Reviews (40)

This book saved my life.
I am trying not to cry while writing this review because of the incredible impact this great work of Judith Herman has had on my life.I first read the book 4 years ago (I was 19 at the time), at the suggestion of my therapist.Today it remains one of only two books on the topic that I have kept.I will never let go of this book.
Saved My Life
First let me say that this is NOT a "self-help" book and should not be purchased as such.As most of the other reviews here will attest, it is a wonderful book for therapists, clergy, or other professionals who work with survivors of trauma.It is also wonderful for anyone who is having difficulty understanding why a battered woman doesn't "just leave" her abuser (read about "Stockholm Syndrome" and traumatic bonding).It is a clear and easy read, but it is an educational book, not a self-help book.It was required reading in my college Crisis Intervention class, but it also helped me understand that I was not "crazy" for feeling the way I felt after living through an abusive relationship myself.I found that learning about the abuser/victim or captor/captive relationship was very empowering and normalizing for me and was an important step in my own recovery from captivity.I was amazed by the commonalities between domestic abuse, hostage situations, and living as a POW.If you are someone who helps people overcome this type of trauma, please read this book and teach them about the research that has been done.Help them realize that what they are going though is normal, that it was not due to their own personality flaws or weaknesses that they did not "just leave", and that, above all, they are not crazy.
A Reader's Review
Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence-from Domestic Abuse to Political Terror by Judith Herman, M.D. is a book that puts together not only how victims of trauma have historically received care but also constructs a practical paradigm for providing care for the traumatized in today's world.
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Subjects:  1. Medical    2. Psychiatry    3. Psychotherapy    4. Social, group or collective psychology    5. Trauma & shock   

Reviews (1)

psychology of conservatism & fundamentalism
Altemeyer is regarded by social psychologists as the world's leading authority on the psychology of political conservatism and the psychology of religious fundamentalism. He has also done the most-extensive studies inthe psychology of bigotry. Altemeyer has submitted his fascinatingpersonality-questionnaire to over 50,000 individuals, including young andold, various academic specializations, Republicans, Democrats, Christians,Jews, Moslems, religious reformists, religious fundamentalists, atheists,agnostics, professional politicians, U.S., Canada, the former SovietUnion--many categories of people. He has applied the sophisticatedmathematical technique of factorial analysis to the results, so as toidentify how a wide range of personality variables naturally clustertogether or separate--are actually the same or different from one another.He has found that political conservatism, religious fundamentalism, and allkinds of bigotry--against Jews, gays, Blacks, women, the poor, and manyother minority or other weak groups--cluster together as actually a singlepersonality-trait, which he has thus called "Right-WingAuthoritarianism." He was amazed to find, when he submitted hisquestionnaires to members of the communist party in the former SovietUnion, that they too scored very high on his "RWA" scale--thatthe U.S.S.R.'s communists were true conservatives. However, communists incapitalist countries, interestingly, scored low on "RWA" orconservatism.Read more

Subjects:  1. Authoritarianism    2. Fascism    3. General    4. History & Theory - Radical Thought    5. Personality    6. Political Psychology    7. Psychiatry - General    8. Psychology    9. Research & Methodology    10. Right and left (Political scie    11. Right-wing extremists    12. Political ideologies    13. Psychology & Psychiatry / Personality    14. Social, group or collective psychology    15. Sociology, Social Studies    16. The self, ego, identity, personality   

Editorial Review

Shocking as it is, this book--a crucial source of original research used for the bestseller Read more

Reviews (48)

