage of and give you that extra edge. Use these groundbreaking techniques to take control of every personal and business situation....and never be lied to again.

Customer Reviews:

A painful read with some useful information.......2007-09-14

This was a tough book to get through and failed to introduce much information that I didn't already know. The writing style was painful due to the authors choice to alternate the pronouns "he" and "she". He did this to avoid sounding sexist but pointing it out made it even more irritating. Most of the examples used were nap inspiring: "You think a student was cheating on her exam." Or unrealistic: "You suspect someone of selling you a puppy with a bad heart." Lieberman knows what he is talking about and the cover of this book looks great but the inside presentation could use a major overhaul. You don't have to read "Never Be Lied To Again" to know I am telling the truth.

Wonderful.......2007-09-05

In the past two weeks it has saved me over $200 at the mecahnics (I used one of the techniques in the book and found out he was lying to me about my brakes AND transmission) amd it has probably saved me a lot of heartache. (It turns out that a guy I had just met was married although he told me otherwise. He confessed to being married after about ten minutes when I used one of the advanced techniques on him) I'm not kidding--this stuff works like magic. This book could not have come at a better time. (Although I don't beleive in coincidences)

All in all,of the books I've read over the years,this is the most significant without adoubt. I can't say enough about it.

Great Book!.......2007-09-04

Another new bestseller which I highly recommend - The Exclusive Layguide: When Dating and Having Sex with Incredibly Hot Women is No Longer Mirage Even If You Don't Look Like a Model or Don't Make a Fortune

Fun and useful.......2007-08-07

I have mixed emotions about this book. On one hand, it does cover a lot of signs that you are being lied to, and if you know about them you will pay attention and will be more likely to figure out the truth. On the other hand, some methods for finding out the truth are really disturbing because the author advocates using lies and manipulations for discovering the truth. However, I would still recommend reading it. You don't have to use every suggestion in it - use what feels right for you. I especially found the first part of the book useful - this is where the author lists all the signs of lying (and there are a LOT of them, I think that he probably covered them all). The second part lists the aforementioned "strategies". All in all, I found the book fun to read and very useful, and it is up to the reader to chose to use the book defensively or offensively.

Excellent book.......2007-06-28

He explain the subject very well and he doesn't need a lot of lines for explain each ideias. I bought others books and he is a expert in the others subject too. (I'from Brazil and I recommed him)

Lies Women Believe: And the Truth that Sets Them Free

Average customer rating:

Proceed with an Open Mind
Liberating Book
lies women believe: and the truth that sets them free
Lies and Truths
Every woman should read this

Lies Women Believe: And the Truth that Sets Them Free
Nancy Leigh DeMoss
Manufacturer: Moody Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Women's Studies | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Religion & Spirituality Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Companion Guide For Lies Women Believe
Walking in the Truth: A Companion Study for Lies Women Believe
Becoming a Woman of Discretion: Cultivating a Pure Heart in a Sensual World
Lies Women Believe/Companion Guide SET of 2 books-shrink wrapped
A Place of Quiet Rest: Finding Intimacy with God Through a Daily Devotional Life

ASIN: 0802472966

Book Description

The lies Christian women believe are at the root of their struggles. In Lies Women Believe, Nancy Leigh DeMoss exposes areas of deception common to many Christian women -- lies about God, sin, priorities, marriage and family, emotions, and more. She deals honestly with women's delusions and illusions and then gently leads them to the truth of God's word that leads to true freedom.

Customer Reviews:

Proceed with an Open Mind.......2007-09-20

I am a young woman new to Christianity (less than three years as a Christian) so I purchased this book to get some insight on a religious woman's opinion of lies we believe.

This book is great in the fact that it has cited scripture to support what she is trying to convey to her readers. I find Christian books with scripture and biblical support easier to believe true than Christian books without it. So I begin with the good points. The book is broken down into three sections - the middle part being Lies Women Believe...(about marriage, etc). The best chapter in my opinion is "Lies Women Believe about God." I found this to be very helpful in the way she points out from the bible God's real love for us, and that we are never alone. It warmed my heart. The best part of the book includes the portions at the end of each chapter where you reflect on yourself in a worksheet page, which also includes a prayer while seeking the path of the Truth.

I come now to parts of this book I did not like, and much of her "lies we believe" I did not agree with. In one chapter about "Lies Women Believe About Children", she makes it sound as thought women in today's society are meant to be mindless baby machines meant only to serve their husband and trusting he always knows what's right. She makes it appear that a woman choosing to pursue a carreer and/or making the choice not to have kids is satanic and not God's purpose for us. She says that Satan wants to end all life; that he hates it. I agree with that but there are approximately 6 billion people on this earth (overcrowded as it is), and I don't believe that a few married couples (hundred, thousand or whatever) making the choice not to have children is going to make much difference.

To read this book, one must have an extremely open mind to the author's views on lies we believe as women. I am very open-minded, but there were some points she made as I stated above that I highly disagreed with.

Overall, I give it three stars since it had some good spots, but parts of this book were (ironically) very biased against women.

Liberating Book.......2007-08-07

This book is so liberating. Every Christian woman should have a copy of it. It is truly a book that enlightens you on what you "believe", how you "live" and who you are. The things we think but are not honest enough to speak.

lies women believe: and the truth that sets them free.......2007-07-13

I had the opportunity to order 7 books after I had gone to a retreat and the book was used and it really held my interest and the women that I shared the book with were very thankful.

Thank you for getting the books out fast.

Lies and Truths.......2007-05-28

As you may have guessed, there are both lies and truths in this book. However, they don't all come from the source that you might have thought. I'm afraid Demoss herself gives voice to certain lies that devoted Christian women, namely wives, have in regards to their husbands and how they should behave. Mixed with this are other more general views towards women as a whole, many of which Demoss is correct about.

First, the good stuff. While Demoss's view can definetly be defined as complimentarian, she is not one of those to encourage practical worship of the husband, as some over-the-top Christians are wont to do. In fact, two powerful truths that she mentions are vitally important for wives to understand. Firstly, she comes right out and says that the husband is NOT always right. Secondly, she warns wives that they are not always to submit if the husband tells them incorrectly. If hubby chooses to act sinfully, Demoss advises the wife stand away and let him take responsibility for his actions. Wise and very important advice to any woman who's been misled as to the wife's role, and Demoss is to be praised for it.

Unfortunately, not all advice for wives in this book was smart, or even safe. While Demoss admits that the husband cannot always be listened to, her overall view seems to be to cleave to the husband, at least in legal marriage, no matter what. In order to better illustrate her mis-points, I think I will adapt her method of first mentioning the lie or misconception and then explaining the faults. Here, then, are Demoss's points of advice which misfire:

Lie #1: If a woman rejects her husband's authority, she is rejecting his spiritual covering.

Nope. Never mind the authority issue, it is incorrect to think a husband may offer spiritual covering. Our only spiritual covering is Christ; no man can cover us from sin nor should he attempt to do so.

Lie #2 A: If a woman must remove herself and/or her children from a dangerous situation (i.e., her husband), she should still hold reverence for her husband's position.

Firstly, if a husband abuses his wife, he forfeits his title as husband. Secondly, if a woman flees a dangerous husband, she should remain away from him in body and soul! If she reveres him, she is still completely attached emotionally and a woman attached thus will most likely return to the dangerous man. With an abusive husband, a complete break must be made, physical and otherwise. Rule of nature: avoid the fire and you won't get burned.

B: After fleeing a dangerous husband, if a woman worsens the situation by her words or behavior, she can no longer claim God's protection.

Do I really need to explain the fault with this? To a psychologically beaten woman, this is code for, "stick with your bad husband or God will smite you!" Abused women don't need this awful guilt trip.

C: A woman should wait for her abusive husband to be restored to God's authority.

Once a man gives up his honorable title as husband, he's on his own and should no longer expect the wife's support. Nine times out of ten, a dangerous man will not change, at least not as long as the wife waits around dependent on this hope. If your husband promises counseling, let him get it AWAY from you! Until he's 100% cured (which may never happen), you're still in the danger zone.

