Dave Grossman (1) (1956–)

'On Combat is a superb book that is a must-read for al warriors and all those they protect. In other words, everyone. Thoroughly researched and written by two warriors who have lived what they write about, it has the same passionate and inspirational style that characterizes the dynamic speeches of Lt. Co. Grossman. You will learn the reality of combat and feel empowered by the understanding and skills you'll acquire to perform, cope, and even thrive in any extreme stress situation. Do yourself a favor: Read this book NOW.-Dr. Alexis Artwohl Author and Psychologist

This new book is what our young warriors need. At one of David's last briefings a Senior NCO approached me and said, 'Sir, the army spent 18 years and thousands of dollars teaching me to kill. This is the first time I have been taught how to deal with it.' This book will allow those not fortunate enough to hear David do their own preparation for the ultimate test.-Lt. Col. Hal McNair Professor at the Joint Spec Ops University

Quite frankly, it is an awesome book, the best available anywhere on the subject. On Killing was great, this is even better. It will be required reading at the PD and in my Army units. You did us proud.-Randy Watt Veteran Cop and Green Beret Veteran of Afghanistan

A former army Ranger, paratrooper, West Point Psychology Professor and author of the classic book, On Killing, Lt. Col. Dave Grossman is currently the Director of the Warrior Science Group and one of the world's foremost experts in the field of human aggression and the psychology of combat.

Contents

Acknowledgments
Foreword by Gavin de Becker
Introduction The new warriors, the new paladins
Section I The physiology of combat: The anatomy of the human body in battle
Chapter One Combat: The universal human phobia
Chapter Two The harsh reality of combat: What you don't hear at the VFW
Chapter Three Sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system: The body's combat and maintenance troops
Chapter Four Fear, physiological arousal and performance: Conditions white, yellow, red, gray and black
Section II Perceptual distortions in combat: An altered state of consciousness
Chapter One The eyes and the ears: Auditory exclusion, intensified sound, and tunnel vision
Chapter Two Autopilot: 'You honestly don't know you're doing it'
Chapter Three A grab bag of effects: visual clarity, slow motion time, temporary paralysis, memory loss, dissociation and intrusive thoughts
Chapter Four Memory loss, memory distortions, and the role of videotaping: You are absolutely convinced it happened
Chapter Five The Klinger study: A parallel study in perceptual distortions
Section III The call to combat: Where do we get such men?
Chapter One Kiling machines: The impact of a handful of true warriors
Chapter Two stress inoculation and fear: Practicing to be miserable
Chapter Three Sucking up bullets and continuing to fight: ou've never lived until you've almost died
Chapter Four Making the decision to kill: 'I killed someone, but someone lived'
Chapter Five Modern paladins bearing the shield: 'Go tell the spartans...'
Chapter Six The evolution of combat: The physical and psychological leverage that enables killing, in war and peace
Chapter Seven The evolution of combat and domestic violent crime
Section IV The price of combat: After the smoke clears
Chapter One Relief, self-blame and other emotions: 'My world was turned inside out.'
Chapter Two Stress, uncertainty, and the 'Four Fs': Forewarned is forearmed
Chapter Three PTSD: Reexperiencing the event, and fleeing from the puppy
Chapter Four A time to heal: The role of critical incident debriefings in preventing PTSD
Chapter Five Tactical breathing and the mechanics of the debriefing: Separating the memory from the emotions
Chapter Six What to say to a returnng veteran, and what to say to a survivor
Chapter Seven thou shalt not kill? The Judeo/Christian view of killing
Chapter Eight survivor guilt: Life not death, and justice not vengeance
Conclusion
Appendix A Erasmus' twenty-two principles on how to be strong while remaining viruous in a dangerous world
Appendix B Boardof Advisors for On Combat
Bibliography
Index
Author's biographies… (más)

'Full of arresting observations and insights...that make you alter the way you have thought about a certain subject...a powerfully argued explanation.'-New York Times

The good news is that the vast majority of soldiers are loath to kill in battle. Unfortunately, modern armies, using Pavlovian and operant conditioning, have developed sophisicated ways of covercoming this instinctive aversion. The psychological cost for soldiers, as wittnessed by the increase in post-traumatic stress, is devastating. The psycholicial cost for the rest of us is even more so: contemporary civilian society, particularly the media, replicates the army's conditioning techniques and, according to Grossman's contoversial thesis, is repsonsible for our rising rate of murder, expecially among the young.

On Killing is an important stydy of the techniques the military usese to overcome the powerful reluctance to kill, of how killing affects the soldier, and of the societal implications of escalating violence.

