In WHY THEY KILL, Pulitzer Prize-winner Richard Rhodes explores the discoveries of a maverick American criminologist, Dr. Lonnie Athens, which challenge conventional theories about violent behavior. By interviewing violent criminals in prison, Dr. Athens has identified a pattern of social development common to all seriously violent people - a four-stage process he calls "violentization." Since all four stages must be fully experienced in sequence and completed to produce a violent individual, we see how intervening to ...
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In WHY THEY KILL, Pulitzer Prize-winner Richard Rhodes explores the discoveries of a maverick American criminologist, Dr. Lonnie Athens, which challenge conventional theories about violent behavior. By interviewing violent criminals in prison, Dr. Athens has identified a pattern of social development common to all seriously violent people - a four-stage process he calls "violentization." Since all four stages must be fully experienced in sequence and completed to produce a violent individual, we see how intervening to interrupt the process can prevent a tragic outcome. The book challenges with devastating evidence the theory that violent behavior is impulsive, unconsciously motivated and predetermined. Revealing how a culture of violence propagates itself, it offers compelling insights into the terrible, ongoing dilemma of criminal violence.
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