Shocking reading
This complete study of an ordinary security unit which perpetrated a shocking attrocity give the reader dark insights into the minds of the murderers who perpetrated Hitler's nightmare upon Jews and others. No pack of nazi fanatics or even anti-semites. Not a group of habitual criminals like Dirlewanger's gang. Just oridnary men who one day murdered thousands of men women and children while sending others to the death camp of Treblinka.
HOW DO ORDINARY MEN BECOME COLD-BLOODED KILLERS?
"Ordinary Men" chronicles the rise and fall of Reserve Police Battalion 101, one of several units that took part in the Final Solution to the Jewish Question while in Poland. During the course of their stay, they were responsible for the shooting of 38,000 Jews, while also deporting 45,200 to the Treblinka Concentration Camp. The book argues that the men of Reserve Police Battalion 101, and other units like it, were comprised of ordinary men. It begs the question: How did ordinary men become the cold-blooded killers of the Holocaust?
Must read.
Rather than try offer a magazine style critique on the book, I'll simply recommend, fellow reader, that you get it. I'll assume that, like me, you are interested in learning about this aspect of WW2 history. I found it to be the best (non-contemporary) book I have read on the subject. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Europe - Germany    2. Germany    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. Holocaust    6. Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)    7. Military - World War II    8. Personal narratives, German    9. Poland    10. War criminals    11. World War, 1939-1945    12. European history: Second World War    13. History / General    14. Inter-war period, 1918-1939    15. Popular psychology    16. Second World War, 1939-1945    17. Social, group or collective psychology    18. The Holocaust   

Subjects:  1. General    2. Language    3. Language Arts & Disciplines    4. Psychology    5. Social Psychology    6. Speech    7. Theater - General    8. Communication Studies    9. Language Arts & Disciplines / Speech    10. Media, information & communication industries   

Reviews (8)

Very Relevant
This is a great book for finding out how to bring people of differing race to an understanding. For instance, I remember one example where White students, approximately between the ages of thirteen and sixteen, were, as part of a therapeutic course, required to refer to all Black people in their environment as 'sir'.This simple sign of respect was a great way to dismantle racism.

Ethnicity and Family Therapy, third edition
This is one of the best psychology books I have ever read. Not only does it provide advice on how to treat people from certain cultures, it teaches the reader about the culture itself. This book is a marriage of cultural studies and psychology. While the book is large, the reader shouldn't be intimidated by its size. The book is broken up into several (50+) chapters and each chapter focuses on one culture. The book doesn't have to be read cover to cover. Each chapter is free standing.

A must read for all professionals working with families
This book is insightful as the author elaborates on different ethnic populations and the broad range of cultural influences that family therapists encounter in clinical practice. It is a must read for all professionals working in the field of family therapy, social work, psychotherapy and counselling who work with different ethnic populations. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ethnic Sociology    2. Family & Relationships    3. Family Psychotherapy    4. Family relationships    5. Family/Marriage    6. General    7. Mental health services    8. Minorities    9. Psychology    10. Psychopathology - Compulsive Behavior    11. Psychotherapy - Couples & Family    12. United States    13. Psychiatry    14. Psychology & Psychiatry / Family Therapy    15. Psychotherapy    16. Social, group or collective psychology   

Subjects:  1. Psychology    2. Social Psychology    3. Social Science    4. Sociology    5. Sociology - Marriage & Family    6. Social Science / Sociology / Marriage & Family    7. Social, group or collective psychology   

Editorial Review

In 1998, a fierce debate was sparked by Judith Rich Harris's Read more

Reviews (15)

All Diamonds In The Rough Need Polishing
This book is one of the gems -- a diamond in the rough -- on parenting. Written in simple language, it's the "basic course" on "HOW TO RAISE KIDS WITH SOLID CHARACTER, STRONG MINDS, AND CARING HEARTS". So read, use, and understand. Hmm. Understand? What do you do when the kids ask, "WHY?"! Hmm. You'll need a book that makes you understand -- in simple language -- the philosophy of WHY character counts, of right and wrong, of good and evil, of moral and immoral, and of ethical and unethical. The school that exists to teach the "advanced course" in "HOW TO RAISE KIDS WITH SOLID CHARACTER, STRONG, MINDS, AND CARING HEARTS" is West Point. The only book that explains the philosophy behind all the "WHYS" -- in simple language -- is the book titled "WEST POINT", by Norman Thomas Remick. It's THE companion book for all how-to books and "courses", basic or advanced, on parenting and character. It will become kind of an encyclopedia that you can refer to for explaining "WHY?" to your kids. And it will give Borba's diamond in the rough its required polish.