Lie #3: Every divorce is Satan's attempt to overthrow God's plan.

I hope all the divorcees out there enjoyed that little dig. Divorce is a shame, but sometimes it's because the marriage should never have taken place. Like it or not, some marriages are harmful and in those cases, Satan would most likely be telling you to stay in it! Satan knows God's Word and he has used God's hatred of divorce to manipulate Christian women and men into staying in harmful marriages, with of course the imminent (and false) threat that God will smite them if they don't.

If you insist on reading this book, I would advise it for single women rather than married. Perhaps it's because Demoss isn't married (though to be fair, many married women have made the same blunders as she has in their advice), but her strength definetly lies in her advice to single women. Her words of true beauty and how Godly faith in yourself is better than worldly self-esteem are especially helpful. Like so many guidebooks, take with a grain of salt if you take it at all

Every woman should read this.......2007-05-26

To some extent, the title of this book turned me off. It sounded too cliche. But I'm glad I read it, because there's nothing cliche about this book. These are truths which too many of us have simply never been introduced to. It can change the way you see yourself, others, & the world around you. It's hard at times, kind of in-your-face, but it's lessons we all need to learn.

Reasons to Believe: How to Understand, Explain, and Defend the Catholic Faith

Average customer rating:

This book will stimulate deep thinking
Reasons to Believe
One part OK, one part fascinating, one part valuable
Good start to apologetics
It was a good read

Reasons to Believe: How to Understand, Explain, and Defend the Catholic Faith
Scott Hahn
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Religion & Spirituality Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Jesus of Nazareth
The Apostles
The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth
Ordinary Work, Extraordinary Grace: My Spiritual Journey in Opus Dei
Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light

ASIN: 0385509359
Release Date: 2007-05-08

Book Description

This book unravels mysteries, corrects misunderstandings, and offers thoughtful, straightforward responses to common objections about the Catholic faith.

Bestselling author Scott Hahn, a convert to Catholicism, has experienced the doubts that so often drive discussions about God and the Church. In the years before his conversion, he was first a nonbeliever and then an anti-Catholic clergyman.

In REASONS TO BELIEVE, he explains the "how and why" of the Catholic faith—drawing from Scripture, his own struggles and those of other converts, as well as from everyday life and even natural science. Hahn shows that reason and revelation, nature and the supernatural, are not opposed to one another; rather they offer complementary evidence that God exists. But He doesn't merely exist. He is someone, and He has a personality, a personal style, that is discernible and knowable. Hahn leads readers to see that God created the universe with a purpose and a form—a form that can be found in the Book of Genesis and that is there when we view the natural world through a microscope, through a telescope, or through our contact lenses.

At the heart of the book is Hahn's examination of the ten "keys to the kingdom"—the characteristics of the Church clearly evident in the Scriptures. As the story of creation discloses, the world is a house that has a Father, a palace where the king is really present. God created the cosmos to be a kingdom, and that kingdom is the universal Church, fully revealed by Jesus Christ.

Customer Reviews:

This book will stimulate deep thinking.......2007-10-02

There are other good reviews here that do an excellent job of summarizing the content and organization of this well-written book. "Reasons to Believe" was not exactly what I was expecting, but was both informative and satisfying. Hahn is a theologian, not a lay apologist, and in this book he writes for the reader interested in the theology of this topic. "Reasons to Believe" is informative and satisfying, because it goes into the underlying theology of apologetics, and that is essential to the serious student. Because I earned minors in both theology and philosophy in college, I was able to digest this material quickly. However, for the person with no formal theological background, the book might feel like a little bit of a stretch at first. Having said that, Dr. Hahn is an outstanding writer. He is always clear, logical and understandable. Stay with the book and you will learn quite a bit. However, you probably won't fly through this book. It is worthwhile to take in a little bit each time, and give it some thought before going on. This book can get you to think on a very deep level. It's one I will probably re-read several times over the next few years.

Reasons to Believe.......2007-09-11

This is an excellent book for anyone interested in apologetics. Scott Hahn has a way with words that makes the concepts of Augustine and Aquinas very readable.

I would recommend this text for teaching adults and high school students.

Best book I have read on the subject.

Frank G.

One part OK, one part fascinating, one part valuable.......2007-09-02

This book is really three things in one. The first part of the book is a straightforward defense of the faith, where Mr. Hahn briefly answers many of the common misconceptions about Catholicism with rational argument, and then through Biblical analysis. This segment seems to be written mainly for Protestant inquirers and Catholics who want to be better equipped to defend the faith. While very well written, there are many other sources of apologetics that treat these subjects in far more detail (Hahn mentions a number of them himself).

The second part of the book is a high level interpretation of the Catholic Church considering the Bible - Old Testament and New - as an epic story about a kingdom. Hahn starts with the first words of Genesis and wraps up 40 or 50 pages later in Revelation. His view casts the Catholic Church in a new light, and a fuller one than I had ever imagined. Hahn, a Biblical scholar, is able to connect the dots between the ancient meaning of the Biblical texts and what we experience today of Christianity and the Church. In presenting his case, Hahn does much more than defend the faith - he puts the Bible in a clear perspective, transforming it from a collection of seemingly unconnected parts into a unified whole. This has value for readers of every stripe.

The third part of the book is an extremely lengthy list of recommended reading. Actually it is more than a list. Hahn takes the trouble to explain what the books are about and why they are important, and there are enough of them to last a lifetime. I'd say the list alone is worth the price of the book.

Good start to apologetics.......2007-08-26

Good summary, for laymen (and women!). Good jumping off point for undestanding how to defend the true faith.

It was a good read.......2007-08-23

I enjoyed this book. I think it should have been a little more comprehensive. I had a problem understanding his theological jargon a little bit. I think he sometimes forgets that we are not his University students when he is writing his books. he needs to clarify a little more and pretend he is writing to 8th graders. ;)

This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women

Average customer rating:

Superb
great cd
Nuggets of Treasure
The best gift book you can give, this I believe
Unbelievably inspirational in an everyday kind of way

This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women

Manufacturer: Henry Holt and Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Motivational | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Personal Transformation | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Health Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Religion & Spirituality Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Faith Club: A Muslim, A Christian, A Jew-- Three Women Search for Understanding
The Last Town on Earth: A Novel
Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them (P.S.)
The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream

ASIN: 0805080872
Release Date: 2006-10-03

Book Description

An inspiring collection of the personal philosophies of a group of remarkable men and women

Based on the National Public Radio series of the same name, This I Believe features eighty essayists—from the famous to the unknown—completing the thought that begins the book’s title. Each piece compels readers to rethink not only how they have arrived at their own personal beliefs but also the extent to which they share them with others.

Featuring a well-known list of contributors—including Isabel Allende, Colin Powell, Gloria Steinem, William F. Buckley Jr., Penn Jillette, Bill Gates, and John Updike—the collection also contains essays by a Brooklyn lawyer; a part-time hospital clerk from Rehoboth, Massachusetts; a woman who sells Yellow Pages advertising in Fort Worth, Texas; and a man who serves on the state of Rhode Island’s parole board.

The result is a stirring and provocative trip inside the minds and hearts of a diverse group of people whose beliefs—and the incredibly varied ways in which they choose to express them—reveal the American spirit at its best.

Customer Reviews:

Superb.......2007-09-07

I bought this book after accompanying a friend to a book signing by Gediman in Cleveland last night. I had no idea what the NPR show, on which the book is based, was about but I'm very glad that I went - one of those fortuitous moments causing a small but perceptible expansion of ones world.

The premise of the show/book is people from all walks of life and nations are requested to submit a 350-500 word essay about "This I Believe". No preaching or dogmatic style is allowed, with the focus of the essays being on the greater essence of what it means to be human, alive and existing in this wonderful universe. The show initially aired in the early 1950's as the brainchild of Ward Wheelock (initiated the idea after his wife died and provided the funding), William Paley and Donald Thornburgh (CBS radio execs) and Edward Murrow (radio broadcaster).

