Under Cover: The Promise of Protection Under His Authority

Book Description

This well loved writer effectively uses his personal mistakes to illustrate riveting truths about repentance and forgiveness. As he focuses on the true authority of God, he is careful to explain by example the important difference between "submission" and "obedience."

The same struggle with divine authority is also represented through the lives of John the Baptist, the Apostle Paul, and other biblical figures. An especially helpful book for Christians who want to develop a serious pursuit of God.

Customer Reviews:

Faith builder.......2007-07-16

Respect for authority in and out of church is at a all time low. I'm not saying that I agree with everything word for word, but I do understand and live by the thought that if we (as in all people) can not function under authority we'll never be able to function in it! I try not to forget that just like the roman centurion Jesus is under the father's authority and he never disobeyed.

Spritual Poison.......2007-07-16

This is one of the most abusive and manipulative teachings under the classification "Christian literature" that I have ever read. While the idea and importance of submitting to Gods inherent authority is indisputable, The agendaized, one-sided presentation of it is categorically false. In this book Bevere neglects to teach the full council of God as represented by Christ in his resistance to the religious authority of His day. As is shown in the Gospels, Christ rebukes, resists, confronts, questions, and evades those in authority until His appointed time. Never, through Christ's actions or words, does He suggest mindless submission to errant authority. John the Baptist resisted and rebuked the religious and civil authority; Paul confronted Peter's hypocrisy, he didn't submit to and follow his wrong example; although David didn't take Saul's life, because it wasn't his to take, neither did David utterly submit to Saul's errant authority but withstood Saul until God's appointed time.
This Book promotes "a different Gospel" Throughout this book. It suggests that we must get right first (thru repentance) before God will accept us. Though repentance is an essential component of salvation it doesn't suggest perfection but a change in pursuit; we no longer pursue the things of the world but the things of God. All throughout his book Bevere's statements suggest a works salvation, a salvation that is obtained through correctness and self-effort rather than the work that Christ has done. Bevere suggests that God is not able to have grace (unmerited favor) on anyone unless his personal work is right. Everywhere I turn in Bevere's book I read a gospel of works salvation. Biblically, those who teach or hold this position are categorically, false teachers.

THE GOSPEL IS SIMPLE; Christ died for the sins of the world, not only for eternal life but also for the result of sin in the world today. You don't have to work for God to be able to have mercy on you; God is able regardless of your efforts. It is faith alone in Christ and His atoning work on the cross that saves. No amount of work can be done, in this present life, to improve your condition, Christ has done it all; faith in His work is sufficient for all and that faith in Christ secures your right standing with the Almighty. If you believe that Christ died on the cross for your sins, then you are "in Christ."
So why do we work? Simple, it is an expression of love and appreciation to God for His infinite mercy. When we circumvent Christ's work with our own we are attempting to work for our salvation and this brings us under the requirement of being 100% perfect to be saved.

I plead with anyone considering this book, in the name of our Lord and savior, Christ Jesus, avoid it, IT IS POISON!!!!

Doctrine of Demons.......2007-07-11

There are numerous instances of "proof-texting" in this book. Scriptures are taken out of context in order to create a new doctrine, similar to what Satan attempted with Jesus. Specifically, Acts 26:14, Matthew 21:31, 1 Corinthians 11:31, 2 Peter 2:19, Exodus 9:16, 1 Peter 2:17, and the list goes on. Here are three important examples:

1) Bevere quotes Psalm 91:1-He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. A shadow is a likeness of someone, meaning Christlikeness produces rest. Bevere extrapolates the word shadow to mean covering, but the word "covering" isn't in the Bible the way Bevere teaches.

2) Exodus 9:16 "But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." The words "raised you up" in the original Hebrew mean "to stand." In context, this means that God spared Pharaoh from the plagues, thereby granting him mercy. Bevere implies that God put Pharaoh in power, giving him authority. Bevere assigns the work of the enemy to God.

3) Bevere quotes Romans 9:18 and Romans 11:33-34 as if they read together. This totally changes the meaning!

We are told in the 10 Commandments to honor our parents, but to worship only God. We must never idolize pastors or institutions. It is time for reform in the church! Moses' authority was Old Covenant. Jesus is the New Covenant head of the church, and His church is a living organism, not in institution. Never forget, Jesus criticized and was insubordinate towards religious authority/hierarchy, yet all the while, He was submitted to God.

Life Changing.......2007-07-09

This book, along with another of John Bevere's books "How to Respond When You Feel Mistreated" have absolutely changed my life for the better. I have a freedom in my heart that I have never experienced!

