Origins of Terrorism: Psychologies, Ideologies, Theologies, States of Mind @ richardeward.com

Origins of Terrorism: Psychologies, Ideologies, Theologies, States of Mind
by Walter Reich
from Woodrow Wilson Center Press

Customer Reviews:

• Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0

• dated but educational and not a difficult read
  This book was written before the huge surge in interest in terrorism in the United States brought on by 9/11. Since so much has been written since 1998, to read this book alone would leave the reader a bit behind the times on the subject. Nevertheless, I would recommend anyone interested in the topic starting here.
  The parts dealing with the psychology of terror are quite relevant - how do terrorists justify to themselves what they do and how can engaging in terrorist acts alter the views of those who... more info

• Excellent condition
  Great price for a brand new book that was going for $40 used through the school bookstore.

• Interesting and attempted balance
  Origins of Terrorism attempts to both be balanced and discuss the psychologies of terrorists. The chapter by Martha Crenshaw (I recommend reading her book on terrorism rather than just the chapter) presents the opposing view to the chapter by Post. While interesting, the psychology advanced is mostly the "crazy terrorist" psychology. I didn't get much out of the book, except for the first two chapters and chapter 10. Chapter 10, which discusses terrorist motivations, is incredibly useful. The rest of the... more info

• Oversimplified and Biased
  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... more info

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