Why Not Kill Them All?: The Logic and Prevention of Mass Political Murder
One ofChoice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2006"What to do [about genocide]? Can we eliminate love, laughter, or any other human impulse as enduring as the hunger to kill all one's enemies? . . . Few university-press books organize a topic so persuasively that, in a just world, they should contribute to the founding of a discipline, or at least a staple course.Why Not Kill Them All?does just that. As the children of foreign elites attend our universities, the thought that they might read this book, or take such a course, comforts. It does not completely reassure. Chirot and McCauley offer important wisdom--that is, when you think about mass murder rationally."--Carlin Romano,Chronicle of Higher Education"Daniel Chirot and Clark McCauley, in their superbly written book, rhetorically ask why a dominant group with overwhelming power would engage in genocide of its weaker rivals, and having established reasons for fratridcidal frenzies, they proceed to lay out measures that could prevent such human rights catastrophes."--Dipak Gupta,Political Science Quarterly"Why Not Kill Them All?is an erudite intellectual achievement that synthesizes extant knowledge and adds to the surprisingly scarce literature on this topic. . . . [Chirot and McCauley] provide a breathtaking historical overview."--Juan Díez Medrano,American Journal of Sociology"The greatest strength ofWhy Not Kill Them All?is its broad historical literacy, drawing examples from the Bible, eleventh-century England, czarist Russia, nineteenth-century United States, and well-known cases from the last century. Chirot also displays deep personal knowledge of the violent, interethnic dynamics in the less bloody but more recent civil war in Ivory Coast."--Alan J. Kuperman,Perspectives on Politics"Daniel Chirot's professional role as a professor of sociology and international studies places him in an excellent position to examine the patterns of mass violence. Similarly, Clark McCauley's study of ethnic conflict and work as a psychology professor provide a necessary lens through which to view and analyze the prevention of mass murder. The perspectives of this book add pertinent insight to the existing literature on genocide."--Rachel Ray Steele,International Journal on World Peace"Well written, interesting, informative, and balanced. Students in an introductory course in ethnic conflict in sociology, political science, or social psychology will find it helpful."--Djordje Stefanovic,Canadian Journal of Sociology"Why Not Kill Them All?provides a valuable analysis of causes, conditions and strategies for the prevention of genocide and opens up an intriguing area for further work."--Benjamin Lieberman,Patterns of Prejudice