The devil exposed .......2007-05-30

What an eye opening book.I thank God for making me purchase this book.Every believer should be aware of the message written herein to help them with their spiritual walk.

Obedience to Authority: An Experimental View (Perennial Classics)

Average customer rating:

Calmly?
Worth your time
Detailed, insightful review of Milgram's experiments - in his own words
Psychology + Page-turner
Deference to Expertise?

Obedience to Authority: An Experimental View (Perennial Classics)
Stanley Milgram
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial Modern Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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

Social Psychology & Interactions | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil
The Man Who Shocked the World: The Life and Legacy of Stanley Milgram
Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts
Opening Skinner's Box: Great Psychological Experiments of the Twentieth Century
Nature Via Nurture : Genes, Experience, and What Makes Us Human

ASIN: 006073728X
Release Date: 2004-11-09

Book Description

A modern classic with a new foreword by Stanley Milgram's former teacher and friend, author Jerome S. Bruner, Obedience to Authority emerges, even on the thirtieth anniversary of its publication, as a timely book for this age of war and terrorism.

Half a century ago, social scientist Stanley Milgram carried out a series of experiments. The "teacher" is told to administer electroshocks in progressively more painful degrees to the "learner." The teacher -- unaware that the learner is an actor receiving no shocks at all -- is the real focus of the study. These controversial and criticized experiments illustrate how people will obey authority regardless of consequences.

Customer Reviews:

Calmly?.......2007-04-03

Although I appreciate calmly's critical reading, it is clear that he or she is unaware of the 40 years of social science research that has followed the original Milgrim experiment and built on its findings.

No research exists in a vacuum, and indeed a single study is the beginning of understanding. But research in social science has replicated this study (albeit in ways more kind to its participants) many times with very similar results.

The Milgrim Experiment has been supported by data from the Stanford Prison Experiment, research on fraternity and military hazing rituals (particularly in the death squads of Central and South America), research on whites in Apartheid, etc. The list goes on.

It is true that there are always those who rise above the rest, the Nazi prison guard who used his own money to buy medicine for the concentration camp prisoners. But Kosovo, Rwanda, Darfur, the slaughter and maiming of Quakers by American Puritans, the slaughter of Protestants by the French Catholics, the slaughter of English Catholics by Anglicans, the slaughter of all non-confomists by the Spanish Inquisition, remind us that race, creed, ethnicity, or religion are no magic bullet at resisting evil.

All the book is trying to say is look at your own hubris. We may all feel that we are above all reproach. We may shudder in horror at the final scenes of Biko saying, Who could shoot those children?

But it's much scarier when you realize the answer may be you.

Worth your time.......2006-09-26

I want to begin by saying I think this insightful and disturbing book should be required reading for those in power, or heck, maybe for just anyone who's going to graduate high school. Like most who read it, I think, I was surprised at how far ordinary people were willing to go in submission to authority and how easily they were willing to harm innocent strangers. I think Milgram's experiments tell us a lot about human nature and provide some insight in to how we can better ourselves and overcome our weaknesses.

I would also like to respond to calmly's lukewarm review that appears on this page.

I completely agree with his assertion that readers should be as critical of the author in this case as Milgram asserts we should be in our day-to-day encounters with authority figures. We shouldn't trust him simply because he says we should.

Nor should we simply trust calmly.

He writes: "At most the volunteer who stopped might expect to be yelled at as he/she exited." This is false, in my judgment. Milgram writes that most of the experimental teachers understood the actor to be experiencing pain, in some cases they believed his life could be in jeopardy (because of the previous mention of a 'heart condition'). I think it's a monumental understatement to claim that the worst they could expect was to be verbally reprimanded. Many of them certainly had a realistic expectation that the actor could be seriously harmed, and yet many of them persisted in the experiment because of the authoritative presence. This bothers me, as it did Milgram.

calmly later suggests that the "information" about the actor's suffering was provided in the competing authority variations (by the dissenting 'scientist'), and that this is what was missing in single authority experiements where the single scientist insisted 'we must go on.' The implication is that because in these variations there was a good angel on one shoulder, the 'teachers' had a better understanding of the 'information' about what's right and wrong. I'd simply ask, what more information should the learners have needed than hearing the screams of the actor who was 'receiving' the shocks? Wasn't that disincentive enough? Apparently not.

Again, Milgram's experiment is incisive, disturbing, and relevant, and it is certainly worth your time and money.

