Before you volunteer for that curriculum committee, school violence task force or focus group; before you run for school board or PTA president: Find out who the professional manipulators are and how they're going to get you to stick your foot in your mouth. Here is a hands-on workshop in strategies used to silence parents and concerned citizens and generate a predetermined consensus on controversial issues. Updated 2011 Edition.
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About the Author
Beverly Eakman: * Educator, 9 years: English, Literature, Debate; 7th grade remedial through 12th grade advanced and debate team, 1968-1974, 1979-1981. * Science Editor, Technical Writer and Editor-in-Chief of official newspaper, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 1974-1979. Technical piece, "David, the Bubble Baby," picked up by popular press and turned into a movie starring John Travolta. * Chief speech writer, National Council for Better Education, 1984-1986; for the late Chief Justice Warren E. Burger, Commission on the Bicentennial of the US Constitution, 1986-1987; for the Voice of America, 1987-1989; and for U.S. Dept. of Justice (DOJ), 1991-1993. Writer-editor, DOJ, 1994-2004. * Author: six books on education since 1991, including the internationally acclaimed Cloning of the American Mind: Eradicating Morality Through Education (Huntington House 1998), Walking Targets: How Our Psychologized Classrooms are Producing a Nation of Sitting Ducks, and A Common Sense Platform for the 21st Century. Columnist for NewsWithViews.com. * Published articles: Education Week, Chronicles Magazine, The Washington Times, Insight Magazine, National Review, Crisis Magazine, Vital Speeches, The Washington Post, and more 1985-present. * Executive Director: National Education Consortium, co-founded 1994, education & privacy law.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
In an era in which secondary schools and universities are not teaching people superlative critical thinking skills, it is easier than ever for groups and individuals within groups to be manipulated. In this book, Beverly Eakman outlines tactics that trained manipulators in settings such as PTA meetings or other public policy meetings use to get people to sign on to politically correct consensuses--and she provides the tools that one needs to derail these tactics.
Eakman describes many of the main weapons that manipulators use, including the familiar Hegelian and Alinskyite tactics. She shows how manipulators (who the author says frequently attempt to give themselves the euphemistic name of "facilitator") attempt to coerce individuals into adopting group beliefs, to trick an individual into thinking that the group's predetermined consensus was in fact the individual's own idea, and to make the individual think that he has input into the group's decision when in fact he does not.
When reading this book it may seem depressing to realize how easy it is nowadays for someone to control a group, but Eakman provides many countermoves one can use to avoid being manipulated or demoralized and to hold your ground in meetings--and she provides a splendid rejoinder one can use to deflect ad hominem attacks.
Some years ago I took an interest in this topic and became, if something less than an expert, at least a fairly serious armchair student of manipulation tactics, so I was intrigued when I saw a link to this book last May. This book is not exhaustive--I can think of quite a few of the lowest and foulest manipulation techniques that were not covered in this book, and there was one example in the book that fell flat due to an inaccurate statement.... Read more ›
Eakman describes many of the main weapons that manipulators use, including the familiar Hegelian and Alinskyite tactics. She shows how manipulators (who the author says frequently attempt to give themselves the euphemistic name of "facilitator") attempt to coerce individuals into adopting group beliefs, to trick an individual into thinking that the group's predetermined consensus was in fact the individual's own idea, and to make the individual think that he has input into the group's decision when in fact he does not.
When reading this book it may seem depressing to realize how easy it is nowadays for someone to control a group, but Eakman provides many countermoves one can use to avoid being manipulated or demoralized and to hold your ground in meetings--and she provides a splendid rejoinder one can use to deflect ad hominem attacks.
Some years ago I took an interest in this topic and became, if something less than an expert, at least a fairly serious armchair student of manipulation tactics, so I was intrigued when I saw a link to this book last May. This book is not exhaustive--I can think of quite a few of the lowest and foulest manipulation techniques that were not covered in this book, and there was one example in the book that fell flat due to an inaccurate statement.... Read more ›
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
If you have ever wondered how YOUR agenda got sidetracked, this manual is for you!
