Blood Rites: Origins and History of the Passions of War - Softcover
What lies behind the human attraction to violence? Why do we glorify war, seeing it as an almost sacred undertaking? Barbara Ehrenreich is known for the originality and clarity of her thinking, and in Blood Rites she proposes a radical new theory about our attitudes to bloodshed. From the trenches of Verdun to today's front lines, Ehrenreich traces the history of warfare back to our prehistoric ancestors' terrifying experiences of being hunted by other carnivores. Written with wit, tenacity and intellectual flair, this is vintage Ehrenreich, and an account that will transform our understanding of human conflict.
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Review:
In this ambitious work, Barbara Ehrenreich offers a daring explanation for humans' propensity to wage war. Rather than approach the subject from a physiological perspective, pinpointing instinct or innate aggressiveness as the violent culprit, she reaches back to primitive man's fear of predators and the anxieties associated with life in the food chain. To deal with the reality of living as prey, she argues that blood rites were created to dramatize and validate the life-and-death struggle. Jumping ahead to the modern age, Ehrenreich brands nationalism a more sophisticated form of blood ritual, a phenomenon that conjures similar fears of predation, whether in the form of lost territory or the more extreme ethnic cleansing. Blood Rites: Origins and History of the Passions of War may not offer a cure for human aggression, but the author does present a convincing argument for the difficulties associated with achieving peace.
About the Author:
BARBARA EHRENREICH is the author of fourteen books, including the bestselling Smile or Die and Nickel and Dimed. She lives in Virginia, USA.
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- PublisherGranta Books (UK)
- Publication date2011
- ISBN 10 1847083536
- ISBN 13 9781847083531
- BindingPaperback
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. What lies behind the human attraction to violence? Why do we glorify war, seeing it as an almost sacred undertaking? Barbara Ehrenreich is known for the originality and clarity of her thinking, and in Blood Rites she proposes a radical new theory about our attitudes to bloodshed. From the trenches of Verdun to today's front lines, Ehrenreich traces the history of warfare back to our prehistoric ancestors' terrifying experiences of being hunted by other carnivores. Written with wit, tenacity and intellectual flair, this is vintage Ehrenreich, and an account that will transform our understanding of human conflict. Published for the first time by Granta: Barbara Ehrenreich's groundbreaking investigation into the roots of war, with a new introduction by the author. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9781847083531
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Book Description Condition: New. 2011. New Edition. Paperback. Published for the first time as a Granta Books paperback: Barbara Ehrenreich's groundbreaking investigation into the roots of war, with a new introduction by the author. Num Pages: 256 pages. BIC Classification: HBTB; JW. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 198 x 130 x 21. Weight in Grams: 238. . . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland. Seller Inventory # V9781847083531
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