Detailed, insightful review of Milgram's experiments - in his own words.......2006-07-03

You can look to other books, articles, and essays for various interpretations on the validity and ultimate meaning behind Stanley Milgram's "shocking" experiments. But if you want to know what the experimenter (Milgram) himself thought, then you should read this book. The book contains Milgram's comments on basic human nature and what he thought the individual person became when placed in a position of subordination. He recognized that humans exist in a hierarchical society that is civil partially because we are obedient to authority figures. Only a minority of of his subjects were willing to dissent and stop shocking the victim, even when the victim complained of pain and suffering!

For me, the book's greatest asset was the description of different manipulations and variables that Milgram tinkered with. These variations are typically not described in other places and reveal the conditions under which obedience is highest. For example, Milgram carried out some experiments in a different location (a less impressive basement lab), asked the demonstrator to feign a heart condition, had an ordinary man give orders, had an authority figure as the victim, and many other situations. You will be surprised to what lengths Milgram had to go in order for the subject to disobey orders from an authority figure. The results really argue for an innate basis for obedience.

In democratic America, where dissent used to be considered a patriotic act (but is now suppressed by the State), Milgram's results remind us how easy it is to do wrong. If we do not take personal responsibilty for our actions and question authority when it is appropriate, then we deserve to be treated like cogs in a machine.

Psychology + Page-turner.......2005-10-28

Lots has been said about both the book and the experiment; I see other reviewers lay out the experiment in detail. So, I'll skip ahead to my opinion.

This book will scare the poo out of you. I hope you chuckled a little, but don't take it TOO lightly. This book seriously caused me to reexamine my faith in other people. Milgram's experiment rocked the world, and to hear the man's take on what happened will bring you further into this great study. There's lots of detail about the study and tables of data, which can get tedious but elevate the books credibility, and help you play along at home once Milgram starts to interpret the data. You'll notice other reviewers farther down debating w/ Milgram based solely on reading his book. That should tell you he did a good job of providing the data, not just the "correct" (his) conclusions.

I also really found the book a gripping read. Milgram has an accesible writing style, and you'll have no trouble keeping up with him even when his mind starts humming. So while the subject is about as rough as it gets, the information in the book is easy to get at, even if you don't really like what you find. If you are interested in the subject matter, I believe you'll really enjoy this.

Deference to Expertise?.......2005-01-27

This experiment shows that people go along too readily with an experimenter. How readily should we as readers go along with Milgram's claims? Before reaching the experiment, there's a front cover claim that this is "the unique experiment that challenged human nature" and a back cover quote that this is "one of the most significant books I have ever in more than two decades of reviewing". Then a glowing foreword then a preface in which Milgram already is already wondering if a connection exists to Nazis. So what mere mortal wouldn't already be convinced without even readng the experiment?

But we can think critically, can't we, even if we are not scientists or acclaimed writers. Otherwise, we may be as guilty of lack of responsibility as those who went ahead and shocked the learner despite his pleas. The volunteer teachers in Milgram's experiment trusted the experimenter. Are we to trust Milgram to spoon feed us his interpretations? Maybe he's right but don't concede that yet.

The volunteer can't be court-martialed, can't spend years in a prison. At most the volunteer who stopped might expect to be yelled at as he/she exited. Was the volunteer who continued acting out of obedience or because he/she gives undue respect to an apparent scientist? There seems to me a difference. In the military one is trained to obey a command from a superior no matter what the superior is like. In Milgram's experiment, he found himself that volunteers became more likely to stop when an ordinary person was in charge.

Milgram notes differences between his experiment and some military occurrences but focuses on the similarities. In doing so, he may have failed to investigate deeply the differences. Milgram himself reports that when two experimenters disagree on how to proceed, the volunteers stopped giving shocks. He interprets that as a conflict of authorities, but it can be understood by recognizing one of the experimenters was supplying information (that the shocks were indeed harmful. A judgment based on weighing inputs and not obedience may have been key.

If you read this or any other scientific book and just take the author's word for it, you may be over-esteeming authority in a rather similar way to how Milgram's volunteers over-esteemed the experimenter. When reading this book, imagine that you are unknowingly participating in a Milgram experiment to see how much you'll swallow if the author is said to be famous and the work a classic

Several chapters near the end of the book offer some speculation by Milgram as to why people "obey" to such an extent. One might accept Milgram's skill in setting up the experiments and collecting results without accepting his analysis of obedience. He appeals to "human nature", evolution and cybernetics. He invents the term "agentic state" and then discusses the acts he considered obedient in terms of this "agentic state". This is mentalism, the unscientific practice of creating fictions and locating them inside our heads. Mentalisms may be useful as a convenience for everyday conversation, but they add nothing to scientific inquiry except superfluous complication.

