In sheep's clothing

Self-help

First published: 1996
Print length: 174 pagesParkhurst Brothers, 2010

Description

In Sheep’s Clothing is a self-help book about psychological manipulators and the people they target. George K. Simon describes different forms and degrees of manipulation, extending from pressure in personal relationships to broader social patterns. The book also distinguishes self-respect from self-esteem and considers ways that society may encourage aggressive behavior. Its practical aim is to help readers gain greater freedom from manipulative relationships and, where possible, change harmful patterns of interaction. Together, these themes frame manipulation as both an interpersonal problem and a social concern, while keeping the book’s focus on the possibility of greater freedom and change.

Reading profile

About this profile

Collected’s assessment, not reader ratings. Complexity runs from 1 (least demanding) to 5 (most demanding).

Writing: How much attention the sentences and language require.
Ideas: How much interpretation or abstract reasoning the book asks of you.
Structure: How much you need to keep track of speakers, timelines and connections.
Background knowledge: Prior knowledge needed to follow the book, beyond what it explains.
Emotional intensity: Emotional pressure, from gentle (1) to intense (5). Separate from difficulty.

Writing style

Conversational · Direct

Pace

Moderate

Tone

Cerebral · Earnest · Hopeful

Focus

Ideas · Information · Relationships

Emotional intensity

3 / 5

Reading complexity

1–5 · higher means more demanding

Writing: 2 / 5
Ideas: 3 / 5
Structure: 2 / 5
Background knowledge: 2 / 5

Themes

FreedomMental healthPowerTransformation

About George K. Simon

George K. Simon is an American clinical psychologist and nonfiction author whose work brings the study of personality, character disturbance, and manipulation to general readers. Drawing on a long clinical practice and experience supervising correctional risk-assessment and treatment programs in Arkansas, he favors a direct, behavioral account of harmful conduct. In In Sheep’s Clothing, Simon describes manipulation as covert aggression: a set of deliberate tactics for gaining power, rather than chiefly an unconscious defense against insecurity. His writing combines psychological explanation with practical guidance for recognizing these tactics and responding to them, extending its attention from difficult personal relationships to social conditions that can encourage aggressive behavior.

Book details

For the print edition listed above.

Publisher: Parkhurst Brothers
Language: English
ISBN: 9781935166306

Keep your books and notes in Collected for iPhone.

Apple Books is a service mark of Apple Inc. iPhone is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.