Description
Book SynopsisFrom the tragic workings of the Holocaust and Hiroshima to contemporary examples of genocide in Bosnia and Rwanda, this provocative collection of original essays examines the enduring impact of cataclysmic events on the modern human psyche. Inspired by the career of Robert Jay Lifton, the distinguished contributors use a wide range of disciplinary and methodological approaches to probe society, culture, and politics in the nuclear age and they explore the therapeutic value of artistic expression to witnesses and survivors of mass violence. The essays convey a message of hope by displaying the remarkable diversity of human responses to extreme adversity and by concluding that intellectuals and professionals have an abiding obligation to act responsibly in a world of violence and to provide healing images of transformation. Contributors:Paul Boyer, John M. Broughton, Harvey Cox, Wendy Doniger, Bonnie Dugger, Kai Erikson, Richard Falk, Michael Flynn, Eva Fogelman, John Fousek, Elinor Fuch
Trade ReviewA major contribution to our understanding of the catastrophic events that have traumatized this most violent of centuries, from Hiroshima and the Holocaust to the ethnic cleansing in Bosnia and mass killing in Rwanda. * Stanley Kunitz *
Indispensable reading for those who feel there are no dragons left that need slaying. -- Bogdan Denitch, Director, Institute on Transition to Democracy, and Resident Professor of Sociology, City University of New York Graduate School
Each of these essays addresses problems of great moral and political significance... this collection will be most helpful to politicians, diplomats, military theorists, and journalists who must struggle toward new understandings of the dynamics of mass violence and war. -- Rolf Ekeus, Executive Chairman, United Nations Special Commission DIS .40
While most of the essays are brief recapitulations of articles and books that have previously appeared, this might be the strength of the volume, making it perfect for classroom adoption. Many of its essays will undoubtedly provoke heated discussion. * CHOICE *
