Talking to the Enemy: Violent Extremism, Sacred Values, and What it Meanto be Human

TALKING TO THE ENEMY is a courageous exploration of one of the most contentious issues of modern times. Scott Atran asks a question that he is uniquely qualifed to answer: Why would someone take their own life through suicide bombing? Scott Atran, a brilliant anthropologist, has spent years talking to terrorists - from Afghanistan to Gaza, Indonesia to Europe - in order to help us understand and mitigate the rise of religious violence. Here he argues persuasively that we need to consider terrorists close relationships, with family and friends, as much as the causes they espouse, and delivers a fascinating journey into the mindsets of radicalised people in the twenty-first century. Along the way, he also provides deep insights into the history of all religions, and into their evolutionary origins. He shows us, above all, how we have come to be human. TALKING TO THE ENEMY invites us to understand and to empathise; it is the best possible example of how to do this.