All Diamonds In The Rough Need Polishing
This book is one of the gems -- a diamond in the rough -- on parenting. Written in simple language, it's the "basic course" on "HOW TO RAISE KIDS WITH SOLID CHARACTER, STRONG MINDS, AND CARING HEARTS". So read, use, and understand. Hmm. Understand? What do you do when the kids ask, "WHY?"! Hmm. You'll need a book that makes you understand -- in simple language -- the philosophy of WHY character counts, of right and wrong, of good and evil, of moral and immoral, and of ethical and unethical. The school that exists to teach the "advanced course" in "HOW TO RAISE KIDS WITH SOLID CHARACTER, STRONG, MINDS, AND CARING HEARTS" is West Point. The only book that explains the philosophy behind all the "WHYS" -- in simple language -- is the book titled "WEST POINT", by Norman Thomas Remick. It's THE companion book for all how-to books and "courses", basic or advanced, on parenting and character. It will become kind of an encyclopedia that you can refer to for explaining "WHY?" to your kids. And it will give Borba's diamond in the rough its required polish.

More Than A Book... It's A Handbook
Parents Do Make a Difference is more than a book, it's a handbook. Dr. Borba uses extensive use of checklists, exercises, helpful suggestions and real life examples to help parents teach the skills of personal, emotional and motivational success to their children.Read more

Subjects:  1. Child Care/Parenting    2. Child Psychology    3. Child rearing    4. Ethics & Morals    5. Family / Parenting / Childbirth    6. Family Psychology    7. General    8. Parenting - General    9. Psychology    10. Psychotherapy - Child & Adolescent    11. Self-actualization (Psychology    12. Self-actualization (Psychology) in children    13. Self-confidence in children    14. Self-realization    15. Social Psychology    16. Success in children    17. Child & developmental psychology    18. Child care & upbringing    19. Psychology & Psychiatry / Developmental Psychology    20. Parenting   

Editorial Review

Does anything hurt worse than betrayal by a close friend? Sociologist and friendship expert Jan Yager (Read more

Reviews (27)

It helped
Sometimes the best people to turn to when you have a problem isn't a psychologist or a psychiatrist but a sociologist, as they can tell you not how people should behave but how in reality they actually d o behave. As Yager points out, we tend to romanticize friendship as something stable and reliable that in the words of the Spice Girls "never ends," but in reality these relationships are extremely changeable and conditional, and, as Yager points out, do and should end when they are no longer mutually beneficial.
Disappointed
I was disappointed with this book --it was much more simplistic than what I was looking for.It seemed to carry a theme throughout: if your friend has problems, such as depression, unresolved childhood issues, etc., and they affect the friendship, it's best to end the friendship unless they go for therapy.The author advocates making and keeping friendships that are described as fairly ideal.That sounds great to me, but it just didn't seem very realistic, but rather black and white.
Bad Friends do Exist!
I read this book as follow up to reading FRIENDSHIFTS by the same author, Jan Yager.I was really looking to evaluater some experiences I had with friends and if what was done was mean or just friends being friends.I wanted to know how can we get past this OR can I just get this person out of my life after being so close for so long.WHEN FRIENDSHIP HURTS made me realize that I had already tried to save this friendship and nothing was going to save it in the near future.This bad friendship was serving nothing positive in my life.I decided to end the friendship even with the sadness that may come...most of which I have already felt during the betrayal.This book gives you specifics about ending a friendship and the proper etiquette of doing it.It also details out different categories that friends fall in.Reading this helps you to understand where your friends are coming from and when to cut them some slack.The best take away besides learning how to end my bad friendship was that there are positive friends in my life and room for more positive ones if I choose!You do not need to be stuck with a bad friend just because you have known them for so many years or been through triumphs and struggles with them or live in the same city... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Conflict Resolution    2. Friendship    3. General    4. Interpersonal Relations    5. Interpersonal conflict    6. Motivational & Inspirational    7. Psychology    8. Self-Help    9. Sociology - General    10. Advice on careers & achieving success    11. Family & relationships    12. Self-Help / General    13. Social, group or collective psychology    14. Sociology, Social Studies   

