Why Don't We Listen Better Practical Book Review
Practical Book Review One:
James C. Peterson
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Presented to
Dr. Dwight Rice
Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary
Lynchburg, VA
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In Partial fulfillment
Of the requirements for the course
PACO 500 Introduction to Pastoral Counseling
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By
Shervanne E. Gatson
September, 2011
HEY! (25 pts)
My Summary
Petersen, James C. 2007. Why don’t we listen better? Communicating and connecting in relationships. Tigard, OR: Petersen Publications.
For forty years, Peterson focused on speaking at communication workshops and to couples. He dedicates his life to counseling and pastoral ministry. Peterson wrote Why don’t we listen better? Communicating and connecting in relationships to help couples gain the communication skills needed and improve their relationship. In the book Peterson introduced the flat brain theory in which he uses this theory to understand the problem of failed communication. The theory also shows how and why tense situations get us upset and what to do about it. He discusses where the stomach, heart, and head fit in the Flat-Brain Theory of Emotions. He stated that, “Communication is the lubrication designed to keep our functions of stomach, heart, and head working separately and together” (Peterson 2007, 16). Next, Peterson goes into more in debt by discussing the flat-brain syndrome. He gives examples of what happens when our system goes into whack (Peterson 2007, 23). Some of the examples of the flat-brain syndrome are stomach overloads, hearts turn bricklike, brains go flat, and hearing is skewed, etc. Peterson believes that defense and attacks are identical; the self gets in an immediate defense mechanism, making the person aggressive once the flat brain is attained (Peterson 2007, 34). We attack people who already have the same mechanisms as you when we defend ourselves. Peterson describes the flat brain tango which happens between
James C. Peterson
_________________
Presented to
Dr. Dwight Rice
Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary
Lynchburg, VA
__________________
In Partial fulfillment
Of the requirements for the course
PACO 500 Introduction to Pastoral Counseling
________________________
By
Shervanne E. Gatson
September, 2011
HEY! (25 pts)
My Summary
Petersen, James C. 2007. Why don’t we listen better? Communicating and connecting in relationships. Tigard, OR: Petersen Publications.
For forty years, Peterson focused on speaking at communication workshops and to couples. He dedicates his life to counseling and pastoral ministry. Peterson wrote Why don’t we listen better? Communicating and connecting in relationships to help couples gain the communication skills needed and improve their relationship. In the book Peterson introduced the flat brain theory in which he uses this theory to understand the problem of failed communication. The theory also shows how and why tense situations get us upset and what to do about it. He discusses where the stomach, heart, and head fit in the Flat-Brain Theory of Emotions. He stated that, “Communication is the lubrication designed to keep our functions of stomach, heart, and head working separately and together” (Peterson 2007, 16). Next, Peterson goes into more in debt by discussing the flat-brain syndrome. He gives examples of what happens when our system goes into whack (Peterson 2007, 23). Some of the examples of the flat-brain syndrome are stomach overloads, hearts turn bricklike, brains go flat, and hearing is skewed, etc. Peterson believes that defense and attacks are identical; the self gets in an immediate defense mechanism, making the person aggressive once the flat brain is attained (Peterson 2007, 34). We attack people who already have the same mechanisms as you when we defend ourselves. Peterson describes the flat brain tango which happens between