Invitations were sent out to the famous of the time to submit their essays. Contributors included Hoover, Einstein, Truman, Barb Stanwyck, Thomas Mann, Jackie Robinson etc. Following the request of one listener contributions were sought from folks from all walks of life as opposed to the merely famous. The show aired daily for 4yrs gaining huge success around the globe. Alas for one reason and another the show came to an end in 1955.

The concept of "This I Believe" essays lay dormant until March 2003 when Gediman found a copy of essays from the 1950's series and realised that much of what they contained then was as pertinent today - a nation at war, health, government, science, philosophy etc. And so the whole concept, via NPR, was resurrected and has become a firm favourite of the NPR audience.

Anyone is requested to submit their essay, submission guidelines are provided in the book. Authors of the best ones received are requested to record them and then they're aired on the show. 80 essays are collected in this book combining some from the original 1950's shows along with ones from the current. (All of the stories submitted so far, some 19000, are available online). A variety of topics are touched upon in peoples personal philosophies from being nice to the pizza delivery guy through to international collaboration being the only way for humanity withstand its global pressures through to the inspiration to be found while looking up at the stars. Contributors include Bill Gates, Warren Christopher, Colin Powell, John McCain, John Updike, Leonard Bernstein, Penn Jillette (of Penn and Teller) through to hospital clerks, schoolteachers, fashion designers and an autistic.

You might not agree with all the beliefs presented in the book (and why should you?) but there certainly is much there to ponder. One of the bonuses is for me is the lack of ram-it-down-your throat, my-way-or-the-highway bombast that plagues so much contemporary religion - religion/god is touched upon but in the loftier sense of man's search for meaning as opposed to the fire and brimstone of the pulpit.

Each essay is well written and even though succinct, manage to get across the pertinent points of the authors beliefs. The book certainly lends itself to random browsing (the essays are ordered by authors surname), and with no topic or index you have no idea what you are going to get in to with each.

Highly recommended - and who knows, it might compel you to submit your own essay.

great cd.......2007-08-09

great cd some esseys suck amazon ripped me off said it qualified for free shipping the charged me more to ship it than the cd cost thanks Amazon for screwing me on the shipping

Nuggets of Treasure.......2007-05-16

If you're looking for a book you can read in one sitting, this is not the one. "This I Believe - The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women" is a powerful collection of essays based on the National Public Radio series of the same name. The book is edited by Jay Allison, host and curator, and Dan Gediman, executive producer, of This I Believe. These editors are donating their proceeds to This I Believe, Inc. a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the mission of This I Believe.

Eighty essayists contributed to this book, each one penning concise expressions of their thought processes following the book's title. From the world-renowned Bill Gates, Colin Powell, Gloria Steinem, Helen Keller, John McCain, and Carl Sandburg, to the hometown lawyer, professor, part-time clerk, and tone-deaf music lover, each one spoke of their deepest beliefs in life. From reflections on kindness, generosity, and compassion, to staunch convictions about democracy, freedom, and war, these essays touch chords every reader will hear in their hearts and minds.

Novelist Isabel Allende, niece of Chilean president Salvador Allende, writes, "Give, give, give--what is the point of having experience, knowledge, or talent if I don't give it away? Of having stories if I don't tell them to others? Of having wealth if I don't share it? I don't intend to be cremated with any of it! It is in giving that I connect with others, with the world, and with the divine."

Grammy award winner, singer-songwriter, and actor Loudon Wainwright III says, "I believe in the power of inspiration, in the mysterious gift of creation. Creation with a small "c," that is, creation as in one's work, hauling a day's catch. When I write a song, I'm happy for a few days and it's not just because I've been reassured that I still have a job, though that's certainly part of it. Mostly I'm happy, I think, because I've experienced a real mystery. I haven't the slightest idea how it happened or where or from whom or what it came. I'd prefer not to know. In fact, I'd prefer not to talk about it anymore. It might scare the fish away."

[...]

The best gift book you can give, this I believe.......2007-05-12

There is something for eveyone. In a world of mad rushing and limited time, this book provides the profound and provocative in quick small doses--simply perfect!

Unbelievably inspirational in an everyday kind of way.......2007-05-06

This is my new favorite book! What i love (and hate) about it is that it's really best to only read a few pages per day. It's so difficult not to just keep on reading one story after another, but then i don't get the full benefit of being able to soak in all the wisdom. And it's great for reading out loud to friends.

Why We Believe What We Believe: Uncovering Our Biological Need for Meaning, Spirituality, and Truth

Average customer rating:

Very interesting and helpful
Why We Believe What We Believe
Well-written and compelling, although with obvious biases
An Astonishing Book

Why We Believe What We Believe: Uncovering Our Biological Need for Meaning, Spirituality, and Truth
Andrew Newberg , and Mark Robert Waldman
Manufacturer: Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Applied Psychology | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Neuropsychology | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Physiological Aspects | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Cognitive | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Psychology | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Behavioral Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Health Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Religion & Spirituality Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Science Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Why God Won't Go Away: Brain Science and the Biology of Belief
In Gods We Trust: The Evolutionary Landscape of Religion (Evolution and Cognition Series)
The Mystical Mind: Probing the Biology of Religious Experience (Theology and the Sciences)
The "God" Part of the Brain: A Scientific Interpretation of Human Spirituality and God
The God Gene: How Faith Is Hardwired into Our Genes

ASIN: 0743274970

Book Description

WHY DO YOU BELIEVE THE THINGS YOU BELIEVE? Do you remember events differently from how they really happened? Where do your superstitions come from? How do morals evolve? Why are some people religious and others nonreligious? Everyone has thoughts and questions like these, and now Andrew Newberg and Mark Waldman expose, for the first time, how our complex views emerge from the neural activities of the brain. Bridging science, psychology, and religion, they demonstrate, in simple terminology, how the brain perceives reality and transforms it into an extraordinary range of personal, ethical, and creative premises that we use to build meaning, value, spirituality, and truth into our lives. When you come to understand this remarkable process, it will change forever the way you look at the world and yourself.

Supported by groundbreaking research, including brain scans of people as they pray, meditate, and even speak in tongues, Newberg and Waldman propose a new model for how deep convictions emerge and influence our lives. You will even glimpse how the mind of an atheist works when contemplating God. Using personal stories, moral paradoxes, and optical illusions, the authors demonstrate how our brains construct our fondest assumptions about reality, offering recommendations for exercising your most important "muscle" in order to develop a more life-affirming, flexible range of attitudes.

You'll discover how to:

Recognize when your beliefs are altered by others

Guard against mental traps and prejudicial thinking

Distinguish between destructive and constructive beliefs

Cultivate spiritual and ethical ideals

Ultimately, we must always return to our beliefs. From the ordinary to the extraordinary, they give meaning to the mysteries of life, providing us with our individual uniqueness and the ability to fill our lives with joy. Most important, though, they give us inspiration and hope, beacons to guide us through the light and dark corners of the soul.

Customer Reviews:

Very interesting and helpful.......2007-09-11

Was struggling with faith. This book helped me sort things out. Very, very helpful.

Why We Believe What We Believe.......2007-08-24

I'm just about done reading this book and have enjoyed it very much. The author doesn't go on any tangents, go off the subject or include any difficult theories to weed through. The author does mentioned several scientific experiments but they are necessary to back up his findings. He doesn't bash people who believe in spiritual things but he doesn't sway that way himself he just looks at what he discovered with a scientific eye. I prefer books that don't bash other people with an opposing view but prefer someone who is looking for the reason of things with an open mind. I still would recommend that if you are a Christian you will need an open mind to enjoy this book.

