Description
Book SynopsisDrawing on groundbreaking personal interviews as well as decades of research from psychologists and others, John Horgan traces the pathways that lead people into violent extremism and explores what happens to them as their involvement deepens.
Trade ReviewA masterful exploration of the question of who becomes a terrorist and why, by the world’s leading expert on the psychology of terrorism. Horgan explains how far our understanding has come since 9/11 and provides a blueprint for future studies. An essential primer about the complex mix of social conditions and psychology that lead individuals to turn to terrorist violence, and why and how they leave terrorism behind. -- Jessica Stern, author of
Terror in the Name of God: Why Religious Militants KillBoiling down oceans of research into lucid prose,
Terrorist Minds represents a major achievement. Horgan surveys what is already known about the psychology of terrorism, and how in the future we might yet see further and clearer. An inspiring book that wears its immense learning lightly. -- T. K. Wilson, author of
Killing Strangers: How Political Violence Became ModernTerrorist Minds is an essential read for anyone seeking to understand how and why people become involved with terrorism—and how and why they sometimes quit. Throughout this book, Horgan, one of the most brilliant minds in our field, offers an engaging, masterful blend of research and insights from talking directly with terrorists. This authoritative masterpiece brings invaluable clarity to a profoundly complex topic. -- Randy Borum, coeditor of
Violent Extremism: A Handbook of Risk Assessment and ManagementLike a skilled climber, John Horgan ascends the summits, where the air is thin and few dare to travel.
Terrorist Minds is an exploratory journey that identifies hazards and illuminates the new trails that have yet to be blazed within terrorism research. -- Mark Fallon, author of
Unjustifiable Means: The Inside Story of How the CIA, Pentagon, and U.S. Government Conspired to TortureTable of ContentsPreface
1. What Is Terrorism?
2. Who Becomes a Terrorist?
3. Motivation
4. Mindset
5. Reintegration
6. Talking to Terrorists
7. Chasing Storms
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index
