The decline in power; popularity and prestige of religion across the modern world is not a short-term or localized trend nor is it an accident. It is a consequence of subtle but powerful features of modernization. Renowned sociologist; Steve Bruce; elaborates the secularization paradigm and defends it against a wide variety of recent attempts at rebuttal and refutation. Using the best available statistical and qualitative evidence Bruce considers the implications for the
#2745663 in Books 2009-12-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 6.40 x 1.00 x 9.50l; 1.55 #File Name: 0199554463320 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A very well written history of the Wellcome collection- without ...By Michael E. MoranA very well written history of the Wellcome collection- without some of the specifics. It details Wellcome's many collectors and does not focus on Henry Wellcome with as much detail.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Sir Henry WellcomeBy Anne RussellThere was a wealth of information in this book; but it could have been covered with about half the text - too many ways of saying the same thing throughout1 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Incredible. Add to yr collection of bks on hoarding ;)By P.IlouWith all the TV programs on Hoarding; this book is very timely. Are collectors hoarders? Are hoarders mentally ill? In my humble medical opinion anything in excess is ab-normal (by definition). The book illustrates that problem. For hoarders; to acknowledge that they have a problem and need some help is (only) the necessary beginning towards a solution. Collecting; would it be booklets of matches; or coins or stamps; dead insects; African daggers etc; makes sense if it provides pleasure to the collector. Expert status is based often on a collection of infos accrued around a collection of similar objects plus scientific; mercantile; market systematic analysis. When the 'safety valve' of good judgment fails and the collection is too wide; too numerous; too costly; unkept; or not helping one's health; social life or environment; there is a problem of accumulation. Wikipedia has interesting texts on famous hoarders. Unfortunately medias focus on the hoarders without emphasizing enough in my opinion on the psychology of events leading to the problematic hoarding. Sensationalism for the TV ratings. Ostracizing of hoarders. Hoarders lack a social network and isolate themselves in their environment of material things up to sometimes a point of dying by accident; buried under belongings. Friends and relatives can help hoarders but the problem is 2-sided. Limit input (buys/collect trash/attending auctions/impulsive web shopping when alone) and increase output(discard/give/sell). I would also suggest that a 3rd facet exists: support periodically the hoarder into not falling back in the same faulty judgment mechanisms. If the hoarder can find a person whose judgment he trusts and who he admires/respects very much or even love; then clearing the house with the help of that person is easier. Doing it with a TV crew filming and outsiders like social workers and so-called organization experts cleaning in the back without approval(discarding in the trash) is ludicrous and cruel; because for the hoarder each object has a story and represents an investment; a loss/mourning to be of the hoarder's self if discarded in any way. Listening to some extent to each story from the hoarder and then discarding with hoarder's permission is better than hard discards in the hoarder's back; like shown on TV. Author is very respectful possibly because sponsored by the Wellcome Foundation.