Editorial Review

During the last 40 years, our society's views on how families arecreated and how they operate has undergone a tremendous shift. In Read more

Reviews (77)

Remarkably accurate, a MUST read
As the oldest child of parents who were divorced multiple times from multiple partners I found this book a remarkably accurate review of the effects of divorce on children.
Required Reading for Adult Children of Divorce and the People who Love Them
Hands down the most important book I have read about, well, me.If you are a child of divorce, or a partner of a child of divorce, this is a very important book.You will find yourself madly underlining passages.I was stunned at how much I identified with one of the case studies.I learned not only how my parents' divorce affected my behavior in romantic relationships, but how it affects me daily in the workplace.I also recognized in the case studies several of my ex-girlfriends, who were also children of divorce.If only the book had been published ten years earlier...
A good book that makes you think.
I am a thirty-nine years old Swiss seriously considering separating (divorcing) from the father of my two boys (yes, I am into cohabitation a fact which would be frown upon in the USA, but is considered perfectly normal in my country). Worried about the impact such a decision would have on my kids I started to read The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce.
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Subjects:  1. Case studies    2. Children of divorced parents    3. Divorce    4. Divorce & Separation    5. Family / Parenting / Childbirth    6. Longitudinal studies    7. Psychology    8. Social Psychology    9. United States    10. Psychology & Psychiatry / Social Psychology    11. Sociology, Social Studies   

Reviews (2)

Packed with Knowledge!
Every once in a while a little book comes along that, while small in size, carries sufficient intellectual weight to strike the body politic between the eyes, thereby getting its collective attention. This may be one such book. It offers a realistic look at megaprojects - those major infrastructure endeavors that span vast bodies of water, dam natural resources to generate energy and extend rail lines to previously unreachable regions - and compares the promises of these projects to what they actually deliver. The report card isn't very good. Cost overruns are typically 25% to 100%, and sometimes 200% or more. Worse yet, studies show that the public tends to use megaprojects - be they airports or subway systems - only a fraction of the amount predicted. We strongly recommends this book to politicians, legislators and anyone who wants to know the truth behind these huge infrastructure projects, as well as to CEOs, CFOs, project managers and risk officers in the private sector - this applies to your projects, even if there is a difference of scale.

A fool,his money and the bridge that parted them.......
I am the first amazon.com reviewer of this short, but important book. It concerns me that this might reflect a diminished U.S. readership.That would be unfortunate. Professor Bent Flyvbjerg and his colleagues have written a book of significance to taxpayers everywhere.It's apparent that they have written this book largely for the policy-maker; yet, make no mistake about it:the ordinary taxpayer has a major stake in this book's message.The central characters in Megaprojects and Risk are three large-scale, European transportation projects:the Chunnel, the Great Belt and the Oresund.American readers unfamilar with these names (the chunnel connecting London and Paris is perhaps the most recognizable to American readers)will nonetheless recognize familiar features.Specifically, they will find project costs that exceed estimates, and revenue inflows that are below projections.The traits are not unique to these projects.In fact, cost over-runs and revenue disappointments are a familiar global refrain, according to these authors.In spite of this, the number and scale of infrastructure projects continues to grow, forming what they call the megaproject paradox.The book is stronger on documenting problems, including the lack of project post-audits, than on providing solutions.I think they have correctly identified the problem -- the lack of accountability throughout the project life-cycle -- but their solution, which largely involves ensuring a healthy segment of private capital not supported by state guarantees, together with more attention to genuine risk assessment, falls short of the mark.The risk assessment tools are firmly established and largely well-understood (Monte Carlo simulation packages are increasingly available).So is the "moral hazard" problem that rears its ugly head when projects (in this case) are "over-insured."The difficulty, which they acknowledge, is that the political interplay between state, private interests and NGOs are decisive in determining whether and to what extent the appropriate risk assessment and risk management tools are used. Read more