Well-written and compelling, although with obvious biases.......2006-09-21

Andrew Newberg, professor of Radiology and Psychiatry, has written (along with Mark Robert Waldman) a sequel to his book, Why God Won't Go Away. The new book has strengths and weaknesses, but, should be of some interest to those who have an interest in spiritual matters and human behavior. The book is primarily written to address the question of how the brain works so that we arrive at what we believe to be true. The authors write from a spiritual perspective, but take numerous jabs at Christians and Christianity throughout the book. In contrast, New Age and Far Eastern religions seem to receive little or no criticism (co-author, Mr. Waldman seems to be into New Age type spirituality), and are actually endorsed. Likewise, atheists may not be entirely comfortable with the content, since it clearly challenges their cherished belief that that have no beliefs.

Even with this viewpoint bias, the first two parts of the book ("How the brain makes our reality" and "Childhood development and morality") are nothing less than fascinating. The topics are broad, so a lot of details are not included (especially supporting studies), although doing so would have increased the length considerably. Even so, I would have preferred more details and citations and a little of the controversy, which must be present in such a complex field. One gets the distinct impression that the results are not quite as neat and tidy as presented, and one wonders if studies that do not support the authors' premises are omitted as a form of viewpoint bias or just to save space.

A particularly interesting chapter entitle, "Ordinary Criminals Like You and Me," presents numerous experiments (many of which would be considered unethical today) that demonstrate that the vast majority of individuals will do extremely immoral acts, given the right conditions. For example, if enough people (planted experimental confederates) go along with a lie, test subjects will do likewise. In another study, participants "electrocuted" a "student" who was a "poor learner." Studies simulating prison conditions showed that the "officers" (experimental subjects) routinely mistreated the "prisoners" (also experimental subjects). In other experiments, subjects would usually act in selfish ways, rather than take the moral high ground. Newberg suggests that barring interception by our frontal lobes of our brain, all our actions would be immoral and selfish.

The book's third section, spiritual beliefs and the brain, presents Newberg's latest (and earlier) functional brain scan results on religious people. Previously, Newberg had studied the brain activity of Buddhists practicing meditation and Franciscan nuns practicing "centering prayer," a Roman Catholic method of meditating deeply on a specific biblical passage or concept. These results had shown similar patterns of brain activity for those meditating on "becoming one with the universe" or "inner peace" (Buddhists) and those meditating on God or the Bible. Both groups showed increased activity in the frontal lobes (primarily the prefrontal cortex), which represents the "attention area" and decreased activity in the parietal lobes (the "orientation area"). Each group interpreted their experience on the basis of their beliefs (e.g., inner peace for the Buddhists or God's presence for the nuns). In this book, Newberg added a third group - Pentecostal Christians who "speak in tongues." When analyzed, the brain scans showed increased activity in the thalamus (as in Buddhists and nuns). Speaking in tongues also resulted in high activity in the temporal lobes (involved in making emotions) and in the midbrain (probably resulting from the activities of speech and dance). Like Buddhists and nuns, Pentecostals represent a small percentage of the American population (probably only about 1% of Americans claim to speak in tongues). Newberg presented one case (not exactly a scientific sampling) of a spiritual atheist. Like the Buddhists, he practiced meditation, and presented with a brain scan similar to the Buddhists and nuns (though the actual scans were not shown in the book).

Also noteworthy was the finding of asymmetric thalamic activity in the Buddhists, nuns, Pentecostals, and even the one "spiritual" atheist, which is not found in the vast majority of people. The question arises whether these people are born with this asymmetry, resulting in the ability to play these mind games or whether the continual practice of the games themselves lead to the asymmetry. None of Newberg's studies were able to address these questions. An even more fundamental question concerns the rest of us, who lack the asymmetry, but still have religious beliefs. Maybe none of these studies really tell us anything about the kind of religious belief that most of us exhibit, since all the groups chosen for study represent extremely small minorities.

In conclusion, the book is well-written and compelling, although the obvious biases of the writers will probably annoy most Christian readers. The topic is complex and experimental design is difficult at best. Future studies will likely shed more light on this subject.

An Astonishing Book.......2006-09-21

This fascinating book examines how human beings construct their beliefs about everything: how we map the realities of the world, build moral and political beliefs, and develop religious and spiritual beliefs about the universe. The authors base their premises on neurobiological research and then they integrate their findings with contemporary psychology and sociology without ever becoming overly technical, a difficult feat when it comes to explaining the neurological processes of the brain.

The introductory chapter introduces the basic premises of the book, using the case history of a man who riddled with cancer and is about to die in a research hospital at UCLA. Placebo injections are given, and within a week all tumors disappear, but when newspaper reports describe the ineffectiveness of the medicine the patient thought he was taking, the tumors returned. The doctor convinced the patient that a "new and improved" medication was available, and again the tumors disappeared. The FDA then pronounced the medical study a failure, and again, the tumors returned. The authors return to this story throughout the book to explain how our beliefs can deeply influence the neurobiological processes in the brain.

In Chapter 3, the authors use numerous optical illusions to How the brain incorporates perceptual errors into its maps of the world. In this way, they show how many supernatural beliefs are literally perceived as real within the brain. In the next chapter, they show how different cognitive functions contribute to the foundations of everyday beliefs about reality, and how a child's brain is prone towards seeing monsters, believing in Santa Claus, and relying on magic to explain unusual occurrences in the world. The authors also show what happens in the brain when adults attempt to perceive the unperceivable, i.e. God and other spiritual realms.

In Chapter 5, Parents, Peas, and "Putty Tats," Newberg opens his chapter on developmental neuropsychology with a story of how his mother got him to eat his plate of peas. He uses this cute tale to show how early childhood beliefs can shape the remainder of one's adult life. The authors show how easy it is to implant false memories in children and adults, why autobiographical memories are faulty, and why false memories remain imprinted in various circuits of the brain well into adulthood. They also offer a brilliant integration of neurological development with the psychological development of morality (unfortunately, our brains begin to deteriorate in our thirties, and the likelihood of us changing our beliefs, especially inaccurate ones, becomes less and less the older we get.

As the title of Chapter 6 implies (Ordinary Criminals Like You and Me) we are not as moral as we like to think we are. Using brain scan research, they show how we are easily manipulated by authorities to lie, hurt and even kill. Ultimately, the more complex the moral dilemma, the longer it takes our brain to react. Thus we are likely to stand by and watch when others commit immoral acts.

In Chapter 7, Newberg describes his brain scan research with a group of Franciscan nuns engaged in prayer, and the authors suggest how spiritual beliefs become neurologically real in the minds of practitioners.

Chapter 8 includes the first brain scan study of Pentecostal practitioners who speak in tongues, and the findings show that this uniquely creative form of prayer is very different from other forms of spiritual practice, and is probably very similar to shamanic trance states, hypnotherapy, and certain altered states of consciousness brought about by drugs. The authors are careful to point out that Pentecostal practices are inherently beneficial and do not represent pathological processes of illness.

In Chapter 9, the authors conduct the first brain scan on an atheist who attempts to pray to God. They found that when a person focuses on opposing beliefs, a neurological dissonance takes place that prejudices the individual to reject them. Atheists are physiologically healthy individuals, even though they are one of the most despised groups in America. This chapter sheds light on why political parties tend to despise one another and goes a long way in explaining why there is so much religious discord in the world.

Finally, in Chapter 10, the authors discuss ways to become "a better believer" by developing a more cautious, skeptical, yet openminded approach when evaluating information from the media and from science. An overview of 27 forms of cognitive biases are presented, along with a systematic critique of prayer/religion research. They also summarize contemporary research on the placebo effect.

Overall, an astonishing book that was equally fun to read--but then again, that's what I believe.

All American: Why I Believe in Football, God, and the War in Iraq

Average customer rating:

a moron for the ages
Autobiography and Apologetic
RICK SHAQ GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "YOU AND I ARE THE "ALL-AMERICAN'S" THAT CAPTAIN McGOVERN IS TALKING ABOUT!"
Extraordinary
I wanted to like this book, but...

