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

Have you ever wondered how soldiers handle combat? Wondered about the psychological cost of killing, and how some soldiers return with no visible problems from it, and others with serious cases of post-traumatic stress disorder?

Have you ever wondered how you, yourself, would handle a deadly conflict situation? Don't tell me you've never stood in line at the bank, and wondered what you would do if it was robbed. Or walked down a dark street late at night, and wondered how you'd respond if you were attacked.

For anyone who's wondered these things, whether for yourself, or for a loved one in a warrior's role, I recommend, "On Combat".

(Its prequel, "On Killing," is also reportedly excellent, but I haven't read it yet.)

Lt Col Grossman discusses the necessity in society for people willing to do violence with efficient, sympathetic, detail, and outlines some of the strategies used in training for helping society's warriors deal with the difficult tasks we set them to. 

The body's responses to combat and other traumas are discussed in detail, explaining such phrases as 'scared shitless' (a real combat response of the parasympathetic nervous system) and a 'mouth dry with fear'. He cites historical examples of these phenomenon, reassuring warriors that they are not alone, they are not the first to feel these things- and most of all, that it does not mean that they are cowards. 

He goes on to describe the psychological aspects of combat and killing, explaining how prior mental preparation is everything for the warrior, and explaining some training techiniques used by both police departments and the military. 

Far from being a primer on how "real men don't mind killing," "On Combat" is a sympathetic look into the difficulties of being one of the warriors that the rest of us count on to keep us safe, including suggestions for the 'layperson' on how to talk to those returning from combat and other traumas and a peek into some of what may be going on in their minds. 

If you are a military member who may see or has seen combat, or a member of any of the peacekeeping services (and yes, LtCol Grossman and I include paramedics and other 'combat healers' in that definition!), or have a loved one who is, then I highly recommend this book.  

Self-Made Man: One Woman's Year Disguised as a Man

Do you remember my post a couple of weeks ago, in which I went wandering the University library and randomly grabbed books that looked interesting?

One of them was "Self-Made Man". It's inspired me to start a new section of my blog: Books Everyone Should Read.

"Self-Made Man", by Nora Vincent, is about the 18 months that she spent in drag, living, working, eating, reading, and playing as a man. The book opens with her decision to "go guy" for a year, and examine traditional gender roles, and the social construction of masculinity. She begins by joining a bowling league, where she learns not only how to bowl, but important lessons about how men relate to one another and themselves. Later, she goes on to date as "Ned", sharing with the reader her experiences of rejection as a man and how it was both similar and different from her experiences as lesbian woman. "Ned" also works as a travelling salesman, exploring the money/masculinity/sex tie- "Holy Sheep!" From here, Ned went on to spend several months in a monastery, contemplating vows and homophobia, and culminated Ned's journey in a men's retreat.

Nora Vincent, as Ned, gives a highly educational but extremely accessible look into how men's views of themselves and the world around them are constructed by not only the larger culture, but by themselves and other men. I recommend "Self-Made Man," highly for men with an introspective bent, women who want to better understand the men in their lives, and... ah, hell, I think everyone should read this. Seriously.

Reviews:

A thoughtful, entertaining piece of first-person investigative journalism . . . Self-Made Man transcends its premise altogether. . . . So rich and so audacious . . . [I was] hooked from Page 1. -- David Kamp, The New York Times Book Review

Eye-opening . . . Self-Made Man will make many women think twice about coveting male ‘privilege’ and make any man feel grateful that his gender is better understood. -- The Washington Post

Vincent’s account of how she ‘became’ a man is undeniably fascinating." -- Los Angeles Times Book World

[Vincent] can be as perspicuous and exact as Joan Didion or Gloria Steinem at nailing a hitherto disregarded truth about the sexes in a single elegant and witty phrase. . . . This is a brave and often fascinating book, with Vincent . . . offering us perspectives that are entirely fresh and new. -- The Times,London