I'm not a social psychologist. I'm not a famous or capable author. But I'd suggest when you read this book, you'll get more out of it if you don't fall victim to Milgram's authoritative posturing. Those of Milgram's volunteers who didn't discount their own evaluation and stopped are the people I respect ... and I hope you do to. This book may be a classic, but please err by questioning it too much and not too little.

The Man Who Shocked the World: The Life and Legacy of Stanley Milgram

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One of My Favorite Researchers
To shock or not to shock
When in doubt, experiment!
A fascinating book about a fascinating man.
Dr. Blass's book a blast

The Man Who Shocked the World: The Life and Legacy of Stanley Milgram
Thomas Blass
Manufacturer: Perseus Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Similar Items:

Obedience to Authority: An Experimental View (Perennial Classics)
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Opening Skinner's Box: Great Psychological Experiments of the Twentieth Century

ASIN: 0738203998
Release Date: 2004-03-16

Book Description

The sole and definitive biography of one of the 20th century's most influential and controversial psychologists.

The creator of the famous "Obedience Experiments," carried out at Yale in the 1960s, and originator of the "six degrees of separation" concept, Stanley Milgram was one of the most innovative scientists of our time. In this sparkling biography--the first in-depth portrait of Milgram--Thomas Blass captures the colorful personality and pioneering work of a social psychologist who profoundly altered the way we think about human nature.

Born in the Bronx in 1933, Stanley Milgram was the son of Eastern European Jews, and his powerful Obedience Experiments had obvious intellectual roots in the Holocaust. The experiments, which confirmed that "normal" people would readily inflict pain on innocent victims at the behest of an authority figure, generated a firestorm of public interest and outrage-proving, as they did, that moral beliefs were far more malleable than previously thought. But Milgram also explored other aspects of social psychology, from information overload to television violence to the notion that we live in a small world. Although he died suddenly at the height of his career, his work continues to shape the way we live and think today. Blass offers a brilliant portrait of an eccentric visionary scientist who revealed the hidden workings of our very social world.

Customer Reviews:

One of My Favorite Researchers.......2006-04-10

I admire those who ask the hard questions. I admire those who don't fall into line with easy answers. I'm glad Stanley Milgram existed and did his groundbreaking work. I'm sorry he's not still alive to be doing more of it. I'd love to see his take on the current state of affairs in our country. I first learned of Milgram as a college student who was one of a group duplicating his experiment. I didn't shock anybody and argued with the "experimenter" as the task was being explained to me. And having read this book I still proudly wear my "Question Authority" button in honor of Milgram. The Blass book is an excellent read if you're willing to entertain some uncomfortable thoughts.

To shock or not to shock.......2006-03-03

Great book, couldn't put it down. It is an excellent book to get the whole story about Milgram and his famous experiment. What great insight Milgram found out about man, but was man ready to look in the mirror? If you teach psychology, or you are just interested in psychology, and want a more in depth look at Milgram, you won't go wrong with this one. My students are enjoying this as well.

When in doubt, experiment!.......2005-03-26

Milgram seemed to share the showmanship of P.T. Barnum and ingenuity of reality show creator Mark Burnett. If Milgram were alive, he might have been a top reality show creator.

Milgram seems most notable not for the results of his experiments but for their conception and content. He hardly modified the approach used by Asch in his conformity experiments, which relied on deception, but he changed the subject to something considerably more striking. The result may have been significant, but think about it: any result would have attracted attention. Comparing the experimental situation with concentration camp situation is what first made the experiment newsworthy. If the result had been that no one or very few shocked, then news could have been generated of how much better behaved Americans are. Or if Germans also didn't shock much, it could have been claimed people nowadays are much better behaved than folks back in World War II. Given the catchy experiment, the results hardly mattered in the sense that the very description of what the experiment was doing would catch people's attention.

Which isn't necessarily bad. Milgram brought social psychology out of relative obscurity. To a good extent, he bailed out psychology in general, whose reputation had been damaged by decades of speculations without much support.

As a situationist, Milgram recognized that our social lives are quite complex. Rather than spend much time theorizing, he experimented. Don't know? Don't invent a reason, go gather facts. It's a measure of just how complex we are socially that even having gathered results, as with the "obedience" experiments, Milgram seemed at a lost to explain what was happening. Blass notes about Milgram's "Obedience to Authority book" that "Milgram's theorizing is the weakest part of the book". Milgram's feeble appeal to cybernetics contrasts sharply with his description of the experiment. Blass also notes that the kind of "obedience" Milgram studied doesn't seem at all sufficient to explain what happened during the Holocaust.