All American: Why I Believe in Football, God, and the War in Iraq
Robert Mcgovern
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Lawyers & Judges | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Military & Spies | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Military | Specialties | Law | Subjects | Books

Terrorism | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

September 11 | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Look Inside History Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

On Call In Hell: A Doctor's Iraq War Story
A General Speaks Out: The Truth About the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq
Don't Tread on Me: A 400-Year History of America at War, from Indian Fighting to Terrorist Hunting
The President, the Pope, and the Prime Minister: Three Who Changed the World
The Enemy At Home: The Cultural Left and Its Responsibility for 9/11

ASIN: 0061227854
Release Date: 2007-02-20

Book Description

First and foremost, this is virtually an exclusive story that few media outlets or the American public know about. Hard to believe when you read the below summary, but lucky for us:

In addition to being the vehicle for the author to become a major media force in the national debate on the war, this remarkable memoir will introduce the public to Captain Robert McGovern's inspirational rise as a boy who was one of nine children who rose to become a New Jersey high school football phenom and then a major NFL star as a linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the New England Patriots. Following this success, McGovern chose to leave football and receive his law degree from Fordham University in order to work in the New York City district attorney's office in the late 90s. Subsequently, he was a witness of the WTC attack on New York, which led to his decision to leave public life and join the U.S. Army as a prosecuting attorney for the military, resulting last year in his conviction (and death penalty sentencing) of the Middle Eastern but American–born Army Sergeant Hasan Akbar, who threw live grenades into the commissary tent of his fellow soldiers fighting the war in Kuwait.

Customer Reviews:

a moron for the ages.......2007-09-23

This simpleton of a jerk-off & his ilk are EXACTLY what is wrong with my country. I cannot f+cking wait to leave this country & never return. Enjoy your fascism.

Autobiography and Apologetic.......2007-09-20

Several reviews I have read have come down hard on the author for his stand on the war in Iraq. But this is his autobiography, the story of his life, and his opinion of the war is just one part of it. It is a well-written account of his childhood, his family, his education and his aspirations, and continues into his adulthood to the present time. He lets us know how he was trained by his parents to be unselfish and give back to the community some form of service, and this was undoubtedly the motivation for joining the Army Reserve, and eventually finding himself on active duty in Iraq.

A good part of his story comes before that. He was competing with his older brothers in athletics, trying to be as good as they had been in high school football, and then in college football. He received an athletic scholarship from Holy Cross, an enormous accomplishment in his eyes, and he was grateful for the opportunity. And then came pro football, four years of it on three different teams. He was pretty good at it, but not outstanding. He simply was not big enough (hefty, bulky) to be a great linebacker. He was thankful for this chance to make the big league, but took the advice of one of his coaches to give it up. From there he decided to study law and with his law degree took a job as an Assistant DA in New York City. Then came 9/11, to which he was an eyewitness. In his role as a US Army Reserve officer he volunteered to help. Immediately following, he applied for active duty, leaving his job as assistant DA, and became a prosecutor for the Judge Advocate General Corps, and then deployed to Afghanistan and later to Iraq. His experiences there were extraordinary because he was involved in the trial of Hasan Akbar, the US Army Sergeant who killed two Army officers and wounded a number of others when he threw hand grenades into the tents of the soldiers.

This is a well-written account of the life of a man who became a soldier in the US Army. Why would anyone find it strange that he has strong opinions in favor of the war in Iraq ? It is his contention that we are there as part of the war on terrorism. The patriotic feeling that he had on 9/11 was something that almost all of us shared at that time. For him it continued; for many of us it disappeared.

Should we still be in Iraq? That is a matter for debate, which has been ongoing for some time now. Captain McGovern feels that we are making a difference, and that is why we are still there.

This book is certainly worth reading, if only to gain some insight from a different perspective.

RICK SHAQ GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "YOU AND I ARE THE "ALL-AMERICAN'S" THAT CAPTAIN McGOVERN IS TALKING ABOUT!".......2007-07-25

The life story of Captain Robert McGovern, is almost "Forrest Gump" like. Rob is one of nine Irish Catholic children, born to Howard and Terry McGovern in New Jersey. Though born in New Jersey, if I were to describe his morals, character, and upbringing, I would describe it in the highest of terms, that most Americans would consider as "mid-western". One of the many, emotionally uplifting themes in this book, is the absolute, enduring, love, and respect, that Rob, constantly proclaims for his parents. He was raised from the beginning, to have high goals, and his older brothers got football scholarships to Holy Cross, as Rob also did later on, but with less fanfare. Just as importantly, he and his siblings were raised to "service" the community. To give something back, and Rob continued this process in college at Holy Cross and while in the National Football League, with outreach programs. When Rob graduated college, no one gave him a chance of making it in the NFL. But he was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs, as an undersized, underdog, linebacker, and special team's player. He lasted a few years with numerous teams, making the most of his non-star ability. The way he accomplished this, is with dogged, determination and dedication. To quote Rob: "Being the best at what you do has to be more important to you than partying or chasing girls or hanging out with your buddies. It has to be worth sacrificing the comforts and pleasures of an undirected life and replacing them with long hours of sweat and tears. In football, it also helps to be one tough character." At the end of Rob's short NFL career, he attended law school, and upon graduation, became an assistant D.A. in Manhattan. In keeping with his personal goal, of giving service to his community/country, he also joined the Army Reserves.

Then, on the forever-fateful day, of September 11, 2001, Rob was on the way to work in Manhattan, when he saw the smoke, and the planes, at the World Trade Center. He couldn't get to work, so he went home and put on the TV, and heard an announcement, that military men were needed at "ground-zero" to help look for bodies. Even though he was in the reserves, he donned his uniform, and went to "ground-zero", and helped recover the remains of victims for days. Rob, happened to be there, when President Bush arrived, and shook the Commander In Chief's hand, and was so moved, he decided he wanted to go on active duty and help America fight back. Because Rob was 38 years old, they wouldn't let him go on active duty. He persisted in every way possible, and was finally accepted as a Judge Advocate General. (JAG) He proceeded to go to Afghanistan and Iraq and assisted in "Rules Of Engagement" (ROE) enforcement. From there, he went in to criminal prosecution. He wound up on the successful prosecution team, that convicted Sergeant Hasan Akbar, probably the worst, United States Military criminal, in the last 30-40 years. To refresh your memory, Akbar, was the traitor, who the night before, we were going to launch Operation Iraqi Freedom, attacked his comrades, with grenades and small-arms fire. He wounded more than a dozen troops. Two were dead.

There is much more, to the life story, of a man who loves his country, loves his family, loves God, and has dedicated his life to enforcing freedom throughout the world, but let me conclude my review, by having Rob tell you why he named his book "All American". "You might wonder about the use of "All-American" in the title. First of all, let me say off the bat that I'm not talking about myself here. What is an "All-American" anyway? I've met some real "All-Americans- quiet, unassuming, heroic people who inspire students, protect us from crime, and defend our values. They are "All-American" in every sense of the phrase. I chose this title in part to pay tribute to these "All-American", I've been lucky enough to meet and work with through the years. I also chose it to pay special tribute to the men and women of our armed forces, especially those in the 82nd Airborne Division. That famous unit happens to be called the All-American Division."

Extraordinary.......2007-06-08

An extraordinary account of one good man standing tall for the best of American values.

I wanted to like this book, but..........2007-04-29

I am also a Captain in the Army, so I was excited to come across a written account of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan written by one of my peers. I thought this book would be interesting and relevant to my own experiences in Iraq. However, I was very quickly disappointed by the book's one-sidedness and lack of insight.

One of McGovern's main themes is that the positive stories from Iraq and Afghanistan are seldom reported, while violence and strife always make the nightly news. While there is truth to this, McGovern takes the opposite approach to the extreme. He cites children waving at soldiers and Iraqis voting as proof that US policies in Iraq are working and progress is being made, but he completely ignores any and all evidence to the contrary (worsening violence, Iraqi political ineffectiveness, millions of refugees fleeing the country, a steady decline of electricity and other services, children throwing rocks, etc).