June 6, 2011
By Curly Top
Format:Paperback
Talk about a vital book for our time. I don't know about you, but after attending a variety of political group "get-togethers," school board and PTA meetings, office "brainstorming" sessions, business "feedback" conferences and more, I became disillusioned anything useful would be the result. After reading Eakman's manual I now understand how and why "plants" (read agent provocateurs) are placed in these meeting, how I can identify them and get the agenda back on track. This book is a must read!!
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By Roni Bell
Format:Paperback
What I appreciate most about Ms. Eakman's work, is her thorough documentation. She's meticulous in having at hand, papers that verify her claims.
In a present culture of trying to wade through the reams of personal opinions, Beverly's work always provides a welcoming, stabilizing, foundation.
Americans need more doses of facts and realities as offered by folks like Beverly Eakman.
Why? To stop the force feeding of caustic lies and fiction that deliberately serves the purpose of perforating our Constitution.
For one example, I heard a reporter on Sunday Morning refer to DDT as, "the deadly chemical..." when in fact, DDT is not a deadly chemical! But, it's necessary for Depopulationists such as George Soros to perpetuate this lie, in order to achieve their goal of allowing millions to continue dying of malaria.
Ms. Eakman's work gives real time...opportunity. The powers that be, would do well for America if they'd take heed!
In a present culture of trying to wade through the reams of personal opinions, Beverly's work always provides a welcoming, stabilizing, foundation.
Americans need more doses of facts and realities as offered by folks like Beverly Eakman.
Why? To stop the force feeding of caustic lies and fiction that deliberately serves the purpose of perforating our Constitution.
For one example, I heard a reporter on Sunday Morning refer to DDT as, "the deadly chemical..." when in fact, DDT is not a deadly chemical! But, it's necessary for Depopulationists such as George Soros to perpetuate this lie, in order to achieve their goal of allowing millions to continue dying of malaria.
Ms. Eakman's work gives real time...opportunity. The powers that be, would do well for America if they'd take heed!
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By Erica Kenney
Format:Paperback
I read this book when I was part of a group trying to address the problem of drug abuse in our local high school. It helped me understand how the school administrators kept putting us off by endless meetings, discussions, reports and even trying to discredit parents. It gave us the information we needed to deal with these tactics. Ms. Eakman has provided a valuable service with this book. As for the review by Ms. Bartley, it was no more helpful than her other reviews which included the facts that she dropped the battery cover of her MP3 player in the toilet and she hates her printer.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Anyone under the age of 60 who was educated in our Public system must STUDY this book. Anyone over the age of 60 will realize why when they start to read this book. This book is a bargain at any price!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By SaysWho?
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I was hopeful that this book might provide special insights into group processes, how to react, and direct them. However, the organization was poor, and there was a lot of wasted time spent ragging on "liberals" who were actually Marxists indoctrinated (unsuspectingly) in the '60s, and who have become the new authoritarians of our time, and other straw dogs. I am appalled by the power of "PC" as a weapon as anyone else. But there are so many sidetracks devolving into rants that I had a very difficult time discovering where any pearls of group tactic wisdom that might be found. In the end, the points made--after taking a few moments to clarify them in my own mind--were so basic, that they probably could have been listed on a page or two of an elementary group psychology test. Save your money, look for something more sophisticated and with less authorial baggage. This is a self-published book (indulgence) for a reason.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
A helpful read if you are going to have to interact with "the system", especially education boards and special interest groups, most of which behave in exactly the way described by the author-manipulative, with an axe to grind and a willingness to use devious tactics to achieve an end.
Not very well written though.
Not very well written though.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Required Reading for Concerned Citizens
I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever felt frustrated at a school board, "community forum", or other political meeting. Read more
Published 23 days ago by Koos deWet
5.0 out of 5 stars
Informative. Enlightening.
This book is very well written by someone who knows what she's talking about. If you wish to inform yourself on group manipulation tactics (such as the Delphi Technique) currently... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Jersey Genealogist
4.0 out of 5 stars
Everyone should read it.
This is a great primer on how we get manipulated to go along with, and possibley even support, things we would not normally agree to. Read more
Published 5 months ago by cptcaver
2.0 out of 5 stars
Great topic and idea, very poorly executed
Aimed mostly at readers who are already part of an organized group of people wanting to change what is going on in the schools. Read more
Published on June 3, 2011 by Margaret Bartley
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