3 comments about The Cult of Osama: Psychoanalyzing Bin Laden and His Magnetism for Muslim Youths.

1. In Peter Olsson's first book Malignant Pied Pipers of Our Time: A Psychological Study of Destructive Cult Leaders from Rev. Jim Jones to Osama bin Laden, he takes the reader into the minds of cult leaders and skillfully points out the dynamic connection between the leader and his vulnerable followers while offering helpful advice to families who face the dilemma of extricating their loved ones from the cult.
   
   In the Cult of Osama, Dr. Olsson draws on his psychoanalytic training, his 25 or so years of theorizing on the dynamics of charismatic leaders, and applied psychoanalytic methods to develop a feasible understanding of a man who, arguably, is the greatest cult leader of our time. Poetry by bin Laden, an interview of bin Laden by Peter Berger, and interviews of violent fundamentalists by Jessica Stern contribute to Olsson's understanding of a man who will, in all probably, never submit to a formal psychoanalysis. Consistent with his first book, Dr. Olsson offers practical advice into thoughts and actions that might address the threat of religious and political extremism. Partricularly poignant are the e-mail exchanges he has with his psychiatrist pen pal in Baghdad. This book is a worthy addition to one's library on Islam, middle eastern politics and radical fundamentalism.



2. Dear Amazon Books and customers,
   
   I have recently finished reading Dr. Peter Olsson's fascinating book, The Cult of Osama, and would like to enthusiastically recommend it. Dr. Olsson has provided us with a rare insight into the mind of the most controversial and, many would argue, the most evil man of our time. Dr. Olsson, who has written extensively on cults, delves into what makes Osama, Osama. Filled with anecdotal evidence, we get a rare glimpse into bin Laden early life, and how his family influenced his decisions. I believe the book's strength is that, while attempting to understand bid Laden, Dr. Olsson refuses to offer these experiences as some type of excuse for his actions. Understanding does not delute the evil of the man. I found the book to be well-presented, with the lay person, like myself, in mind. Though not in the medical field myself, Dr. Olsson presents his findings in a manner that I could follow with ease. This is a must read for everyone.
   
   
   Gary Boeger
   Houston, Texas



3. Dr. Peter Olsson's latest book "Cult of Osama" reminds us that there is little to be gained by merely denouncing cult leaders like Bin Laden. To counteract their negative influence on others, we must first understand what makes them tick. Dr. Olsson in a very readable fashion traces the psychological background of Bin Laden from his early years which led to his preset-day influence in the Middle East and throughout the world. This is a very informative book that broadens our knowledge of cults and their often charismatic leaders.

No comments about War on Terror, Inc.: Corporate Profiteering from the Politics of Fear.

2 comments about Bring Your Own Flak Jacket: Helpful Tips for Touring Today's Middle East.

1. This book is a wonderful eye-witness account, told in a totally readable style. You will LOVE this book! How do I know? I wrote it! I got lost in Egypt, the West Bank of Palestine, Kabul and the Green Zone in Iraq. You will think that you were there with me. But bring your own flak jacket for sure!



2. For some, Jane Stillwater might be an acquired taste. She has a gift for skewering the pompous with a phrase, of unabashedly pointing out which emperors lack clothes. If one is a die-hard conservative still giving George Bush manly love, Jane's writing will probably be infuriating. (At least one can hope.)
   
   She writes from a personal perspective and the chronicle of her overseas oddessies read like a combination of Mark Twain and Jack Kerouac.
   
   For the seriously open-minded who enjoy a good chortle.

No comments about Globalisation And the New Terror: The Asia Pacific Dimension.

No comments about Pax Pacifica: Terrorism, the Pacific Hemisphere, Globalization, and Peace Studies (Constructive Peace Studies).

No comments about Terrorism, Media, Liberation (Rutgers Depth of Field Series).

5 comments about Fear's Empire: War, Terrorism, and Democracy.

1. If rational you be, avoid this book. If you are long suffering or long for suffering in your fearful hope of the future, then this book will help you on the road to believing that repeating historical socialistic subservience to the world is the essence of hope! This guy has been in and worked in an institution his whole life... and you know why people are in institutions, don't you? It's comfortable to harbor you imaginings and believe they are real because nobody disagrees with your conclusions derived from your sylogistic reverie.
   
   The description tells the truth ... "Barber argues for an America that promotes cooperation, multilateralism, international law, and pooled sovereignty." POOLED SOVEREIGNTY!!! MULTILATERALISM!!! The code words 'promote cooperation' means, we will be a doormat for you... He thinks the United Nations is a great example of effective multilateralism and cooperation... so does Khadaffi and Mugabe and Kim Jung Il and Arafat and young Asad and Al-Turabi (Sudan). Those are some fine folk to select from for your next 'sovereign leader'!
   
   This is the same tripe that has floundered center stage since Philby's Band of Brothers went to rot in Moscow. It's that same pig with more lipstick, persistently begging the citizens of the world for a kiss and a hug.
   
   Save us all from another Fulbright academic tri-lateralist! I'm an American, and I am repulsed by the concept of being a "citizen of the world".