By far, the biggest flaw in this book is that McGovern never addresses or acknowledges the negative impact of having an occupying army living and operating for years within a civilian population. In the effort to catch the terrorists, soldiers kick in doors, round up detainees, seize and destroy private property, create collateral damage and civilian deaths, etc. These are the unavoidable side effects of fighting a war. Add to that the unscrupulous actions of the soldiers at Abu Ghraib and Haditha, and you'll find that the longer we stay, the less popular we become, and the more support the insurgency receives from the local population. A recent poll indicated that over half of Iraqis now support attacks against American soldiers. By ignoring half of the issue, McGovern abandons a reasoned, balanced appraisal in favor of blind ideology and wishful thinking.

I haven't mentioned McGovern's career in the NFL or as an attorney, because the autobiographical aspect of this book is actually rather secondary to his promotion of US policy in executing the War on Terror. In this regard, none of his points are new, original, or insightful. Conservative ideology is haphazardly sprinkled throughout the book whether or not it is relevant to the ongoing story. For example, here is a quote from the NFL portion: "Of course, the hate [Vince] Lombardi was talking about was the football kind, not the hate that drives people to fly airplanes into buildings." By the time you reach the end of the book, it starts to sound like a White House press release from 2003. If you are primarily looking for a good inside account of the NFL, life in Iraq/Afghanistan, or the DA's office, this isn't the right book for you. If you're hells bells behind the war in Iraq and want to read something you're sure to agree with, then you might want to pick this up.

Average customer rating:

Truth of the Program
essential thought on "the God thing"
Keep coming back -- to "Came To Believe"

Came to Believe
AA Services
Manufacturer: Hazelden
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Alcoholism | Recovery | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Recovery | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Substance Abuse | Recovery | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Twelve-Step Programs | Recovery | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Health Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Living Sober
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
The Little Red Book
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
Alcoholics Anonymous - Big Book 4th Edition

ASIN: 0916856054

Book Description

The spiritual adventure of A.A. as experienced by individual members. Over 75 A.A. members from all over the world describe the wide diversity of convictions implied in "God as we understood Him." Especially helpful to those who confuse "spiritual" with "religious."

Customer Reviews:

Truth of the Program.......2007-03-15

The truth is that a newly-sober alcoholic named William Griffith Wilson -- a down-on-his-luck former Wall Street hustler who put on airs of having once been a prosperous stock broker -- just sat down, in December of 1938, and wrote up twelve commandments for the new religious group that he and fellow alcoholic Doctor Robert Smith had started. Those commandments were simply a repackaged version of the practices of a cult religion that was popular at that time, something called "The Oxford Group", or "The Oxford Group Movement", and later, "Moral Re-Armament" -- a religious cult that was created by a deceitful fascist renegade Lutheran minister named Dr. Frank Nathan Daniel Buchman -- a nut-case who actually praised Adolf Hitler and Heinrich Himmler.

Bill Wilson described the writing of the Twelve Steps this way:

Well, we finally got to the point where we really had to say what this book was all about and how this deal works. As I told you this had been a six-step program then.

The idea came to me, well, we need a definite statement of concrete principles that these drunks can't wiggle out of. There can't be any wiggling out of this deal at all and this six-step program had two big gaps which people wiggled out of.

Notice how Bill Wilson considered his fellow alcoholics to be a bunch of cheaters who will "wiggle out of this deal" if they can get away with it -- which Bill won't allow.

And note how Bill Wilson made himself the leader who was entitled to dictate the concrete terms of other people's recovery programs.
Also notice how Bill Wilson considered 'spiritual development' to be a business deal, with a contract that you can't wiggle out of, something like selling your soul in trade for sobriety.

Nowhere in the Twelve Steps does it say that you should quit drinking, or help anyone else to quit drinking, either. Nowhere do the words "sobriety", "recovery", "abstinence", "health", "happiness", "joy", "love", or "love", appear in the Twelve Steps. The word "alcohol" was only mentioned once, where it was patched into the first step as a substitute for the word "sin" -- Bill Wilson wrote,
"we are powerless over alcohol and our lives have become unmanageable",
instead of the Oxford Group slogan,
"we are powerless over sin and have been defeated by it".
And then the phrase "especially alcoholics" was patched into the 12th step as a suggested target for further recruiting efforts:
"...we tried to carry this message to others, especially alcoholics"...
(But regular non-alcoholic people were still fair game for recruiting into Bill's "spiritual fellowship"...)

The Twelve Steps are not a formula for curing or treating alcoholism, and they never were.
The Twelve Steps are not "spiritual principles" and they never were.
The Twelve Steps are cult practices that work to convert people into confirmed true believers in a proselytizing cult religion, just like Frank Buchman's so-called "spiritual principles" did.

1. The Twelve Steps do not work as a program of recovery from drug or alcohol problems.
The A.A. failure rate ranges from 95% to 100%. Sometimes, the A.A. success rate is actually less than zero, which means that A.A. indoctrination is positively harmful to people, and prevents recovery. Some tests have shown that even receiving no treatment at all for alcoholism is much better than receiving A.A. treatment:
One of the most enthusiastic boosters of Alcoholics Anonymous, Professor George Vaillant of Harvard University, who is also a member of the Board of Trustees of Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. (AAWS), showed by his own 8 years of testing of A.A. that A.A. was worse than useless -- that it didn't help the alcoholics any more than no treatment at all, and it had the highest death rate of any treatment program tested -- a death rate that Professor Vaillant himself described as "appalling". While trying to prove that A.A. treatment works, Professor Vaillant actually proved that A.A. kills. After 8 years of A.A. treatment, the score with Dr. Vaillant's first 100 alcoholic patients was: 5 sober, 29 dead, and 66 still drinking.
(Nevertheless, Vaillant is still a Trustee of Alcoholics Anonymous, and he still wants to send all alcoholics to A.A. anyway, to "get an attitude change by confessing their sins to a high-status healer." That is cult religion, not a treatment program for alcoholism.)
The A.A. dropout rate is terrible. Most people who come to A.A. looking for help in quitting drinking are appalled by the narrow-minded atmosphere of fundamentalist religion and faith-healing. The A.A. meeting room has a revolving door. The therapists, judges, and parole officers (many of whom are themselves hidden members of A.A. or N.A.) continually send new people to A.A., but those newcomers vote with their feet once they see what A.A. really is. Even A.A.'s own triennial surveys, conducted by the A.A. headquarters (the GSO), say that:
81% of the newcomers are gone within 30 days,
90% are gone in 3 months, and
95% are gone at the end of a year.
That automatically gives A.A. a failure rate of at least 95%. But the GSO does not count all of those people who only attend a few meetings before quitting -- they don't qualify as "members". (That amounts to "cherry-picking".) If we included them, then the numbers would be much worse.

First there is the propaganda technique of "everybody's doing it": "AA or a similar Twelve-Step program is an integral part of almost all successful recoveries".
That is a complete falsehood. The vast majority of the successful people recover without A.A. or any "support group". It's what "everybody" is doing.
Then they use the propaganda techniques of use of the passive voice and vague suggestions: "It is widely believed that not including a Twelve-Step program in a treatment plan can put a recovering addict on the road to relapse."
It is widely believed by whom? And what do those unnamed people know? What are their qualifications? Are they doctors? Medical school professors? Or salesmen for a 12-Step treatment center? Why should we care what some unnamed invisible fools allegedly believe, anyway?
The authors also use the propaganda technique of fear-mongering: you will be "on the road to relapse" -- you will probably die -- unless you practice Bill Wilson's Twelve Step cult religion.
And then the fluff-headed Pollyanna attitude is outrageous: Just going to the wonderful A.A. meetings is supposedly all that is needed to fix some alcoholics.
But since A.A. has a zero-percent success rate above and beyond the normal rate of spontaneous remission, that cannot possibly be true.

essential thought on "the God thing".......2006-11-03

I love this book. I'm a twelve-stepper who came to the program from a Christian fundamantalist childhood by way of a period recovering from that.