Milgram shouldn't be faulted for the problems with his theorizing. How many psychologists can theorize well? There's still an enormous amount we don't know about ourselves and the way we interact. Milgram's gift seems to have been sensing that and instead finding novel ways to help us to learn about ourselves. Even if the content and results of his experiments are someday forgotten, the spirit of bold experimentation that Milgram brought to social psychology will be of great value. Blass communicates that. So I don't know if Blass is the "undisputed expert" but the book seems well-researched and quite readable.

A fascinating book about a fascinating man. .......2004-11-24

Stanley Milgram is one of the most influential social psychologists of our time, who through his obedience studies, made some of the greatest and most enduring contributions to psychology. Through his controversial experiments, that "shocked the world" he enabled us to make some sense of the atrocities that occurred during the Holocaust. He made us look at our dark side, and began a world-discourse about why we blindly obey authority. That discourse continues today and can be found everywhere and in everything from academic journals to films, books, music, and even dog-training manuals. Not only is Milgram's work fascinating but the man himself was just as captivating.

In this superbly written biography of Milgram, Thomas Blass gives us an intimate look at the man behind the brilliance. Blass has meticulously researched Milgram's life and presented the reader with an honest, and not always complimentary, view of Stanley Milgram. I applaud Blass for his candid approach, and his balanced view of an extraordinary man. By revealing Milgram's darker side, Blass has cleverly demonstrated that we all share the same human foibles and weaknesses, and that ultimately the experimenter is no better and no worse than the subjects he uses in his experiments. We are all just humans.

With the current state of our world, I believe renewed discourse on the subject of blind obedience could not have come at a better time. Milgram's work is relevant to just about every aspect of our lives from workplace social dynamics to terrorism. Because of that, I recommend this book to everyone who shares a background in psychology and most certainly for those who do not. Blass's book is a marvelous introduction to Milgram's work and to the fascinating man himself.

Dr. Blass's book a blast.......2004-11-16

I enjoyed reading Dr. Blass's book on Stanley Milgram.
Besides growing up in the same area in the Bronx as Milgram the book is a good read and does not drag. The Author really captured the character of his subject.

Crimes of Obedience: Toward a Social Psychology of Authority and Responsibility

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Crimes of Obedience: Toward a Social Psychology of Authority and Responsibility
V. Lee Hamilton , and Herbert Kelman
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Obedience to Authority: An Experimental View (Perennial Classics)
The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil
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Leaders and Their Followers in a Dangerous World: The Psychology of Political Behavior (Psychoanalysis and Social Theory)
Becoming Evil: How Ordinary People Commit Genocide and Mass Killing

ASIN: 0300048130

Book Description

The My Lai massacre, Watergate, the Iran-Contra affair: these are examples of the tendency for people to commit illegal acts when so ordered by authority. This book examines these events and the public's response to them, presenting a major analysis of the rationale behind "crimes of obedience." "This book explains how individuals in authority can abuse their power by failing to distinguish between discipline and blind obedience. CRIMES OF OBEDIENCE should be required reading for every American citizen."-Senator Daniel K. Inouye "This is a major book in social psychology that deserves the attention of both sociological and psychological traditions. With its focus on concepts such as legitimacy and responsibility that bridge the individual and the social system, it is firmly rooted in an interdisciplinary vision of social psychology. In its recognition that resistance to crimes of obedience depends on collective processes, it makes a major contribution to the social psychology of social movements."-William A. Gamson, American Journal of Sociology "A patently original, socially compelling, thoroughly scholarly dissection of actions in response to commands by authorities that are morally repugnant to some or many of the participants and the rest of us."-Leonard W. Doob, The Key Reporter

How Do You Know He's Real?: God Unplugged

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People teens admire talk about God
Celebrities share their faith
god unplugged
After reading this, you certainly KNOW he is real!
Fantastic book!

How Do You Know He's Real?: God Unplugged
Amy Hammond Hagberg
Manufacturer: Destiny Image Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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How Do You Know He's Real?: Celebrity Reflections on True Life Experiences with God
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ASIN: 0768423880

Book Description

"How Do You Know He's Real? God Unplugged," the second book in the successful "He's Real series," shares the profound real life journeys and dramatic encounters with the living God by young celebrities from the worlds of sports and music. The book addresses issues that young people deal with, like insecurity, anger, peer pressure, addiction and self-esteem. Always inspirational and often miraculous, "God Unplugged" is a must-read for those who desire to go deeper in their relationship with God.