'Colonel Grossman's perceptive study ends with a profoundly troubling observation. The desensitizing techniques used to train soldiers are now found in mass media-films, television, and video arcades-and are conditioning our children. HIs figures on youthful homicides strongly suggest the breeding of teenage Rambos.'-William Manchester

'A fine piece of work.'-Dr. Richard Holmes, author of Acts of War

'This important book deserves a wide readership.'-Library Journal, starred review

A former army Ranger and paratrouper, Lt. Col. Dave Grosman taught psychology at West Point and is currently the Professor of Military Science at Arkansas state University

Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction the the paperback edition
Intoduction
Section I Killing and the existence of resistance: A world of virgins studying sex
Chapter One Fight or flight, posture or submit
Chapter Two Nonfirers throughout history
Chapter Three Why can't Johnny kill?
Chapter Four The nature and source of the resistance
Section II Killing and combat trauma: The role of killing in psychiatric casualties
Chapter One The nature of psychiatric casualities: The psychological price of war
Chapter Two The reign of fear
Chapter Three The weight of exhaustion
Chapter Four The mud of guilt and horror
Chapter Five The wind of hate
Chapter Six The well of fortitude
Chapter Seven The burden of killing
Chapter Eight The blind men and the elephant
Section III Killing and physical distance: From a distance, you don't look anything like a friend
Chapter One Distance: A qualitative distinction in death
Chapter Two Killing at maximum and long range: Never a need for repentance or regret
Chapter Three Killing at mid- and hand-grenage range: 'You can never be sure it was you'
Chapter Four Killing at close range: 'I knew that it was up to me, personally, to kill him'
Chapter Five Killing at edged-weapons range: An 'intimate brutality'
Chapter Six Killing at hand-to-hand-combat range
Chapter Seven Killing at sexual range: 'The primal aggression, the release, and orgasmic discharge'
Section IV An anaomy of killing: All factors considered
Chapter One The demands of authority: Milgram and the military
Chapter Two Group absolution: 'The individual is not a killrr, but the group is'
Chapter Three Emotional distance: 'To me they were less than animals'
Chapter Four The nature of the victim: Relevance and payoff
Chapter Five Aggressive predisposition of the killer: Avengers, conditioning, and the 2 percent who like it
Chapter Six All factors coinsidered: The mathematics of death
Section V Killing and atrocities: 'No honor here, no virtue'
Chapter One The full spectrum of atrocitiy
Chapter Two The dark power of atrocitiyi
Chapter Three The entrapment of atrocity
Chapter Four a case study in atrocity
Chapter Five The greatest trap of all: To live with that which thou hath wrought
Section VI The killiing response stages: What does it feel like to kill?
Chapter One The killing response stages
Chapter Two Applications of the model: Murder-suicides, lost elections, and thoughts of insanitiy
Section VII Killing in Vietnam: What have we done to our soldiers?
Chapter One Desensitization and conditioning in Vietnam: Overcoming the resistance to killing
Chapter Two What have we done to our soldiers? The rationalization of killing and how it failed in Vietnam
Chapter Three Post-traumatic stress disorder and the cost of killing in Vietnam
Chapter Four The limits of human endurance and the lessons of Vietnam
Section VIII Killing in America: What are we doing to our children?
Chapter One A virus of violence
Chapter Two Desensitization and Pavlov's dog at the movies
Chapter Three B.F. Skinner's rats and operant conditioning at the video arcade
Chapter Four Social learning and role models in the media
Chapter Five The resensitization of America
Notes
Bibliography
Index… (más)

This is difficult book to review, there are some very good parts in it, and some very bad. The author definitely seems to have no problem with "self-esteem" asking if a person who he called the Anti-Grossman (the authors name) is similar to the Anti-Christ (essentially comparing himself to Christ I presume). At other times he simple makes statements that are clearly not factual such as the reference to Socrates (not Plato's) Republic, while at the same time comes across very preaching and proselytizing. In one chapter he praises the Psychology community when he uses them to strengthen his claim (about media violence), while in same time puts them down when his disagrees (about PTSD). The book should have been much shorter focusing on the elements Colonel Grossman is an expert on, which would have made it a better use of time and energy. Some of the language used was off putting such as referring to civilians as "sheep" throughout the book, but also use of some disrespectful terms such as Japs, Krauts, etc ... I would definitely encourage people to read this book as it has valuable perspectives, but would encourage the author to be less judgemental and maybe consider that people who disagree with him have a valid point too.… (más)