One thing I came to believe from reading this book was that a higher power is not comprehensible by me or anyone else living or dead. Many traditions have been established that attempt to essentialize something greater than the individual in ways that suit their own needs.

I'm fortnuate enough to be very well educated. I'm not into fairy tales. I do, however, experience many things about life that I cannot explain. This book helped me to understand that whatever shorthand various humans have assigned to the phenomena of life and their experiences is just that. Some power greater than myself, however, is a simple concept.

(I'm a literary sort and rate this book within the context of recovery literature and books that have made an impact on me. The prose is not where it's at with this one.)

Keep coming back -- to "Came To Believe".......1999-12-01

I dip into this AA World Services publication daily. I find it best to read one story at a sitting and reflect on the comments and experience of the recovering person -- most of the short reflections are peoples' spiritual experiences in recovery and they range from the "bolt of lightening" to the slow emergence of everyday spirituality. Keep it with your morning or evening meditation book(s) and dip into it. You'll "keep coming back."

Know What You Believe: Connecting Faith and Truth (Know What)

Average customer rating:

WONDERFUL resource!
An Excellent Primer to the Christian Faith
Good book no matter where you are on the Christian journey
very good on basics
reinforced dogma

Know What You Believe: Connecting Faith and Truth (Know What)
Paul E. Little
Manufacturer: Cook Communications Ministries (CO)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Religion & Spirituality Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Know Why You Believe: Connecting Faith and Reason (Know What)
How to Read Slowly (Wheaton Literary Series)
Know Who You Believe: The Magnificent Connection (Know What)
The Deadliest Monster: A Christian Introduction to Worldviews
How to Give Away Your Faith (Ivp Classics)

ASIN: 0781439647

Book Description

What does the Bible teach about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit? What do angels, Satan, and demons have to do with reality? What place should the Bible or a church have in my life? Perhaps you think you know what others are telling you to believe, but deep down inside you wonder, "What is really important to my own faith?" If so, you need to know...a Christian's faith must be grounded in truth! "I have deeply admired [Paul Little} as a man of God with Extraordinary insights into the work of God and boundless enthusiasm for communicating the Word of God" -Billy Graham "There are just a few timeless treasures in Christian literature. Know What You Believe is one of them. I am confident that the expanded and updated version of this book will be as important to this generation as it was in the days when I was a student." -Joseph M. Stowell, President, Moody Bible Institute "This updated classic stands ready to serve a whole new generation. Read it and let Paul help you understand the timeless biblical truths that will prevent you from being 'blown here and there by every wind of teaching.'" -Mark Mittelberg, Executive Vice President, Willow Creek Association

Customer Reviews:

WONDERFUL resource!.......2007-04-06

This resouce helped my college-aged daughter evaluate and nail down her own beliefs.

An Excellent Primer to the Christian Faith.......2006-07-16

Know What You Believe is an excellent synopsis of the fundamentals of the Christian faith. Paul E. Little proceeds with commendable logic by covering a low-level defense of the Bible, the properties of God and what sets Him apart from other gods, the nature and life of Christ, the significance of Christ's death on the cross, the relationship of man and sin, the work of the Holy Spirit, the implications and requirements of salvation, the biblical description of angels, demons, and Satan, the church universal and local, and a brief overview of the competing theories for the end times. If you are looking for a summary of all the elements of mere Christianity, this may be the book for you. If you are looking for the best scholarship has to offer on the nature of the Trinity, I recommend you look elsewhere.

Nevertheless, I do have one complaint against the book, and that is concerning the unfair treatment of Roman Catholocism. Although Know What You Believe will tend to be accepted by most mainline Protestant groups and some Roman Catholics, he does not give certain Catholic doctrines fair treatment, although he is quite willing to be fair to the Armenian/Calvinist debates. For instance, he denies the doctrines on Purgatory without giving at least giving a Catholic defense. It is fine to say that Purgatory is not a necessary element of Christian faith, but it would be better to leave it out of the book entirely than to set it and other Roman doctrines as straw man arguments and proceed to knock them down.

Despite this problem, I have found Paul E. Little's summary of the faith very useful in completing a sometimes fragmentary knowledge of Christian faith and ideas as they are taken from Scripture. This book is often useful even to long-term knowledgeable Christians as a reaffirmation of the faith, and sometimes an eye-opener to smaller details one might not have thought of before, such as the relationship between the body, spirit, and soul. The competing theories of the end times, although not comprehensive, is laid out in a very clear and readable format, allowing for even a more knowledgeable Christian to benefit from Little's style.

Good book no matter where you are on the Christian journey.......2006-06-26

The front cover description by Billy Graham of this book is amazingly accurate - "Scholarly, articulate, simple." Paul Little really does an amazing job of addressing the core essentials of the faith in less than 150 pages - from the nature of God, to the nature of man, from the importance of Christ's substitutionary death on the cross to His imminent return for His Bride, the Church. I especially liked the way that Little handed controversial issues, by giving an adequate description of both sides without seeking to interject his own opinions on several matters.

I also liked the flow of the book, beginning with the essential element of Scripture from which God has revealed Himself to man in a special manner to a chapter on the nature of God Himself. From there, Little explores the historical person of Jesus Christ and the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, upon which the entirety of Christianity rests. Once the concept of God's creation and the god-head itself are addressed, Little turns to the problem with the world - sin and the separation of man from his designed status as a child of God. Little then follows that with the chapter on the Holy Spirit, introducing the reader to the remainder of the Trinity and the special work of the Holy Spirit to convict man of his sin. Following this, Little turns to the good news of salvation and the redemption of man through the blood sacrifice of Christ. The remaining three chapters deal with other spiritual issues facing believers, including angels, Satan and demons, the role of the Church in the life of the believer, and the fundamentals of eschatology, or the "things to come" as Little phrases it.

The book is simply profound in its ability to cover such a wide gamut of ideas and principles giving just enough to address the issue without either boring the reader or leaving the reader without a proper understanding. A great book to suggest to every believer, regardless of where they are on their spiritual journey.

very good on basics.......2006-06-15

The author handles basic Christian faith very well, and uses some helpful examples and analogies that I haven't seen elsewhere.

I would unreservedly recommend this book to anyone who wants to become grounded on basic Christian docrine.

reinforced dogma.......2005-10-30

If you want your dogma reinforced then this is a great book. It blazes through philosophical arguments with proposterous nerve.

example 1. The problem of evil is solved thus:
"And God has done something about the problem of evil. He has done the most dramatic, costly, and effective thing possible by giving his Son to die for evil men."

example 2. To John Wisdoms damning parable, the book argues: "For in Christianity we do not have merely an allegation that the garden of this world is tended by a loving Gardener; we have the actual, empirical entrance of the Gardener into the human scene in the person of Christ (cf. John 20: 14,15), and this entrance is verifiable by way of His resurrection."

All of the arguments assume the ignorant position. The argument from design is entertained in the most ridiculous manner -arguing from the specific to the general. Reality is simple -we are here because things are the way they are -if they weren't, we wouldn't be here. Too many leaves in the teacup being read by those who want to see things that are not there. I'm afraid for humanity if they think this is knowledge.

God Doesn't Believe in Atheists: Proof That the Atheist Doesn't Exist

Average customer rating:

Ignorant, insulting, disgraceful.
Great book that proves God
Gotta love this guy
Good Proof for Christians
A Healthy Dose of Truth

God Doesn't Believe in Atheists: Proof That the Atheist Doesn't Exist
Ray Comfort
Manufacturer: Bridge-Logos Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Bible & Other Sacred Texts | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Scientific Facts in the Bible: 100 Reasons to Believe the Bible is Supernatural in Origin (Hidden Wealth Series)
Hell's Best Kept Secret: With Study Guide
The Way of the Master
The School Of Biblical Evangelism
How to Bring Your Children to Christ..& Keep Them There: Avoiding the Tragedy of False Conversion

ASIN: 0882709224

Book Description

This book proves to atheists that they don't exist, reveals to agnostics their true motives, and strengthens the faith of the believers. This book answers questions such as "Who made God?" and "Where did Cain get his wife?" The book uses humor, reason, and logic to send a powerful message. Here are some reactions from atheists who read the book . . .

