Overview

Military, economic, and environmental violence in the era of globalization cause immense suffering and may ultimately threaten the existence of life as we know it, but author Pilisuk explains that the future can change if we understand and act upon the roots of violence. A professor emeritus of psychology and human and community development, Pilisuk explains how most violence is the product of a human-built social order in which some people and institutions control most of the resources, make the decisions that necessitate violence, and operate with minimal accountability. The common root of war, poverty, environmental destruction, and other forms of violence is spotlighted. Such violence, says Pilisuk, is a natural consequence of a system inordinately influenced by a relatively small, interconnected group of corporate, military, and government leaders with the power to instill fear, to increase their excessive fortunes, and to restrict information, particularly about their own clandestine dealings. This text includes scholarship hailing from across disciplines, combined with information from investigative journalism, and insights from nonprofit watchdog groups, all shedding light on centralized power and its effects. Pilisuk presents material including the range of tactics used to manipulate and destroy adversaries, the human capacity to kill as a challenge, and how media is used by powerful groups to manipulate fear and maintain their power. Here, readers find solid social science to support what whistleblowers and social critics are observing about a system that needs change.

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9780275994358

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Reviews

Marc Pilisuk (with Jennifer Achord Rountree) does our field a significant service in bringing together numerous disparate sources of information to make good on the promise of the book's title. . . . this book provides a carefully researched and documented guide for professionals, as well as for graduate or advanced undergraduate coursework in international and peace psychologies. In fact, anyone who wishes to have a psychological angle on the economic, social, political, and international matters often covered by Noam Chomsky, Chalmers Johnson, Naomi Klein, Howard Zinn, and other critics of powerful, harmful systems would benefit from a careful reading of this book. - PsycCRITIQUES . . .fitting, timely, and equally appropriate for an academic audience and the general public. . . . an appropriate text for graduate and upper level undergraduate courses in several disciplines -- Politics, Economics, International Relations, Social Change, Peace Studies, Religion, Ethics, and Theology. . . . Additionally, excellent use of cross referencing cuts down on needless repetition and guides teachers, students, and general readers to more details on a particular topic. This work is particularly suited for the classroom with its theories and analyses along with concrete examples. - International Journal on World Peace This important book is a tour de force of erudition and scholarship, lucid exposition and organization, cogent reasoning, psychological depth, and compassionate motivation. It is written in clear, accessible language and a warm, humane voice. . . . It is a gift to humanity from a peace psychologist who has devoted his career to reducing violence and enhancing health, social justice, understanding, and peace. - Indigenous Policy Journal

Marc Pilisuk has cast his net over the threats to world peace and ecological balance, pulling in not only fish but monsters of the deep. After painting a picture gloomier than any canvas by Bosch or Goya, Pilisuk offers a glimmer of hope for a planet suffering from a life-threatening disease. Globalization can become an instrument for peace and justice. Non-Governmental Organizations can focus on issues and people who would otherwise fall through the cracks of institutional neglect. The sum total of citizens' actions can become a second super power. Pilisuk suggests that the Devil is in the system that promulgates global violence. If so, his innovative, yet practical, suggestions provide a blueprint for exorcism. Indeed, no recent book presents today's pathologies so clearly nor provides potential remedies with such brilliant articulation -Stanley Krippner, PhD Saybrook Graduate School Co-author of Haunted by Combat

<p> This important book is a tour de force of erudition and scholarship, lucid exposition and organization, cogent reasoning, psychological depth, and compassionate motivation. It is written in clear, accessible language and a warm, humane voice. . . . It is a gift to humanity from a peace psychologist who has devoted his career to reducing violence and enhancing health, social justice, understanding, and peace. - <p>Indigenous Policy Journal

Author Information

Marc Pilisuk teaches at the Saybrook Graduate School and is Professor Emeritus of Community Psychology in the Department of Human and Community Development at the University of California, Davis. He is a past President of the Society for the Study of Peace, Conflict and Violence, and a Steering Committee Member of Psychologists for Social Responsibility. Pilisuk is the author of six earlier books and more than 120 articles and reviews on topics including military-industrial power, conflict resolution, globalization, torture, poverty, and perceptions of a contaminated world. His continuing focus has been on the role of ordinary people facing an often uncaring, sometimes violent, global technological society.

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