The Mind of the Terrorist
The Psychology of Terrorism from the IRA to al-Qaeda
Ratings1
Average rating3
15
The Psychology of Terrorism from the IRA to al-Qaeda
Ratings1
Average rating3
In contrast to the widely held assumption that terrorists as crazed fanatics, Jerrold Post demonstrates they are psychologically "normal" and that "hatred has been bred in the bone". He reveals the powerful motivations that drive these ordinary people to such extraordinary evil by exploring the different types of terrorists, from national-separatists like the Irish Republican Army to social revolutionary terrorists like the Shining Path, as well as religious extremists like al-Qaeda and Aum Shinrikyo. In The Mind of the Terrorist, Post uses his expertise to explain how the terrorist mind works and how this information can help us to combat terrorism more effectively.
Reviews with the most likes.
FINALLY...I get through this book. I must say, content-wise, the book was great. From a readability standpoint, though, I had a very tough time with it. I consider myself an advanced reader, but the book felt intellectually forced. A word to the author, when writing about a subject that forces you to list name after name of foreign language origins, keep your writing style simpler. The names were difficult for me to follow and the sentence structure didn't help me internalize the actual point that was being made.
That being said, as a textbook for a homeland security course, I would highlight recommend this one. Very informative. Very thorough. I read this one to inform my work and it did just that. In today's society, we are over-exposed to al Qaeda and under-exposed to the historical terrorist movements. I also enjoyed the book's presentation of the different types of terrorism: nationalist-separatist, social revolutionary, and religious extremist.
