A World Of Virgins Studying Sex

A couple of years ago, I was reading a chunk of books that Dan John had suggested. One of the first I chose from his list was the book "On Killing" by Lt. Col. David Grossman. If you've ever had a loved one or a friend go to war, or even if you haven't but still want to try to "understand", then it's worth your time. It's not what I'd call "an easy read"(emotionally, that is), but I could not tear myself away and it was one of the few books I've read recently that affected me profoundly.


On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society

There are, of course, many insights, most of which seem commonsensical ("Well, OF COURSE that would affect you!") but, in the context of the book and first-hand accounts and logical conclusions, become all the more convincing. It has certainly made me rethink the conversations and recommendations I have had with teenagers in the past about movies and video games, for example.

A point Lt. Col. Grossman makes early in the book is that conversations and research on the subject of killing often are (or have been) like "a world of virgins studying sex". In the strength, fitness, and conditioning community too, you will find many writer-gurus that have not spent much time in the racks and under a barbell. In this regard, they are like a bunch of virgins in lab coats, dispensing advice about sex when, in fact, the only advice they may be qualified to give is about abstinence.