This E-book differs from printed books is several ways. First, this book has few references to printed material. It is an E-book with links to added materials on the Internet, ones which may be accessed by the click of a mouse. Few people actually look up the references cited in printed books, to some extent because of the effort involved. However, if people can access additional material instantly with little effort, perhaps more will actually do so.
I realize that some of the websites to which I link may no longer exist. This is analogous to printed books being out of print and not available in the library. Because some of the links may not lead to the websites I intended, I give both the link (URL) and the name of the organization/website so that the reader can use a search engine in an attempt to find the website if the organization has moved it to a new URL.
For cases in which the referenced material is not available on-line, I have links to references in the database on missionarycare.com. This database gives complete reference to the printed material as well as a summary, an outline, and a brief quotation from the printed material
Second, this book is under constant revision and expansion like What Missionaries Ought to Know… and Missionary Marriage Issues which are also on this website. Thus the book is never “completed” because new material is added as it is written, virtually every year.
Third, this book has no index because none is needed. The book is in a digital format, so readers can use a search/find option to locate any topic or topics in the text. In Microsoft Word the “find” option is located under the edit tab.
Fifth, this book is not intended to be a general psychology textbook. It is written for missionaries about psychology. It may be used as a supplement to a general psychology textbook since the chapters are parallel to those found in most introductory psychology books. Following are two suggestions for readers who would like to read about the same material in a general psychology text.
Currently the most complete introductory text on-line is the one by Russell Dewey at http://www.intropsych.com/index.html. If you compare the table of contents in Dewey’s book to the table of contents in this book, you will find many of the same topics covered. You will find a link to the most relevant page of Dewey’s book at the beginning and end of each chapter as well as at the end of each major chapter section. When reading Dewey’s book, remember that it is from a secular perspective so you are likely to find sections with which you disagree.
One of the most widely used general psychology textbooks is Psychology by David G. Myers, published by Worth Publishers. It is an excellent, comprehensive text written for all audiences. Dave has taught at Hope College in Holland, MI for many years and is an evangelical Christian. The text is now in the ninth edition so used copies of the eighth edition (2007) are now widely available. The following websites search the Internet to find the best prices. I will give chapters and sections in Myers’ book at the beginning and end of each chapter and section as well. Though Dave is a Christian, you still may find sections with which you disagree.
Finally, remember that this book places psychology in “A” Christian Perspective, not “The” Christian Perspective. Different Christians have slightly different world-views and different theological positions, so you will probably find sections in this book with which you will disagree.
Blessings on you as you read!