by Jerrold M. PostFrom the publisher:
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.
"Jerrold Post's compelling Mind of the Terrorist is a comprehensive and informative account of the psychology of terrorists and how their history has shaped their motivations." -- Peter Bergen author of Holy War, Inc. and The Osama bin Laden I Know
"Terrorism is a form of psychological warfare, requiring a psychologically sophisticated response based on an understanding of how terrorists think. Jerry Post provides us a road map-not only of the mind of the terrorist-but also how we can use that understanding to dissuade, deter, and destroy terrorist groups. The strategy Post develops is based on decades of studying violent individuals, including interviews of terrorists, some of which he describes in detail in these pages. Post is a teacher of terrorism teachers-and his latest offering is a gift to all who wish to understand the myriad psychological roots of terrorism." -- Jessica Stern is the author of Terror in the Name of God and Academic Director of the Program on Terrorism and the Law at Harvard Law School
