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Why They Kill

The Discoveries of a Maverick Criminologist

By: Richard Rhodes

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Paperback | 10 October 2000 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Paperback
384 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
20.2 x 13.3 x 2.1

Paperback

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The Discoveries of a Maverick Criminologist

Richard Rhodes, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Making of the Atomic Bomb, brings his inimitable vision, exhaustive research, and mesmerizing prose to this timely book that dissects violence and offers new solutions to the age old problem of why people kill.

Lonnie Athens was raised by a brutally domineering father.Defying all odds, Athens became a groundbreaking criminologist who turned his scholar's eye to the problem of why people become violent.After a decade of interviewing several hundred violent convicts--men and women of varied background and ethnicity, he discovered "violentization," the four-stage process by which almost any human being can evolve into someone who will assault, rape, or murder another human being.Why They Kill is a riveting biography of Athens and a judicious critique of his seminal work, as well as an unflinching investigation into the history of violence.

Industry Reviews

"Irresistible. . . . You find yourself both surprised by some of its conclusions and mesmerized by its narrative." --The New York Times "Unsettling, challenging, but never less than fascinating." --The Seattle Times

"Rhodes should be commended . . . not only for writing another wonderful book, but also for bringing to light the provocative scholarship of Lonnie Athens." -The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"Certain to be controversial, Why They Kill is an engrossing book on a crucial issue." --The Kansas City Star

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You Can Find This Book In

Non-Fiction Psychology Criminal or Forensic Psychology Biographies & True Stories True Stories True Crime Social Services & Welfare Crime & Criminology Causes & Prevention of Crime Offenders Society & Culture Social Issues & Processes

Violence in Society Child & Developmental Psychology

The Man Who Talks to Murderers
Prologue	p. 5
Bring It On	p. 7
Thoughts Filled with Ghosts	p. 18
How the System Works	p. 27
The Full, Ugly Reality	p. 38
Taking the Attitude of the Other	p. 48
Beautiful Narrative	p. 59
Conscious Constructions	p. 66
Phantom Communities	p. 79
Academic Crackers and Cheese	p. 96
The Creation of Dangerous Violent Criminals (I)	p. 109
The Creation of Dangerous Violent Criminals (II)	p. 125
The Civilizing Process
Cheryl Crane	p. 143
Alex Kelly, Perry Smith, Mike Tyson	p. 156
Lee Harvey Oswald	p. 175
Murders with Motives	p. 199
Monopolies of Violence	p. 214
The History of Childhood	p. 228
Primitive Violence	p. 251
The Self as a Soliloquy
Dramatic Self-Change	p. 267
Universal Processes	p. 273
The Gates of Mercy Shut Up	p. 286
Strategies of Prevention and Control	p. 313
Notes	p. 325
Bibliography	p. 343
Acknowledgments	p. 351
Index	p. 353
Table of Contents provided by Syndetics. All Rights Reserved.

Why They Kill

The Discoveries of a Maverick Criminologist

At a Glance

Paperback

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

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