Overview

Conquest is murder & theft Conquerors are vicious criminals Vicious criminals become kings Kings designed civilization ...and we are the products of civilization. Right wing movements are rising around the globe, but our attention is misdirected. The problem is not the authoritarian leader, but the blinkered supporters who unthinkingly follow him. Without them, the despot is irrelevant. Why do we attach ourselves to dictators & demagogues? Why do we defend even their most obvious hypocrisies & lies? The answer lies in the roots of civilization. Despite our romantic traditions, monarchs were never wise, just, nor generous. History shows that, without exception, kings were the most vicious psychopaths, narcissists, & sadists who ever lived. And the only path for survival required blindly believing & obeying anything the king said. - - -Winner World History: Independent Press Award Winner Current Events: Indie Book Awards Winner World History: NYC Big Book Gold Medal Non Fiction Author Awards Short List Grand Prize: Eric Hoffer Awards 1st Runner-Up Legacy Nonfiction: Eric Hoffer Awards Bronze Medal Historical Nonfiction: Readers' Favorite ...and 7 others

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Reviews

"""...concise, compelling, & challenging exploration of how humanity became what it is."" -Publishers Weekly ""...the book's scientific analysis, which spans Darwin's concept of evolution to cutting-edge psychology, is a welcome addition to historical conversations..."" -Kirkus Reviews ""This book is unique, delving deeply into the worst horrors & most brutal leaders in history..."" -Psychiatric Times ""Why do we excuse an act, unforgivable if committed by an ordinary citizen, if executed or ordered by a leader?"" -Los Angeles Review of Books ""The term 'must-read' has been so overused. But Kings, Conquerors, Psychopaths is a must-read... must-own... and, most of all, a must-ponder."" -San Diego Jewish World ""I've always believed society to be a fundamentally rational thing, but what if it wasn't? What if it was built on insanity?"" -Jon Ronson, The Psychopath Test ""Abraham commands a very fine style. Humane, incisive, rigorous in its scholarship."" -Robert Mighall, former editor, Penguin Classics ""This book is a must-read..."" -Carol Beggy, co-author, award-winning Boston book series; Ted Kennedy: Scenes from an Epic Life; and former reporter, Boston Globe ""...wide-ranging research and an unflinching eye for detail..."" -Candice Millard, New York Times best-selling author of The River of Doubt, and the Edgar Award-winning Destiny of the Republic ""...this may be the most important book you will ever read."" -Robin Levin, The Death of Carthage ""...a stark reminder of how fragile and vulnerable to exploitation our modern democratic societies are..."" -Michael Pearson, CEO, Mathematical Association of America ""A detailed and engaging examination of our haunted past and threatening future. Read it and weep."" -John Mack Faragher, Daniel Boone, and The American Heritage Encyclopedia of American History ""This book is a must-read..."" -Jim Engster, NPR affiliate WRKF ""Abraham makes an insightful, novel argument based on both a keen clinical eye, and an exhaustive review of the literature, for understanding the historical and genetic roots of this problem, and why we should be aware of the potential dictators all around us."" -James Fallon, The Psychopath Inside ""For those who want their minds expanded and blown: Dr. Abraham is the man."" -Pearson Cross, Bayou to Beltway, NPR affiliate KRVS ""...when you're reading this book, you begin in far-away history, but you begin to realize that it comes so close to our present day."" -Judith Meriwether, Apres-Midi, NPR affiliate KRVS"

Author Information

Joseph N Abraham MD is an emergency physician (Tulane '86), evolutionary biologist, & civic activist.

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