Approaches to Peace: A Reader in Peace Studies [Paperback]

David P. Barash (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0195123867 | ISBN-13: 978-0195123869 | Publication Date: July 29, 1999

Approaches to Peace provides a unique and interdisciplinary sampling of classic articles and short literary selections focusing on the diverse aspects of peace and conflict studies. Readings cover the causes of war and proposed means of preventing it, so called negative peace, and also reflect upon the universal concern for positive peace. The material examines nonviolence movements, peace movements, religious inspirations, and our future prospects for peace. Contributors include Johan Galtung, Kenneth Boulding, Elise Boulding, and Alva Mydral. Contemporary pieces by Jonathan Schell, Richard Falk, Betty Reardon, and Vaclav Havel, and timeless classics from Leo Tolstoy, the Bhagavad Gita, Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi, and Thoreau are included as well. The book's balanced and unbiased approach makes it easily adaptable to both general discussions of peace and conflict as well as the rapidly changing issues of the moment. Approaches to Peace is able to stand on its own as a foundation text in any introductory peace studies course. It is also compact enough to use as a supplement with more specialized readings, allowing instructors to assign additional readings consistent with their own particular orientation. Each selection is prefaced by a short introduction highlighting the author's background, the work's historical context, and the selection's significance in terms of the "big picture." Study questions and a list of suggested readings at the end of each selection also provide a useful resource for students.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The best 'reader' I have seen--excellent choice of authors and selections. Closely fits my own approach to the material."--F.R. Struckmeyer, West Chester University

"Promises to provide students with foundational news concerning the nature of political social violence and visions of peace."--Joanne Boynton, University of Maine

About the Author

David P. Barash is at University of Washington, Seattle.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (July 29, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195123867
• ISBN-13: 978-0195123869
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #158,787 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David P. Barash is an evolutionary biologist (Ph.D. zoology, Univ. of Wisconsin), a professor of psychology at the University of Washington, and the author of 30 books, dealing with various aspects of evolution, animal and human behavior, and peace studies. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and has received numerous awards. He is most proud, however, of his very personal collaboration with Judith Eve Lipton, his three children, one grandchild, and having been named by an infamous rightwing nut as one of the "101 most dangerous professors" in the United States. His dangerousness may or may not be apparent from his writing!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of the best, but still falls a bit short, March 25, 2004

By 

Kerry Walters (Lewisburg, PA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Approaches to Peace: A Reader in Peace Studies (Paperback)

I've used David Barash's _Approaches to Peace_ several times in my college classes on peace and justice. This is unusual in itself, because I rarely use anthologies, preferring instead to go straight to the original sources themselves. I like Barash's approach, though, because it tries to be inclusive as possible.

The anthology begins by looking at the definitions and possible causes of war, moves on to analyses of how to prevent war (negative peace), then to considerations of how to create structures of justice that eliminate the necessary conditions for war (positive peace). The rest of the book is devoted to readings that discuss nonviolence, religious pacifism, and historical peace movements. All of these general categories are exactly what one would want in a "peace studies" text.

The problem is that the readings included in each category aren't always the best (or at least aren't the ones I would've selected). The single best two sets of readings are in the chapters on positive peace and nonviolence. The single worst (and I do mean *worst*!) set of readings are when Barash deals with religious pacifism (it's as if he feels uncomfortable in this arena). In the section on peace movements, Vaclav Havel's essay is the single best piece, but one wonders why it (and perhaps the entire chapter) doesn't serve as the prologue to the anthology.

Still, no anthology perfectly pleases everyone. Barash's is the best one out there I've discovered. Perhaps some changes will be made in a second edition. Regardless, I highly recommend this book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most complete and solid readers on Peace, January 17, 2010

By 

Little Tank "LT" (Metro Washington D.C., USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Approaches to Peace: A Reader in Peace Studies (Paperback)

This updated edition of Barash's book is well worth the reasonable price (as textbooks go). I will be teaching a university course from it beginning next week (upper level undergrad political science) and am very pleased with the broad range of essays and other materials. I trust it will stimulate discussion. Barash pulls together materials from many disciplines, which makes this even more valuable - and from many eras. Using this reader in combination with another on war, this will provide some excellent background and foundation to students who are interested in approaching both of these issues intellectually. Barash has brought together materials both thoughtfully and provocatively - not an easy balance to achieve.

The essays are generally "just the right length", too - important when one wants to cover a certain amount of material in 15-16 weeks!

The book is fairly priced, and beautifully printed/produced; that counts for a lot at a time when some companies are putting out books on flimsy paper with poor cover stock - and charging $75 and up for them (recent experience with one of those -- NEVER AGAIN!)

I consider this book a "keeper"; it will remain on my shelf as an excellent survey of a great deal of the most important literature on Peace and the various approaches from which it can be viewed and studied.