Download Description

Between the covers of this book are testimonies from Christian role models from the worlds of film, sports, and music. The stories are real and powerful, and are presented in a way that believers and seekers alike will find compelling.

Customer Reviews:

People teens admire talk about God.......2007-04-13

Author Amy Hammond Hagberg wanted to help teens--her own and others--answer questions about God, including the big question: "How do you know he's real?"

Hagberg wrote to sports stars, recording artists and other celebrities, asking them to reflect on their life experiences and share how the reality of God was making a difference to them personally and professionally. The responses she received--from NBA players, Christian musicians, 'American Idol' contestants and others--are honest, revealing, and often compelling.

The resulting book is a collection of celebrity essays: mini-bios that focus on the reality of God in the midst of media attention, success and failure, and broken relationships. Contributors include Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic basketball team, quarterback David Carr of the Houston Texans, and popular Christian recording artist Clay Crosse.

Some of the interviews are especially helpful for Hagberg's original target readers: teens. Among these, Chrissy Conway of 'Zoe Girl' talks about her parents' divorce, the party scene, and the twists and turns along her personal career path in ways that connect with teens and with anyone who has ever considered attempting a career in music.

Hagberg is a gifted and skilled writer who keeps readers turning the pages as she unpacks celebrity affirmations of the presence of God in their lives. A great gift book for readers from teens through Gen X, but the stories here will interest readers of any age!

Note: Reviewer Dr. David Frisbie is an author and Executive Director of The Center for Marriage & Family Studies in Del Mar, California.

Armchair Interviews says: Anything that can help teens understand their role in living a good life is good.

Celebrities share their faith.......2007-03-11

This is an ideal book to give to people who have questions about becoming a Christian, and who love sports and music celebrities.

44 extreme sports and music celebrities tell their stories in this book, from Jonny Lang (recording artist), to Barlow Girl (rock group), Kimiko Soldati (Olympic diving), CJ Hobgood (surfer), Dwight Howard (NBA player, Orlando Magic), Mick Hannah (downhill mountain bike racer), Jimmie McGuire (professional motocross rider) and more.

They share hard times they faced, how they became Christians and how their paths are more joyful due to their faith. Being a Green Bay Packer fan I turned to Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila's story of growing up in South Central Los Angeles with a tough background, a Muslim dad and a Christian mom, and how his becoming a Christian led to his current happy family life and NFL career. Christian Hosoi, professional skateboarder, after serious drug problems, is now leading a skateboarding ministry.

The two page "God's Road Map" at the end of each celebrity's story contains perceptive questions and Scriptures. Sports and music lovers will enjoy this book, and it can even be a "past watchful dragons book" that will steer doubting people on a new clear path.

god unplugged.......2007-02-02

God Unplugged by Ammy Hagberg was very interesting. It is 403 pages long and was published in 2006 by Destiny Image. In the story top athletes, musicians, and also stars tell how god helped them get where they wanted to be and changed their lives.
In the story there were 44 celebrity reflections on true life experiences with god. Many of these celebrities have been extremely low in their lives and god has pulled them out of them. Also in some cases they have had no luck in there lives and finally achieved their goals after they gave there lives god. All of these people believe that god has either given them opportunities or even the strength to work through where they were to get to where they want to be.
I thought that this was a good book. I enjoyed reading it and seeing how god has changed all of these people's lives. The strengths of this book are that it has top named celebrities that people actually want to read about. The weakness of this book is that there is nothing to find out nest so you don't have a reason to keep reading. I did like how god actually gave them the strength to continue and succeed in life. The writing was very boring to me, but I liked the idea.
The book gave a lasting effect on me because I have a saint Christopher necklace that my grandma gave to me before she passed away and that keeps me safe when I race motorcross. So, I think that god has a great power on us. I would recommend this book, it will make you think.

After reading this, you certainly KNOW he is real!.......2007-01-25

Truly, this, and the book before this, are really awesome books!
** Why?
Because they give some very good insights into other peoples way to God. Not only that, if you don't know the Bible inside and out (and even if you do, actually!), there are quotations from the Bible explaining the why and hows, depending on the story of the person interviewed.
All this, with Amy Hagbergs very nice way of writing (down to earth serious mixed with a nice blend of humor) makes this book a pleasure to read!
Personally, I strongly recommend this book to everyone. It might be those who Seek, or those who have found, it doesn't matter, in my opinion! :)

Fantastic book!.......2007-01-24

What a great book! Amy Hagberg has gathered some of today's biggest sports and music celebs to talk about how they know God is real. This book is in stark contrast to so many of today's depressing, tragedy-focused headlines. And the list of celebrities is impressive! [...]