Subjects:  1. Economics - General    2. Project Management    3. Risk management    4. Social Science    5. Sociology    6. Sociology - General    7. Economics    8. Environmental science    9. Regional & Area Planning    10. Social Science / Sociology / General    11. Social issues    12. Social, group or collective psychology   

Reviews (1)

A Must Read and Do for Educators
I am so impressed with this book that I would not let any teachers be certified unless they had mastered the communication skills in this manual, regardless of the level of education they teach at. Read more

Subjects:  1. Administration - General    2. Communication    3. Education / Teaching    4. Educational counseling    5. Handbooks, manuals, etc    6. Interpersonal Relations    7. Psychology    8. Student counselors    9. Teaching Personnel    10. Training of    11. Communication Studies    12. Education / Teaching Methods & Materials / General    13. Educational systems    14. Family & relationships    15. Social, group or collective psychology   

Reviews (9)

Raises questions, leaves some hanging
If, as Joseph Epstein writes, friendship can rest on nothing more or less than liking someone enough to see him again, one wonders how he can elsewhere say that spouses or romantically engaged people aren't really friends, at least in the early days of their relationship.I'm sure this is true for many people (who may in fact never be good friends and require other supports), but it is certainly not true for the rest of us.Early married friendship as friendship may have its deficiencies, but surely those deficiencies vary in number and intensity with each couple; and on his own showing, friendship itself has deficiencies.Aiming too high or asking too much may mean that one doesn't have friends at all.
All the Right Lessons of Friendship Explained
What are the duties of being a friend? This book gives all the right lessons. A great gift for that special friend

Expose'd
Boring! What got "expose'd" here was Mr. Epstein's narcissism and the lack of depth in his own friendships. By page 83(the height of his self-hugging,)I wanted to puke all over his cashmere.Better writers at least cloak their egotism in reasonably sincere humility
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Subjects:  1. Family & Relationships    2. Family / Parenting / Childbirth    3. Family/Marriage    4. Friendship    5. Friendship in literature    6. Interpersonal Relations    7. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    8. Popular Culture - General    9. Social Psychology    10. Social Science / Popular Culture   

Reviews (45)

Critical thinking thrives on controversy
I had the pleasure of reviewing this book earlier this year,along with an edited work of a similar theme by Cummings and Wright, for Cognitive & Behavioral Practice (13,98-101).While noting therein that "there is much with which to agree and more than a bit to dispute," I went on to argue that a principles read of both these texts can only improve our hope for a more reasoned and evidence based approach to assistance.
Know when to keep it in balance
A healer is a clear guide when you are on the journey to fulfilling your soul's destiny but the road is hard to see sometimes because of fog and other natural happenings. They give you the directions since they are removed and objective from a higher place of seeing ... to support you with the needed data to stay on course during these moments of cloudy vision. YOU (soul) are ultimately still driving the car (your life in action)... you have to choose what to do with the directions given, and still alter the route if an unexpected rainstorm happens.
Right Wing Political Entertainment
Confuses Calvinistic moral posturing with honesty. Extremely poorly researched or evidence that didn't match cherished beliefs of the target market was omitted in order to increase sales to that niche. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Mental Health    3. Psychology    4. Psychotherapy    5. Self-reliance    6. Social Psychology    7. Sociology    8. United States    9. Social Science / General   

Reviews (6)

