The Anatomy Of Violence

Provocative and timely: a pioneering neurocriminologist introduces the latest biological research into the causes of--and potential cures for--criminal behavior. With an 8-page full-color insert, and black-and-white illustrations throughout.

Passionate, courageous, and at times controversial, The Anatomy of Violence is a ground-breaking work that will challenge your core human values and perspectives on violence. Why do some kids from good environments become mass murderers? Is there actually such a thing as a natural born killer? And, if so, what can we do to identify and treat those born with a predisposition to criminal behavior? For more than three decades Adrian Raine has sought answers to these questions through his pioneering research on the biological basis for violence. In this book, he presents the growing body of evidence that shows how genetics and environmental influences can conspire to create a criminal brain, and how something as seemingly innocent as a low resting heart rate can give rise to a violent personality. Bristling with ingenious experiments, surprising data, and shocking case studies, this is also a clear-eyed inquiry into the thorny ethical issues this science raises about prevention and punishment.

A leading criminologist who specializes in the neuroscience behind criminal behavior, Adrian Raine introduces a wide range of new scientific research into the origins and nature of violence and criminal behavior. He explains how impairments to areas of the brain that control our ability to experience fear, make decisions, and feel empathy can make us more likely to engage in criminal behavior. He applies this new understanding of the criminal mind to some of the most well-known criminals in history. And he clearly delineates the pressing considerations this research demands: What are its implications for our criminal justice system? Should we condemn and punish individuals who have little to no control over their behavior? Should we act preemptively with people who exhibit strong biological predispositions to becoming dangerous criminals?

Violence connects people - whether directly or indirectly financing violence or by fighting the war against terror. Violent incidents are often deeply rooted in structures and systems. With a focus on Africa, this study examines three structurally interdependent conflict systems to highlight the complexities of transboundary and transregional conflict systems. The systemic approach to studying violence is highly suitable for courses on security, peace and conflict, political sociology and African politics. You will come away from the book with a better understanding of the underlying currents of violent conflicts and thus a clearer idea of how they might be handled.

The day Laura Crewes was named the town’s Beauty Queen was also the day she was seized, blindfolded and cruelly violated. Only the fact that she never saw her violator’s face saved her life. But the fiend didn’t know that the attack would arouse the tigress in Laura, and that she would throw all caution aside to identify and prosecute him. As a consequence, her impassioned manhunt only aroused him to further heights of criminal desire. On the hour that the two finally met face to face, the town awoke to a shocking new lesson in the anatomy of violence.

What is fascism? By focusing on the concrete: what the fascists did, rather than what they said, the esteemed historian Robert O. Paxton answers this question. From the first violent uniformed bands beating up “enemies of the state,” through Mussolini’s rise to power, to Germany’s fascist radicalization in World War II, Paxton shows clearly why fascists came to power in some countries and not others, and explores whether fascism could exist outside the early-twentieth-century European setting in which it emerged. "A deeply intelligent and very readable book. . . . Historical analysis at its best." –The Economist The Anatomy of Fascism will have a lasting impact on our understanding of modern European history, just as Paxton’s classic Vichy France redefined our vision of World War II. Based on a lifetime of research, this compelling and important book transforms our knowledge of fascism–“the major political innovation of the twentieth century, and the source of much of its pain.”