Becoming Evil: How Ordinary People Commit Genocide and Mass Killing [Paperback]

James E. Waller (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0195314565 | ISBN-13: 978-0195314564 | Publication Date: March 22, 2007 | Edition: 2

The first edition of Becoming Evil spoke unforgettably to a world shell-shocked by 9/11 that faced a new war on terror against members of an Axis of Evil. With this second edition, James Waller brings us up to date on some of the horrific events he used in the first edition to illustrate his theory of extraordinary human evil, particularly those from the perennially troubled Balkans and Africa, pointing out steps taken both forward and back. Nearly a third of the references are new, reflecting the rapid pace of scholarship in Holocaust and genocide studies, and the issue of gender now occupies a prominent place in the discussion of the social construction of cruelty. Waller also offers a reconfigured explanatory model of evil to acknowledge that human behavior is multiply influenced, and that any answer to the question "Why did that person act as he or she did?" can be examined at two levels of analysis-- the proximate and the ultimate. Bookended by a powerful new foreword from Greg Stanton, vice-president of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, and a devastating postscript that addresses current outbreaks of genocide and mass killing, this new edition demonstrates that genocide is a problem whose time has not yet passed, but Waller's clear vision gives hope that at least we can begin to understand how ordinary people are recruited into the process of destruction.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...offers a psychological explanation as to why some human beings are so deliberately harmful to others...A fascinating glimpse of evolutionary psychology is presented... an eyewitness account of inhumanity."--Journal of American Medicine Association

About the Author

James E. Waller is a Professor and Chair in the Psychology Department at Whitworth College.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 2 edition (March 22, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195314565
• ISBN-13: 978-0195314564
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #59,230 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting/informative, but..., October 24, 2009

By 

Kaleb "kabek88" (Minneapolis, MN, United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Becoming Evil: How Ordinary People Commit Genocide and Mass Killing (Paperback)

I purchased this book because it was a requirement for a Political Psychology college course I'm taking this semester. In the last month or so, our class has analyzed and discussed this book thoroughly. Waller provides a four-part conceptual model in order to explain why he believes genocide and mass killing occur. He also writes about specific case examples at the end of each chapter in order to further articulate his feelings. Anyway, Waller seems to believe very strongly in one "ultimate influence" in order to explain our behavior--evolutionary biology/psychology precede and precipitate his other three "proximate influences," which are social construction of cruelty, cultural construction of worldview, and psychological construction of "the other." He contends that we, as humans, are programmed to committ evil as a result of natural selection; that is, our ancestors survived because of their ability to defeat potential enemies within a scarce realm. Academic stuff aside, this book is very easy to read, incredibly interesting, and is a great start for those who would like to delve into this fascinating subject.

5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive, Clear, Brilliant Science, July 7, 2011

By 

Yellow Mellow "i1bo" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Becoming Evil: How Ordinary People Commit Genocide and Mass Killing (Paperback)

This is brilliantly researched, thought through and lucidly written. To clearly present such a comprehensive, careful and meticulous multi-dimensional explanatory model of a most difficult and complex phenomenon is a stunning accomplishment.

Waller is sensitive and most thoughtful in carefully evaluating various possible hypotheses for explaining how ordinary people commit extraordinary evil. I cannot recommend this book enough.

4.0 out of 5 stars A Thoughtful Take On A Harrowing Subject Matter, May 5, 2011

By 

Mr. Aman S. Anand - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Becoming Evil: How Ordinary People Commit Genocide and Mass Killing (Paperback)

Becoming Evil is a fascinating book about how ordinary people partake in acts of genocide.

The book's major flaw is that is that at times it comes across as overtly academic. As someone who was nor reading the book for a course, I found the first third of the book mechanical as it went about presenting various academic arguments in a contrived manner.

But once the author allowed himself a bit more freedom to discuss the subject matter, the book became gripping reading and made several compelling arguments that made me re-examine my beliefs in regards to the subject matter.

The most gut-wrenching sections are the extracts from first-hand accounts of those who witnessed genocidal acts. It makes for harrowing reading but is absolutely necessary to raise our awareness about this most brutal of crimes.