Conversation: A History of a Declining Art.
Great read offering possible insights and reasons for the obvious decline in casual conversation in America specifically and the west in general.
Food for Thought
An affecting, enagaging rumination on the past, present, and future of conversation.The book is strongest in examining the great 18th century conversationalists -- Hume, S. Johnson -- and in offering observations on "conversibility" in the modern age.In some of the other historical chapters, Miller does not seem quite as well informed, and the thread of the essay stretches a bit thin.
Talk is Not Cheap
Miller's faith in the value of good-humored, reasonable talk among civilized people flies in the face of the current tendency toward opinionated,virulent, and self-serving public discourse. Yes, he rants occasionally, but the ranting is funny and right-on, a slam-dunk comment on the level to which manners have slumped in our age. His scholarship is impeccable and his style a model of what conversationshould be--witty and wise. Barbara Gardner, PhD, Mendocino, CA ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Communication    2. Conversation And Discourse    3. Conversation analysis    4. Language    5. Language Arts & Disciplines    6. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    7. Social History    8. World - General    9. Communication Studies    10. Cultural studies    11. History / Essays    12. Social, group or collective psychology   

Reviews (3)

Unbelievably Informative and Funny
I am a compulsive liar. I admit it. I read this book and now I have greater insight into why I lie all of the time. A great read even if you are "honest."

Thorough and general treatment of practice of deceipt
A certain dry humour makes the book very readable. The description of social pressures in learning to lie, and animal world comparisons, are a useful perspective. The central theme - the danger of lying to oneself,or self deception - is of great importance in working in any largeorganisation. I would prescribe it as essential reading for managers anddirectors of most modern organisations Many readers may lack theobjectivity to appreciate and believe the reports contained in the book,though they are well researched and well documented. I hope the nextedition may spend more time in coping with lies. There are 13 pages in thisbook on therapeutic approaches toward the deceitful person. The commentson "groupthink", which involves bias of group behaviour, couldalso be expanded in future editions, with comments on the efficacy ofcountermeasures.

Ecellent psychological look at lying.
Straightforward.Well written and referenced.A very well laid out book with excellent references for further study on the subject.I gained a great appreciation for the psychological causes of lying.Highlyrecommended. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Applied Psychology    2. General    3. Interpersonal Communication    4. Psychiatry - General    5. Psychology    6. Psychology Of Communication    7. Social Psychology    8. Popular psychology    9. The self, ego, identity, personality   

Reviews (4)

Measures of Personality and Social Psychological Attitudes (
I�m from Argentina, and I was wondering if you could send me the abstract of chapter 12 from this book, because here is imposible to get it. Thanks anyway. A must-have for researchers in SWB
Although the book tackled a lot of material pertinent to Attitude and Personality Measurement, I find it really useful in my research-interest in Subjective Well-Being (SWB). A chapter was dedicated to SWB, it's theories, tests and development. It is a really must-have book for those interested in SWB.

Recommend
If you are teaching research courses this book you want to havein your test library. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Attitude    2. Attitude (Psychology)    3. Mental Health    4. Personality    5. Personality assessment    6. Psychology    7. Social Psychology    8. Social interaction    9. Testing    10. Psychological testing & measurement    11. Psychology & Psychiatry / Social Psychology    12. Social, group or collective psychology   

Reviews (2)

recommended CR reading
This is a very comprehensive survey of conflict resolution theory. The bulk of the work focuses on conflict escalation and stalemate, leaving a noticeably smaller section on settlement at the very end. The information is readily applicable to analysis of community and international disputes. Thorough citation and summaries offer a rich resource for further reading. Great book for referral to origins of intergroup conflict.
Extremely useful ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Interpersonal conflict    2. Problem solving    3. Psychological aspects    4. Psychology    5. Social Psychology    6. Social conflict    7. Violence in Society    8. Psychology & Psychiatry / Social Psychology    9. Sociology, Social Studies   

Reviews (1)

Excellent introduction to cognitive psychology!
This book is written by E. Bruce Goldstein, who writes the definitive undergrad textbook in Sensation and Perception. The book is well-balanced, though I think the Perception & Attention chapters tried to do too much, since that is the author's speciality. The book has minor grammar and spelling errors, but it is a first edition, so it's to be expected. What's nice about the text being so new is that cognitive neuroscience is integrated throughout, and the examples are very new. It's a great book that I hope lasts through many editions! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cognitive Psychology    2. Psychology    3. Cognition & cognitive psychology    4. Psychology & Psychiatry / Social Psychology   

Reviews (4)