University of Destruction: Your Game Plan for Spiritual Victory on Campus

I'm always looking for great books to give to Christian students to prepare and equip them for the challenges of college life -- especially those that help them prepare for the challenges to their faith. In the past, the best book on the market was J. Budziszewski's How to Stay Christian in College; but I may go out on a limb and say that Wheaton's University of Destruction is even better! Wheaton does a great job of weaving the personal testimony of his own experience (which was not positive), but the truth of Scripture to give a young person a solid foundation from which to make their own decisions. And the best part is that Wheaton tells it like it is -- no sugar-coating of the college experience, no rose-colored glasses that "Christian" kids don't face the same pressures and temptations that other students face -- Wheaton addresses alcohol, sex and authority issues with honesty and gives students real solutions to the dilemmas they will face on every college campus. I love the book -- short enough that students can read it; but deep enough that when they do, they'll learn and be challenged by the truth presented clearly in each chapter. Parents of teenaged students, this would be a great graduation gift...or even better to give your student during their junior year as they begin to look at colleges and consider what campus best fits their goals and calling in life.

I wish I had read this book years ago when I was a college freshman; David Wheaton's excellent book would have saved me from a lot of emotional pain and heartache from broken relationships and "youthful" behavior. Alas, today's college and high school students can greatly benefit from David's insights, experiences, and advice on how to navigate the difficult transition from high school to college. As I was reading along, nodding my head in agreement, I thought one thing was missing from this book: more about David's experiences at Stanford University. But he was saving that part to the end, and what a powerful finish!

I wish I could have read this book 15 years ago! College lasts such a short time, but makes a significant impact on the rest of your life. David does an excellent job of describing the pitfalls that await students the minute they step on campus. He then provides them the tools to avoid the traps, and not just get by, but Overcome! I like his significant use of Scripture as the foundation for everything he says. His writing style is personal, easy to read, and very easy to remember. He engages the reader immediately and keeps your interest throughout. Should be a must-read for every Christian student who wants to make the most of college, not let it make the most of them!

What to buy that high school graduate who is a Christian? If the answer is, "Buy him/her a book," until now the option had been limited to saccharin, shallow devotional guides. With David Wheaton's "University of Destruction: Your Game Plan for Spiritual Victory on Campus," there is now an option that is relevant, penetrating, and practical. Author David Wheaton has "been there, done that." From his own experience on the campus of Stanford University, from his research, and from his interaction with 1000s of young people, Wheaton has distilled three "Pillars of Peril" for the Christian on the college campus: sex, alcohol/drugs, and humanism. After identifying the perils, Wheaton creatively offers realistic guidelines for raising the college spiritual GPA in order to become a victorious Christian on campus. Wheaton demonstrates his insight by not stopping at the "body sins" of college campus--sex, drugs, and alcohol. For the deepest, ongoing college peril is the "mental sin" or "faith sin" of the deconstruction of belief that systematically occurs on secular college campuses. You know that a book is solid when both Sean Hannity and Dr. John MacArthur recommend it. They're correct. "University of Destruction" is an excellent gift not only for the high school graduate, but for her/his parents. Reviewer: Robert W. Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of "Soul Physicians" and "Spiritual Friends." He is also the parent of a college junior on an elite secular college campus and the parent of a high school senior headed to an elite college.

I could have used a mentor like this when I was a young adult! I am a parent of a high schooler and highly recommend this book. David does an excellent job of preparing the reader for the temptations of "Sodom" found on many college campuses (and many high school campuses as well). He teaches the reader how avoid the temptations by establishing the habits of a godly lifestyle. This book would be very helpful for any young adult ready to go out on his/her own, college bound or not. The same temptations are there in and out of college.