Dr. Weiss's Clean

Dr. Weiss's Clean

Bruce Von Stiers

When I first saw the title Clean, I thought the book would be about getting free of addiction. Well, in a way it is. But not addictions to drugs or alcohol. The book focuses on men getting rid of sexual additions.

The book is from Thomas Nelson, a prominent publisher of faith based materials. It was written by Dr. Douglas Weiss, a psychologist, who has a nationally known speaker, author and frequent guest on radio and television programs.

The book has a sub-title of A Proven Plan For Men Committed To Sexual Integrity. The book has 13 chapters and 234 pages.

As this is a faith based book, the author uses a lot of biblical scripture to back up his points. From James to Revelation and many other books in the bible, Dr. Weiss gives scripture to illustrate what can happen if men stray from sexual purity and integrity.

I have to say that due to the way I approach life, I don't subscribe to the same exact set of values that the author lays out. He has some very good points on being virtuous but a lot of them will seem too intimidating or intrusive for some men whose lives aren't totally faith driven.

The author presents material taken from studies and surveys to get his point across. He also describes techniques that can be used to deter one's self from committing adulterous actions or thoughts. One such technique he calls Spank The Dog, which is an oft used addiction therapy tool of snapping of a rubber band on your wrist to remind you not to do something. I'm not sure if that's really an effective tool, but then again, I've never done it so I don't know if it works or not.

A lot of the book is concentrated on pornography, which the author emphasizes as a leading cause of dissolving marriages and relationships. The books tells the reader things like “Looking at porn leaves you feeling dirty, defiled, separated, and left with a secret.”

The author also uses some heavy-handed and confrontational methods of dealing with friends of family members that the reader might think are sexually addicted. One example the author gave is going up to someone after a church service, taking their hand and point-blank asking them when was the last time they viewed pornography, masturbated or cheated on their significant other. The effort is supposed to show compassion and caring for the other person, but I'm not too sure if I was approached in that manner that it would be accepted very well.

This book is intended for those men who want to change the way they approach their sexual lifestyle. If you aren't ready for an ultra-strong message about getting past sexual addictions and behaviors then this isn't a book for you. But if you are looking for a guide for doing just that and one that is firmly rooted in scripture, then this is a book that you should definitely read.

Clean is available at most Christian book retailers and directly from the publisher at www.thomasnelson.com .

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