The twentieth century, with its bloody world wars, revolutions, and genocides accounting for hundreds of millions dead, would seem to prove that human beings are incredibly vicious predators and that killing is as natural as eating. But Lieutenant Colonel Dave Grossman, a psychologist and U.S. Army Ranger, demonstrates this is not the case. The good news, according to Grossman - drawing on dozens of interviews, first-person reports, and historic studies of combat, ranging from Frederick the Great's battles in the eighteenth century through Vietnam - is that the vast majority of soldiers are loath to kill. In World War II, for instance, only 15 to 25 percent of combat infantry were willing to fire their rifles. The provocative news is that modern armies, using Pavlovian and operant conditioning, have learned how to overcome this reluctance. In Korea about 50 percent of combat infantry were willing to shoot, and in Vietnam the figure rose to over 90 percent. The bad news is that by conditioning soldiers to overcome their instinctive loathing of killing, we have drastically increased post-combat stress - witness the devastated psychological state of our Vietnam vets as compared with those from earlier wars. And the truly terrible news is that contemporary civilian society, particularly the media, replicates the army's conditioning techniques and - according to Grossman's controversial thesis - is responsible for our rising rates of murder and violence, particularly among the young. In the explosive last section of the book, he argues that high-body-count movies, television violence (both news and entertainment), and interactive point-and-shoot video games are dangerously similar to thetraining programs that dehumanize the enemy, desensitize soldiers to the psychological ramifications of killing, and make pulling the trigger an automatic response.

On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society

History

Grossman, Lt. Col. Dave

Military

Little. Brown and Company

On Spiritual Combat: 30 Missions for Victorious Warfare [Standard Large Print]

Religion & Spirituality

Davis, Adam

Christian Books & Bibles

ReadHowYouWant

Hunting is our heritage, our heart, and our future. Where does hunting fit in the modern world? To many, it can seem outdated or even cruel, but as On Hunting affirms, hunting is holistic, honest, and continually relevant. Authors Grossman, Miller, and Cunningham dive deep into the ancient past of hunting and examine its position today, demonstrating that we cannot understand humanity without first understanding hunting. Readers will ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; discover how hunting formed us, ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; examine hunting ethics and their adaptation to modernity, ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; understand the challenges, traditions, and reverence of today's hunter, ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; identify hunting skills and their many applications outside the field, ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; learn why hunting is critical to ecological restoration and preservation, and ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; gain inspiration to share hunting with others. Drawing from ecology, philosophy, and anthropology and sprinkled with campfire stories, this wide-ranging examination has rich depths for both nonhunters and hunters alike. On Hunting shows that we need hunting still--and so does the wild earth we inhabit.

On Hunting: A Definitive Study of the Mind, Body, and Ecology of the Hunter in the Modern World

Politics & Social Sciences

Miller, Linda K.

Cunningham, Capt. Keith A.

Philosophy

Broadstreet Publishing Group, LLC

Answer God's call to arms. Evil from the world, the flesh, and the devil preys on those we love and stalks our every move. If we're not fighting back, we're losing. In On Spiritual Warfare, the sequel to On Spiritual Combat, Dave Grossman and Chris Pascoe guide Christians through operations of advanced spiritual warfare. Battle the forces of evil with twenty-two intensely practical WARNORDS, or military "warning orders," drawn from the writings of Luther and Erasmus. These strategic warnings and tactical orders will equip you to <ul> <li>recognize and fearlessly confront evil,</li> <li>confess and repent of your own sin,</li> <li>serve others as you become sanctified, and</li> <li>mature into a triumphant spiritual warrior of God.</li> </ul> Filled with Scripture, powerful hymns, battle prep questions, and practical direction, On Spiritual Warfare is the map you need to successfully complete your mission from God. You become victorious as a Christian by living virtuously. Victory through virtue! &nbsp;

On Spiritual Warfare: 22 Warning Orders for Virtuous Warriors

Pascoe, Sgt. Chris

On Combat: The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and in Peace

Following his bestselling book On Killing, Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, with Loren W. Christensen, presents On Combat, a groundbreaking examination of what it takes to perform, cope, and survive in the toxicity of deadly combat as a soldier in a foreign land, and as a police officer in the streets of urban America.

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Christensen, Loren W.

Psychology & Counseling

Tantor Audio

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