Overview

What makes a person want to become a terrorist? Who becomes involved in terrorism, and why? In what ways does participating in violent extremism change someone? And how can people become deradicalized? John Horgan-one of the world's leading experts on the psychology of terrorism-takes readers on a globe-spanning journey into the terrorist mindset. Drawing on groundbreaking personal interviews as well as decades of research from psychologists and others, he traces the pathways that lead people into violent extremism and explores what happens to them as their involvement deepens. Horgan provides an up-to-date, evidence-based understanding of the patterns, motives, and mentalities of violent extremists from the Islamic State and al-Shabaab to white supremacists and incels. He argues that there is not a straightforward psychological profile of a terrorist, in part because of the great variety of today's extremists, who are able to attract a more diverse pool of recruits than ever before. But even though there is no one-size-fits-all profile, psychological study can provide crucial insight into why and how people become terrorists. Accessible and nuanced, Terrorist Minds is an essential book for readers interested in what psychology can explain about extremist behavior.

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9780231198394

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Reviews

Boiling oceans of research into 179 pages of limpid prose, Terrorist Minds represents a major achievement. John Horgan surveys what is already known about the psychology of terrorism: and how in the future we might yet see further and clearer. An inspiring book that wears its immense learning lightly. -- Tim Wilson, University of St Andrews A masterful exploration of the question of who becomes a terrorist and why, by the world’s leading expert on the psychology of terrorism. Horgan explains how far our understanding has come since 9/11 and provides a blueprint for future studies. An essential primer about the complex mix of social conditions and psychology that lead individuals to turn to terrorist violence, and why and how they leave terrorism behind. -- Jessica Stern, author of <i>Terror in the Name of God: Why Religious Militants Kill</i> Terrorist Minds is an essential read for anyone seeking to understand how and why people become involved with terrorism—and how and why they sometimes quit. Throughout this book, Horgan, one of the most brilliant minds in our field, offers an engaging, masterful blend of research and insights from talking directly with terrorists. This authoritative masterpiece brings invaluable clarity to a profoundly complex topic. -- Randy Borum, University of South Florida

Boiling oceans of research into 179 pages of limpid prose, Terrorist Minds represents a major achievement. John Horgan surveys what is already known about the psychology of terrorism: and how in the future we might yet see further and clearer. An inspiring book that wears its immense learning lightly. -- Tim Wilson, University of St Andrews A masterful exploration of the question of who becomes a terrorist and why, by the world’s leading expert on the psychology of terrorism. Horgan explains how far our understanding has come since 9/11 and provides a blueprint for future studies. An essential primer about the complex mix of social conditions and psychology that lead individuals to turn to terrorist violence, and why and how they leave terrorism behind. -- Jessica Stern, author of <i>Terror in the Name of God: Why Religious Militants Kill</i>

Author Information

John Horgan is Distinguished University Professor in Georgia State University’s Department of Psychology, where he directs the Violent Extremism Research Group. He is frequently consulted by law enforcement and national security agencies, and he has testified before Congress. His many books include The Psychology of Terrorism (second edition, 2014) and Divided We Stand: The Strategy and Psychology of Ireland’s Dissident Terrorists (2012).

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