Customer Reviews:

Ignorant, insulting, disgraceful........2007-08-02

Atheists obviously exist. Additionally, evangelical Christianity is hardly the only faith. God, if there is such a being, would be absolutely aware of persons of other persuasions. The title is nonsensical, insulting and degrading not just to atheists, but to persons of other faiths and denominations. It is especially so expressed in the form of a bumper sticker on a car parked on my street every day. The Pope recently proclaimed that God disapproves of evangelicals, and evangelicals objected to that, but at least the Pope did not suggest that God questions evangelicals' right to exist.

Great book that proves God.......2007-06-28

This book is incredible. I take that back, Comfort just lays the truth out in the best way that it can be laid out, because athiests will always have excuses. Comfort tackles many excuses atheists use and proves them wrong.

Great book

Gotta love this guy.......2007-05-01

Whatever else you might say about Ray Comfort, he's clearly got an ego on 'im. Whatever reason Ron Barrier may have had to decide not to debate Comfort, it's hard for me to believe that fear of the arguments contained here was one of them.

More likely, Ron felt that it was better to let Comfort's book stand without comment.

I suspect that a lot of Christians believe that atheists' numbers are rising because people like Richard Dawkins are putting out books that hit the bestseller lists and change a lot of minds. Frankly, I doubt that. I'd be willing to bet that almost everyone who read 'The God Delusion' was either already an atheist, or would NEVER be one. No, the reason that atheists' numbers are rising is because smart people hear the things Christians habitually say, and think "Wow, Christianity just seems ridiculous/dishonest."

So a book like this probably creates more atheists than a book like Dawkins'. After all, Ray Comfort is the man who brought us the infamous Banana Argument, an argument so completely idiotic that there's really not much point in refuting it -- if you've got any common sense at all, you can see for yourself what's wrong with it. If there's any trap that atheists tend to fall into, it's this: we feel compelled to respond to stupid arguments and explain exactly why they're stupid. We shouldn't. We don't need to. Smart people can recognize stupidity for themselves. And stupid people? Well, Christianity is welcome to them.

So, to readers of this book, you're in for a treat. The debate over God's existence has raged for thousands of years, but Ray Comfort says he has the answer. No ego there...

Oh, and Mr. Comfort? I just want to say thanks for the Banana Argument. We had a lot of fun with it.

Good Proof for Christians.......2006-12-28

I would say that this book is a better "faith-building" book for people who are already christians. Ray Comfort presents his logical arguements in a way that would appeal and make sense to a Christian, and it has greatly helped me. however, I doubt that an atheist would buy into his arguements. this book would be more for beginners.

A Healthy Dose of Truth.......2006-12-28

Those who profess atheism are themselves followers of a religion: the religion of secular humanism, and therefore an active assertion in denying God. Thus, all worldviews are religious worldviews. Comfort speaks lovingly, yet with fire. His logic is superb and he appeals to common sense, reason and the human conscience. This is the book that had American Atheists national spokesman Ron Barrier running scared. I highly recommend it as an apologetic to give to unsaved persons, or for Christians who want to know how to witness to atheists more effectively.

Don't Believe Everything You Think: The 6 Basic Mistakes We Make in Thinking

Average customer rating:

An excellent weapon in the battle against delusion
Extremely excellent book!
Excellent Book!
Extremely Interesting, Well Written, and Informative
This should be titled "Don't believe everything you hear"

Don't Believe Everything You Think: The 6 Basic Mistakes We Make in Thinking
Thomas E. Kida
Manufacturer: Prometheus Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Cognitive | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Cognitive Psychology | Behavioral Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Behavioral Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Health Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Science Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

A Mind of its Own: How Your Brain Distorts and Deceives
Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts
How We Know What Isn't So: The Fallibility of Human Reason in Everyday Life
Crimes Against Logic
The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil

ASIN: 1591024080

Book Description

Do you believe that you can consistently beat the stock market if you put in the effort? —that some people have extrasensory perception? —that crime and drug abuse in America are on the rise? Many people hold one or more of these beliefs although research shows that they are not true. And it's no wonder since advertising and some among the media promote these and many more questionable notions. Although our creative problem-solving capacity is what has made humans the successful species we are, our brains are prone to certain kinds of errors that only careful critical thinking can correct. This enlightening book discusses how to recognize faulty thinking and develop the necessary skills to become a more effective problem solver. Author Thomas Kida identifies "the six-pack of problems" that leads many of us unconsciously to accept false ideas:

· We prefer stories to statistics.

· We seek to confirm, not to question, our ideas.

· We rarely appreciate the role of chance and coincidence in shaping events.

· We sometimes misperceive the world around us.

· We tend to oversimplify our thinking.

· Our memories are often inaccurate.

Kida vividly illustrates these tendencies with numerous examples that demonstrate how easily we can be fooled into believing something that isn't true. In a complex society where success—in all facets of life—often requires the ability to evaluate the validity of many conflicting claims, the critical-thinking skills examined in this informative and engaging book will prove invaluable.

Customer Reviews:

An excellent weapon in the battle against delusion.......2007-08-30

I liked how well-written this book is. It's point is simple: Our brains aren't made for critical thinking. We can easily end up fooling ourselves if we're not careful. Kida lists the six basic mistakes that we continually make in formulating our beliefs. Bad beliefs costs money (fake psychics), time (superstitious behaviour) and even lives (quack therapies).

This is absolutely essential reading for those who would like the world to be a better place. Give it to your children. Learn it so you can challenge bad reasoning the next time you see it.

Extremely excellent book!.......2007-08-09

This is definitely a must have/read book, it will outstandingly change your perspective on what and how you think about everything. This is the ultimate critical thinkers book on how to view what we do in our lives and what others do in their lives, and how to think about those certain mistakes we never thought we actually did in our thinking. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone!

Excellent Book!.......2007-08-09

This book changed the way I make decisions. After reading it, I not only learned about everyday decision errors that people fall victim to, but I realized that I was doing them too. I think this is the perfect book for anyone who makes decisions (i.e. everyone), and especially for those who think that their decisions are infallible. Overall, it's a great book!

Extremely Interesting, Well Written, and Informative.......2007-08-06

I found this book to be really interesting and stimulating from start to finish. It's loaded with fascinating examples that drive home the point that we all naturally make mistakes in thinking - without even realizing it. And since many of these mistakes come from our evolutionary development, just applying "common sense" does not solve the problem. In fact, Kida recounts a number of instances in which common sense leads to disastrous consequences. I never realized how often I fell into these thinking snares.

Also, as a result of reading this book, I really notice how often the mainstream media leads us to rely on faulty, pseudo-scientific thinking by their over reliance on anecdotal, personalized stories that play to viewers' emotions. These stories increase ratings, but they also create all kinds of misperceptions of risks. The media and advertisers don't want us to think critically; they'd rather simplify complex issues into sound bites and create polar extremes of black versus white to sensationalize events for excitement, ratings and market share rather than informing viewers and consumers so they can make sound and reasonable decisions.

Kida's book has really made an impact on my view of the world. I think everyone should read it - our whole society would be better off if more people read this book. It will truly change the way you view the world and think about things!

This should be titled "Don't believe everything you hear".......2007-07-29

After reading this book, I can only say I learned one thing - Our minds reconstruct our memories, they aren't 100% accurate. Besides that, this book just tells you to question what people tell you, or question what the media reports and compare it to statistics. If you already have good common sense, you don't need to waste your time or money on this book.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books