- Paperback: 304 pages
- Publisher: Woodrow Wilson Center Press; 1 edition (Sep 18 1998)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0943875897
- ISBN-13: 978-0943875897
- Product Dimensions: 23.1 x 15.6 x 1.9 cm
- Shipping Weight: 476 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #414,931 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Details |
Product Description
Review
"A disquieting but fascinating book . . . Strongly recommended." -- —British Journal of Psychiatry
"An honest and penetrating effort to explain the role of human psychology in terrorism." -- —Canadian Journal of Political Science
"Pursue[s] the pathology of terrorism through the centuries . . . A fascinating amount of information." -- —Washington Post
"An honest and penetrating effort to explain the role of human psychology in terrorism." -- —Canadian Journal of Political Science
"Pursue[s] the pathology of terrorism through the centuries . . . A fascinating amount of information." -- —Washington Post
Book Description
"These essays contain an excellent blend of theory with specific facts and narrative accounts of dealing with terrorism. I don't know of another book which has the sweep of this one, the illustrative detail, and the welcome, refreshing recognition that there is no neat explanation for terrorism. This book will have a major impact on future research." -- David F. Musto, Yale School of Medicine
Terrorists and terrorism have become a major force internationally. Hostage-taking and other acts of violence for political ends are common all over the globe. This groundbreaking study sheds new light on the phenomenon of terrorism.
This book examines and explains the nature and sources of terrorists' beliefs, actions, goals, worldviews, and states of mind. Origins of Terrorism addresses, with scholarly responsibility as well as necessary urgency, one of the most vexing intellectual and political challenges of our time.
The contributors to this book bring deep learning and experience in realms that are vital to an understanding of the arenas within which terrorist behavior takes place-arenas such as ideology, nationalism and religion. The authors explore terrorist behavior in its troubling richness and diversity, and identify the ways in which it develops, grows and sustains itself. In addition, they study the mechanisms that enable terrorists to easily carry out violent acts against innocents, as well as the ways in which leaders of governments respond to terrorist actions and threats. Finally, they identify the opportunities for future research in the psychology of terrorism as well as the limits of such research
This collection, under Reich's editorship, will help us to understand terrorism as well as the motivations behind it. Origins of Terrorism, which is being published simultaneously in hardcover and paperback, is an important study which is bound to affect the way we look at world politics.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
This book's focus is on the psychology of terrorism, yet many of its chapters are not concerned primarily with traditional psychological explorations and were written neither by persons who have confined themselves to terrorism studies nor by behavioral scientists. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
This book's focus is on the psychology of terrorism, yet many of its chapters are not concerned primarily with traditional psychological explorations and were written neither by persons who have confined themselves to terrorism studies nor by behavioral scientists. Read the first page
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Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
Oversimplified and Biased,
By Srebrenica Forever (Sweden) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Origins of Terrorism: Psychologies, Ideologies, Theologies, States of Mind (Paperback)
This book attempts to account for the root causes of terrorism. However it fails to provide a meticulous analysis of the origins of terrorism. For example, consider the author's analysis of islamic fanaticism. According to Reich, muslim terrorists, driven by an ardent religious conviction, target western modernism as they despise the Western way of life. In support of his assertion, Reich uses quotes from the Quaran which have been taken out of their proper context. Anyone even vaguely familiar with Islam knows that Islam teaches piety, tolerance, empathy and equality before God (please check the Quaran for corroboration of this). Moreover murder is justifiable only in self-defense. Subsequently, claiming that Islamic fundamentalism emerged as a result of an extreme interpretation of the Quaran is preposterous. The author further asserts that Hezbollah uses religion as a justification for its abhorrent atrocities. Trying to explain the underlying motives of Hezbollah's ideology without even taking into account the 22-years long Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon is indicative of poor scholaship and gross oversimplification. In my view it was the Israeli invasion of Lebanon which triggered the emergence of these resistance groups. The real causes of terrorism are Western imperialism, gross economic inequalities, oppression, abject poverty, Western exploitation of the Middle East's enormous oil fields, imposition of Western values and US capitalism, US constant interventions and support for oppressive governments like Saudi-Arabia, Israel etc. These are the root causes and unless we acknowledge them it will be extremely difficult to obliterate terrorism. It is like treating a patient but having a wrong diagnosis. Another disadvantage of this book is the fact that it almost exclusively focuses on Islamic fundamentalism; no account of Jewish and Christian terrorism is given. This seriously undermines the book's purpose and makes it biased. This book does however provide a thorough account of psychological factors which contribute to the rise of terrorism but these are merely of secondary importance. Interesting read but lacks a detailed analysis.
5.0 out of 5 stars
About a year too soon,
By
This review is from: Origins of Terrorism: Psychologies, Ideologies, Theologies, States of Mind (Paperback)
This informative book covers all aspects of terrorism - the warped psyches driving the murderous events, historical setting, goals, leaders and particularly the religious, ethnic and ideological forces behind terrorism. While 99.99% of all world terrorism has its roots in the Middle East, it has become a worldwide phenomenon.Even more important than the barbarous acts, though, is the development of a framework within which one both justifies and excuses terrorism. Never before has the claim been made that it is morally permissible to kill innocent men, women and children for any reason. Never before have there been so many willing not only to forgive but also to forget these deeds done in the name of an esoteric idea. Perhaps the most important development, and one discussed in detail, is the merging of Islamic fundamentalism and the Left throughout the world. In a sense it was inevitable: Both are virulently anti-Western, both advocate violence and both support Another danger of terrorism is that of disproportion. The number of people required for maximum damage has been steadily dwindling - from mass armies, to small units, to spies to ordinary individuals. Terrorism thrives because of this disproportionate power. This is a disturbing yet satisfying read and the author is to be commended for excellent research.
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent introduction into the world of terrorism!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Origins of Terrorism: Psychologies, Ideologies, Theologies, States of Mind (Paperback)
An important work for those familiar with the broad topic of political terrorism. The introductory essays by Crenshaw and Post delineate two different approaches to the study and comprehension of terrorism, with an eye toward its psychological aspects. Crenshaw summarizes the political and sociological approaches to complement the psychological dimension. The essays that apply these approaches unintentionally fall into the category of social psychological analyses of terrorist movements. Thus they reinforce the complexity of explanatory analyses and the interdependence of the social forces at work. Kellen's German study, Ferracuti's Italian essay, Sprinzak's Weatherman, Gurr's US contributions, and Rapoport and Kramer's Islam foci, all confirm the social psychological perspectives of political terrorism, despite their intended efforts to focus on the psychological dimension. In the next four essays by Bandura, Merari, the Herrmanns, and Sick the book approaches its original intent. In the concluding section Crenshaw and Post both acknowledge the inherent difficulties and questions of the psychological approach. The contributors represent many of the findings they already developed in earlier research and writings.
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