Disorientation: How to Go to College Without Losing Your Mind [Perfect Paperback]

Donna Steichen (Author), Jimmy Akin (Author), Fr. John Zuhlsdorf (Author), Peter Kreeft (Author), Robert Spencer (Author), Mark Shea (Author), Eric Metaxas (Author), John Keck (Author), Elizabeth Scalia (Author), John Zmirak (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2010

Every year, thousands of young Catholics leave their homes for higher education at our nation s colleges and universities. Very few realize, however, that from orientation day onward, they will be indoctrinated with a vision of reality that is very different from the values their families hold dear. Sadly, many of our young people will fall prey to one or more of the dominant ideologies engrained in their college education, ideologies that can lead them away from the Church and, ultimately, their faith in God. Students who are not taught how to think critically or who lack the tools needed to sift through the logic of these positions are easily swayed by the smooth sophistry of the intellectual elite.

For this reason, fourteen of the top Catholic writers in America professors, priests, journalists, philosophers, and theologians have come together to dissect the trendy ideas that can lead young Catholics away from the Church. Disorientation is intellectual ammunition for every college student and parent, as it breaks down the history, analyzes the appeal, and debunks the empty promises of such wildly popular errors as:

Hedonism
Relativism
Progressivism
Modernism
Scientism
Fundamentalism
Feminism
Multiculturalism
...and more.

Edited by John Zmirak (author of The Bad Catholic s Guide to Good Living and editor of Choosing the Right College), this book is guaranteed to get college students thinking hard about what their professors are telling them and what they should really believe.

Product Details

• Perfect Paperback: 188 pages
• Publisher: Ascension Press (September 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1934217948
• ISBN-13: 978-1934217948
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #36,545 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just for college students October 18, 2010

By Julie D. VINE™ VOICE

Format:Perfect Paperback

Disorientation is specifically designed to help educate young Catholics on the threshold of leaving home for college and the "Wild West" (so to speak) of modern ideologies with which they will be bombarded upon entering the classrooms. The idea is that if they know what something is (progressivism, multiculturalism, hedonism, and so forth) then they can identify it up front and not fall prey to replacing solid Catholic teachings with skewed ideas. Fourteen essays by top Catholic writers explain and put into context these ideologies which so many people think are "just naturally the way things are." It is edited by John Zmirak so there is a reliable light touch with tongue firmly in cheek that permeates the book. (For the record, I think this is a good thing, especially if you are aiming at the college-bound.)

Let's face it. Chances are that your child has been exposed to these ideologies long before heading off for college. Most of those ideas are communicated through television, movies, and pals who they see every day. Talking about these things intelligently at home is the best way to make sure that everyone understands just why what the Church teaches is true and where those other ideas have skewed truth. If your kids are going to college, sure go ahead and get them a copy. But you don't have to wait that long. This book does a terrific job of helping us understand things from a proper point of view. Get a copy for yourself now. And one for the kids ... no time like the present when it comes to understanding how our culture thinks versus how the Church does.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Witty, fun responses to today's most prominent philosophies March 11, 2011

By Brandon Vogt TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Perfect Paperback

One hundred years after G.K. Chesterton penned his famous Heretics, editor John Zmirak has produced a modern version of Chesterton's classic work. Zmirak's book, titled Disorientation: How to go to College Without Losing Your Mind (Ascension Press, 188 pages, paperback), bring together fourteen contributors, each picking apart a common ideology found on college campuses. The book was written to give intellectual ammunition to young Catholics as they head off for higher education.

Throughout the book, top writers break down the history, analyze the appeal, and debunk the empty promises of wildly popular philosophies including:

* Sentimentalism (Elizabeth Scalia)
* Relativism (Eric Metaxas)
* Hedonism (John Zmirak)
* Progressivism (Peter Kreeft)
* Multiculturalism (Robert Spencer)
* Anti-Catholicism (Jimmy Akin)
* Utilitarianism (Fr. Dwight Longenecker)
* Consumerism (Eric Brende)
* Feminism (Donna Steichen)
* Cynicism (George William Rutler)
* Scientism (John Keck)
* Americanism (Mark Shea)
* Marxism (Jeffrey Tucker)
* Modernism (John Zuhlsdorf)

If you are unfamiliar with any of these ideologies--or "ism's", if you will--Disorienation provides an enjoyable introduction. The writing is deliciously snarky--you can almost see the writer's smirks as they pick through their topics. Though it is a serious-minded book, the topics are approached with whim and wit.

Considering its target audience, however, the book is written at a fairly high level. Disorienation is geared toward recent high-school graduates and young college students, but if somebody handed this book to me when I was that age I would have found it neither compelling or understandable. Even many adults will struggle through some of the chapters--especially Rutler's on "Cynicism." For instance, here is a snippet from Rutler's piece (p. 102):

"The postmodernist diction cynically deconstructs logic and actually ridicules it--perhaps unwittingly because it has so abosorbed the temper of illogic. And so the cynic threatens all social constructions built on values higher than the self..."

Because of its high-level content, Disorienation may appeal more to older, college upperclassman or, better yet, the parents of young college students. If parents want to prepare their sons and daughters for these philosophies, they could first read through Disorienation themselves before sharing the content with their children through casual discussion.

Finally, John Zmirak's closing epilogue, "Will Your College Years Be a Waste of Time?", is alone worth the price of the book. There he provides eight tips on how to piece together a solid liberal education regardless of what school you attend or how wacko your professors are. Any college student who takes John's advice will leave college very well-formed.

Overall, I enjoyed Disorienation's tongue-in-cheek humor, sharp thinking, and the dismantling of false ideologies. Despite its difficulty, I would recommend Disorienation to all capable readers looking for a fun, intelligent primer on today's most prevalent "ism's".

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow, so eye opening! October 5, 2010

By Thomas

Format:Perfect Paperback

What an insightful read!! I even love all the cartoon renditions of all "isms" throughout the book!! Very creative! I have a friend of mine who is about enter College and out of all the books I would want him to read before he enters, this book would be at the top of the list!!