The Obedience Experiments: A Case Study of Controversy in Social Science

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The Obedience Experiments: A Case Study of Controversy in Social Science
Arthur G. Miller
Manufacturer: Praeger Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0275920127

Inaccuracies in Children's Testimony: Memory, Suggestibility, or Obedience to Authority (Haworth Criminal Justice, Forensic Behavioral Sciences, & Offender ... Sciences, & Offender Rehabilitation)

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Inaccuracies in Children's Testimony: Memory, Suggestibility, or Obedience to Authority (Haworth Criminal Justice, Forensic Behavioral Sciences, & Offender ... Sciences, & Offender Rehabilitation)
Jon'A Meyer
Manufacturer: Haworth Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Jeopardy In The Courtroom: A Scientific Analysis of Children's Testimony
Investigative Interviews of Children; A Guide for Helping Professionals
Expert Witnesses in Child Abuse Cases: What Can and Should Be Said in Court
Elusive Innocence: Survival Guide for the Falsely Accused
Memory and Suggestibility in the Forensic Interview (Cram101 Textbook Outlines - Textbook NOT Included)

ASIN: 078900237X

Obedience to Authority: Current Perspectives on the Milgram Paradigm

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Finally Breaking the Wall of Silence

Obedience to Authority: Current Perspectives on the Milgram Paradigm

Manufacturer: Lawrence Erlbaum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Obedience to Authority: An Experimental View (Perennial Classics)
The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil
The Man Who Shocked the World: The Life and Legacy of Stanley Milgram
The Social Psychology of Good and Evil
The Psychology of Good and Evil: Why Children, Adults, and Groups Help and Harm Others

ASIN: 0805839348

Book Description

Stanley Milgram's experiments on obedience to authority are among the most important psychological studies of this century. Perhaps because of the enduring significance of the findings--the surprising ease with which ordinary persons can be commanded to act destructively against an innocent individual by a legitimate authority--it continues to claim the attention of psychologists and other social scientists, as well as the general public. The study continues to inspire valuable research and analysis. The goal of this book is to present current work inspired by the obedience paradigm.

This book demonstrates the vibrancy of the obedience paradigm by presenting some of its most important and stimulating contemporary uses and applications. Paralleling Milgram's own eclecticism in the content and style of his research and writing, the contributions comprise a potpourri of styles of research and presentation--ranging from personal narratives, through conceptual analyses, to randomized experiments.

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Finally Breaking the Wall of Silence.......2003-08-04

Many books have been written on controversial topics, but it is quite amazing to notice how groundbreaking experiments like those conducted (decades ago) by Stanley Milgram are still surrounded by a wall of silence. While they have revealed clear, yet painful insights about the nature of our social functioning, the subject of "obedience to authority" must have been too hot to be pursued in open debates. Milgram was brave enough to risk a pioneering trip into the very heart of a smoking volcano. He actually revealed in the 'obedience' studies the raw effects of socialization an civilization. When people obey, they are almost spellbound by the authority figure, and this allows one to forget about personal responsibility; when the authority is not a legitimate one, this temptation of shedding responsibility might--in fact--be even greater, as the horrors of the Holocaust would suggest.

A hierarchical model of society operates upon the myth of surrendering to the one who "knows best," therefore always encouraging people to shortcut their own reasoning whenever a person holding a position of authority requires obedience. We live constantly under the pressure to obey, which makes us nothing more than living tools, objects in the hands of those people holding the appropriate credentials of authority. While the detrimental effects of such a way of social functioning might not always be very apparent (especially when a common 'higher good' requires it, or when human relationships are indirect), it soon becomes painfully evident that at least for those professions bearing a direct, unmediated impact on human lives, an abuse of authority can be devastating in its effects. The police, judicial and military environments are the first that come to mind when we speak of abuse, but there are also raising concerns regarding the issue of human responsibility in areas such as the commercial flights, the ethics of the helping professions (including medicine and psychology). Although not addressed distinctly in the book, one can only imagine the implications of obedience as a way to achieve information control and influence over large masses of people, such as the way the large media corporations operate.

