- Paperback: 493 pages
- Publisher: Signature Books (30 Nov 2005)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 156085197X
- ISBN-13: 978-1560851974
- Product Dimensions: 22.5 x 16.9 x 3.9 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,747,694 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Hardcover
There is no need to "psychoanalize" Sidney Rigdon. His own words are proof enough that he was far beyond any religious zealots you and I have encountered. If by "psychoanalysis" the TBM reviewer below meant that Van Wagoner quotes from Rigdon himself showing that Rigdon was a religious nutcase then yes there is some truth to that. Van Wagoner did an excellent job of letting Rigdon hang himself.
Format:Hardcover
Richard Van Wagoner, a freelance biographer, has here written a pshchoanalytical biography that, as Gary Bergera cautioned might happen when amateurs write psychobiography, reflects what happens when a biographer's "own psychological reactions can distort their material so that their discussion may actually reveal more about themselves than about their subjects" (Bergera in Sunstone 15 [December 1991]: 28-31). Van Wagoner diagnoses Sidney Rigdon as manic-depressive though there is no evidence by which a mental health professional could make such a diagnosis. Indeed, Van Wagoner's use of the DSM-III shows a shallow understanding of diagnostic procedure, including an inductive approach in which a diagnosis was made and symptoms are then created from the definition of the disorder. This approach is convincing to casual readers, but it is fundamentally flawed. In several places Van Wagoner uses sources that are not credible. For instance, he cites a "medical opinion" to substantiate his claims. The problem is that the "doctor" would have been four years old at the time of his observations, and dead for a full decade before his findings were published. Moreover, Van Wagoner misled readers by citing the original source for this reference when all evidence suggests that he only saw a reported version of it. There are two other significant failings in Van Wagoner's psychoanalysis and the conclusions he draws. Readers interested in learning more about these may email.
Format:Hardcover
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is very accurate historically, while at the same time giving an unbiased account of Sidney's very important role in the starting of the Mormom Church. The author has an excellent writing style and everything in the book is well documented.
John Rigdon
(Sidney was my "uncle" 10 generations back)
EMAIL: JohnR238@aol.com
John Rigdon
(Sidney was my "uncle" 10 generations back)
EMAIL: JohnR238@aol.com
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