The Mind of the Terrorist: The Psychology of Terrorism from the IRA to al-Qaeda [Hardcover]

Jerrold M. Post (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 10, 2007

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.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Those who believe there's a fundamental difference between themselves and terrorists may be alarmed by what they discover in this psycho-social investigation from Post, a professor of Political Psychology and International Affairs at George Washington University. Through comprehensive histories of people stripped of their land, identity and/or independence by governments with skewed (or self-serving) ideas of justice, Post maps the formation of terrorist mindsets-which prove neither as foreign nor as psychotic as their actions might appear. Post is objective and perceptive while identifying and exploring three types of terrorism: national-separatist, social-revolutionary and religious-extremist. Analyses of beliefs and motives-often taken from the personal statements of members and leaders-illustrate how a psychologically normal person becomes an agent of extraordinary violence. According to Post, understanding the psychology and sociology of terrorists is vital in a true war on terrorism, which is, after all, often rooted in conflicting ideologies. Concluding with a plausible strategy for waging such a war, Post adds critical knowledge to the ongoing debate over how best to deal with terrorism.
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Review

"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

 

"Dr. Jerrold Post is a pioneer in the study of terrorist psychology.  In this capstone book, he takes us into the minds of the terrorists through their own words, persuasively demonstrating how disturbingly normal' they are in their own cultural and historical contexts.  He makes a powerful case that to deter terrorists we must understand their psychology, and lays out a comprehensive strategy for countering their vicious forms of psychological warfare.  Only by countering them at the level of their destructive mindsets can we more effectively compete in the 'war for hearts and minds.'"

--Richard H. Solomon, President, U.S. Institute of Peace

 

"Dr. Post has brought to the reader an extraordinary illumination of the terrorist mind.  One comes away accepting the key premise--we are dealing with 'sane madmen.' His exposition of al-Qaeda, its leadership and its structure, are brilliant. The book is a powerhouse."
--Ambassador Sheldon J. Krys, former Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security  

 

"This is an exceptionally well-written book that makes a significant contribution to the field of counter-terrorism."--Terrorism and Political Violence 

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan; 1st edition (December 10, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1403966117
• ISBN-13: 978-1403966117
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #823,423 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Ok but draws some odd conclusions, November 9, 2009

By 

Johnny O. - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Mind of the Terrorist: The Psychology of Terrorism from the IRA to al-Qaeda (Paperback)

Although largely well written, the book mostly focuses on the history of various terror groups rather than a deeper review of their psychopathology. Mostly the psychological aspects are referred to in recurring themes.

The reason for a rating of two, however, is the asinine notion that since Moses, according to the Book of Exodus, was the deliverer of the Jews from Egypt and that the plagues supposedly orchestrated by him make Moses the first bioterrorist. Sorry, but that is just a bit much.

Furthermore in the tactics old and new section the author confuses biowarfare with bioterrorism.

Lastly, in the main text the author could do more to emphasise the scope of strategic intent of the various terror groups more clearly. Thus the author could more effectively show the national ambitions of some groups and the global megalomania of others.

"Understanding Terror Networks" by Marc Sageman, although dryer, is a far more effective expenditure of time and money.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A must read for any professional in the field, March 3, 2008

By 

Thomas M. Magee - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Mind of the Terrorist: The Psychology of Terrorism from the IRA to al-Qaeda (Hardcover)

If you ever wonder how those terrorists can do what they do this is the book for you. This book is the best one volume catch all book on about every terrorist group that there is. The author does a great job diagnosing what motivates each of those groups he highlights. He puts you into the mind of each group in a short, concise narrative on the group. You can see what motivates them to do what they do. His information is very applicable, right out of the newspaper. He goes over both FARC and PKK. Both groups recently had their chapters of fame in the world's newspapers just within the past month. Through every chapter you can see terrorists aren't like us. Each group is motivated by a slightly different cause. However it is easy to say that they all aren't like the average American. We are fooling ourselves to think otherwise. The author does offer some great tips on how to fight terrorism. His tips are real thought provoking and worthy of a look by all.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars very good analysis, September 8, 2009

By 

Robert W. Smith "Robert Smith, Ph.D." (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Mind of the Terrorist: The Psychology of Terrorism from the IRA to al-Qaeda (Hardcover)

if you are looking for a book that will alarm you and justify you own prejudices against certain groups of terrorists, this book is not for you. if you are genuinely seeking an objective analysis of the cognitions and emotions of terrorists, then this is a very good summary analysis of different types of terrorism based on motivation. the writing style is somewhat dry, most of the time. however, he offers very good, cogent insights. he makes sincere efforts to reach out and better comprehend the underlying psyche of the terrorist, so that inroads might be made in reducing the threat of terrorism in the world today. prone to pontificate, i wouldn't recommend this book for those with a closed mind or those not used to this style. for those who want to read one of the very finest texts on psychological understanding of terrorism, this is highly recommended. i give it an "A+". for interested readers, post's book on clinton and hussein is also revealing and fascinating - although dry.