One would have expected perhaps that Milgram's astounding (and original) findings be further investigated and publicized more, but, instead, a curtain of unfair criticism was raised against him, questioning Milgram on moral/ethical grounds, just to end--in more recent times--with a ban on conducting any such experiments in the future. Ironically enough, it was another 'voice of authority' (APA's Board) to make it virtually impossible for such psychological research to continue, not to mention a somewhat excessive concern about having people freely and openly learn about Milgram's experiments! [See Chapter 9, an account of APA's 1992 science museum exhibit at Smithsonian, presenting Milgram's research to the public for the first time.] Therefore, the mechanisms by which people surrender their judgment when confronted with an authority figure have good chances to further remain obscure for the public eye.

Prof. Blass has done a wonderful job in putting together this book. His 'update' essay (presented in Chapter 4) is very well structured, its information is abundantly referenced, and it is also summarized in a few conclusions about the various Milgram-related experiments conducted worldwide after 1961-2 (when the original experiments took place). Also, the collective effort of various experts authoring the other chapters of the book achieves a much-needed revival of a topic that was longtime buried under the mud of an unconscious resistence to it.

The essays and studies making this book treasurable (beyond their research value) can get one very emotional at times, especially when reading about some of the most disturbing accounts (as is the case with Chapter 11, dealing with the Stanford Prison Experiment). The topic of 'obedience' is obviously still a very sensitive one, almost making one want to plunge in denial. The potential shock comes as no surprise, though, if we think that the entire scaffolding of civilization rests on just that: people doing things for each other. The way from 'mutual help' to 'mutual exclusion' is very short, and Milgram perceived (and demonstrated) how people can become at some point expendable, human sacrifices on the altar of human becoming!

Fact is, this book deserves to be pored over; if not for the richness of its updated details, then at least for it being a beautiful and illuminating exercise of "knowing yourself."

Under Cover (Walker Large Print Books)
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Important read for every Christian!

Under Cover (Walker Large Print Books)
John Bevere
Manufacturer: Walker Large Print
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Under Cover: The Promise of Protection Under His Authority

The Fear of the Lord

The Bait of Satan: Living Free from the Deadly Trap of Offense

Driven by Eternity: Making Your Life Count Today & Forever

ASIN: 1594150516

Customer Reviews:

Important read for every Christian!.......2007-05-24

When I picked up this book to read for the first time a number of years ago, I'd wish I'd picked it up and read it sooner. Why? Because I just went through a season where God was dealing with me in the area of submission and obedience. I remembered clearly at that time that I had wished that I had read it sooner and may have saved me some pain, but having just read it again and thinking through the past, it may have been good to read it sooner, but the dealings of God would have been just as difficult because of the deception I was in at that time.

I can safely say that there would be a big group of people who would not like this book and what it says. It goes against human nature. However, because I had gone thorugh processes that Bevere went through as he related in the book, I know what it talks about is true.

One of the basis that Bevere begins iwth is that it is difficult for someone with a democratic mindset to understand this. The Kingdom of God is not a democracy but a theocracy. Take for instance the USA's democracy. Out of the 55 founding fathers of America, 52 were active members of the church. The country was founded based on Biblical principles - respect for one another, submission to one another, obedience to God and His Word, etc. Take the Biblical values and principles away and what democracy can produce is anarchy.

The basic unit of the church is the family, and families are not democratic in nature. All you need is a family with 3 children, and leave all the decision to a vote and soon we will have mayhem!

Just as the American democracy was founded to break from the tyranny of the British, this book is a hard pill to swallow because of the harsh rulers that we face today, and those we are not in agreement with. However, this does not change the word of God. Bevere shows that God knows what He is doing, and is not caught by surprise when evil rulers come into power. The question is what will we do? God will judge authorities on how they ruled, and us on how we submitted.

This book is written for the perspective of what a person under authority should be and do, but does not address at great lengths what the person in authority should do, and that can be found in many leadership book. However, if you are in authority reading this book and thinking how you can mistreat people because of your authority... you may be the next Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Herod Agrippa I, Hitler, and many other evil rulers.

At the end of the day, there are no simple answers to many complex problems we face today, but submission to authority is the start of one of the answers. This book, as with all other books, are not complete in tackling every situation on the face of the earth, but it does bring across Biblical principles that we can live by.

Community and Authority: The Rhetoric of Obedience in the Pauline Tradition (Harvard Theological Studies)

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Community and Authority: The Rhetoric of Obedience in the Pauline Tradition (Harvard Theological Studies)
Cynthia Briggs Kittredge
Manufacturer: Trinity Press International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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