When people see the title of his new book,"they may think it's a negative book," Jay L. Wenger says.

"Got Goodness? Think Again! We Are Not as Good as We Think We Are and the Reasons Why" is really a positive book, says Wenger, a psychology professor at the Lancaster campus of Harrisburg Area Community College.

How's that? "We may not be as good as we think we are, but we're not as bad, either."

The book, he says "highlights and honors the complexity that's within each of us, and it's based on research." And the idea of research should not scare or intimidate people, he added.

"This is a self-improvement guide. It's about understanding yourself and others. It's not an academic book; it's very readable and connects to everyday life. I think that after reading it, people may be more mindful of how they react to situations and to others."

The 129-page paperback was published by Chester River Press.

A Manheim Central High School graduate, Wenger holds a doctorate in experimental psychology from Pennsylvania State University and has taught a variety of college-level psychology courses over the past 15 years, including at the University of West Alabama. Fulbright Scholarships also took him to teach in Estonia and Kenya.

His first book, 2009's "Toward the Mind of Christ: The Perspective of an Experimental Psychologist," deals with the subtle aspects of underlying beliefs.

He said this second book is more personal. "I developed an appreciation for the complexity of the human mind while doing my Ph.D. work."

The author will sign his book from 2-4 p.m. Saturday at Midtown Scholar Bookstore, 1302 N. Third St., Harrisburg.

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