2. A couple of centuries ago, essayists voiced opinions in newspapers or pamphlets. Some, hidden in anonymity, could counsel protest and sedition. Today's freer societies allows the writer to drop a mask hiding identity. Voicing opinions openly is easier. The downside is that it may take a whole book. And the problems appear to be looming far larger than they were long ago. Examining foundation causes takes more ink. In this insightful study, Benjamin Barber applies the best essayist's style to address the issues underlying today's American expansionism. A nation that once based its relationship with other nations on the promise that it would never start a war, has adopted an unilateral adventurist role. And that new identity has far outstripped in time and scope any historical precedent. The entire globe is threatened with becoming "Americanised". Why should that be happening?
   
   With clear, incisive prose Barber examines the roots of the values held in the United States and how those are being manifested in its "foreign policy". Once, it was important to Americans that society be governed by "the rule of law". This commonly-used and nearly trite phrase reflected both the foundation of compromise among the States embodied in the US Constitution and in how Americans interacted with other nations. The attitude created a sense of moral superiority to American dealings with other nations - an attitude Barber labels "exceptionalism". This high sense of self-worth carried the American population across the continent. Who else could coin a term like "Manifest Destiny" to sweep aside indigenous peoples in creating a contiguous empire?
   
   Once the North American landmass was occupied, according to Barber, the United States could sit smugly isolated from the remainder of the planet. Two global conflicts, which the Americans viewed in absolutist terms, eroded the notion of "isolationism", but didn't erase the concept of "exceptionalism". With the high moral fervour it adopted in pursuing two world wars, the United States has entered on an expansionist programme, accellerated by the attack on the World Trade Centre. That assault gave the Republican incumbent administration the impetus to use fear in two directions - within the United States and beyond its borders.
   
   Are Bush's foreign policies derived from his cabal of "neo-con" advisors? Barber dismisses that notion. Bush, he says, is sufficiently motivated by a strong belief in America's "missionary rationales" and "exceptional virtue". With the power available to enforce those values elsewhere, Barber demonstrates how Bush is able to divide the world into "Manichean camps" of good and evil. From that stance the President has convinced enoughAmericans that foreign intervention is just and proper. It allows him to sacrifice troops in a flawed campaign to force democracy in Iraq at gunpoint while retaining domestic support. Using fear at home allows Bush to instill fear abroad. Barber insists that all that military might driven by a sense of dread, real or manufactured, is a threat to global security. If American hegemony isn't sustainable in today's conditions, what can restore stability?
   
   Barber reminds his readers of US leadership in forming the United Nations. He notes that the theme of "internationalism" of the post-WWII era was too vague and utopian. The fear of eroded "national sovereignty", he argues, should be replaced by a new, pragmatic idea - "interdependence". Interdependence recognises that all nations have their own interests. Like the collection of States making up the US, Barber's proposed framework would work through mutual respect and compromise. Bush's assault on Afghanistan and Iraq shows how far the US has moved from its post-war ideals. "Independence", as currently expressed in the US' exceptionalist framework, is a false mythology. Barber wants it replaced by a realistic outlook. "Pax Americana", reflective of the "Pax Romana" of the Roman Empire, is unsustainable. It is nothing more than an expression of power which must ultimately fail.
   
   If we must adopt labels, Barber argues, then let us adopt "lex humana" or a rule of law for all people. Barber suggests the US learn to cope with "preventive democracy" - variations of the American model applicable to different cultures. He offers examples of democratic societies that aren't blind imitations of what the US practices. For numerous reasons, other societies cannot simply copy the US blueprint. They must build with their own materials and plans to build similar structures of equal strength. The only aspect of this book lacking is the mechanism by which one man might be convinced to shed the false mythologies he's operating under - and dragging the American people with him. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]



3. MAn, what a boring book! Ok, anyone in his right frame of mind by now has already understood that Bush has been practicing foul play all around in his war decisions. Everybody by now knows that the reasons given to go to Iraq were fake, a total lie. But Barber uses two hundred pages to sing a single song: preventive democracy is better than preventive war. Sure. But he uses almost 300 hundred pages of the same arguments, making this a lame reading.



4. Barber is a quintessential liberal thinker who believes in unabridged ability of human beings to do good thinks - like improving living conditions and spreading good governance. Hence his vision on how to spread good things in the world - by reasoning, education, being nice, sacrificing sovereignity for the sake of international institutions, and acting on international arena in the way that is devoid of selfish motives.
   
   In the end of the day, this idealistic vision brings Barber to lamenting the downfall of the Taliban. If anything, it proves that road to hell is paved with good intentions.
   
   That is why.
   
   
   1. That is a perfect agenda for acting with humans, societies, and governments that share your basic values and visions. This is not a preventive, but rather supportive democracy. It definitely has a legitimate role in international politics - but only this far.
   2. Let us admit that not everyone is nice and can be changed by proper education. Some of the worst dictators like Fidel were educated in the West. Some of the worst terrorists, like 9-11 or London 7-7 bombers, received everything from the Western society in terms of education, affluence, and opportunities. This brings to the question whether liberal Wilsonian thinking is a proper compass to navigate yourself beyond the world of shared values.
   3. Dictators, fanatics, and terrorist actually understand the power of good ideas. That is why they block their spread. You can educate and be nice to the people only where you are allowed to. Preemptive dictators easily block preemptive democracy by sensoring books, closing borders, disrupting broadcasts. Here is why wilsonian idealism stops. It simply does not know how to deal with the people who only perfect themselves in being evil. Oh, Mr Barber, did you travel to Kabul in 1999? Why did not you go and talk and convince Mulla Omar about the virtue of good education? Yeah, it is easy to talk multilateralism in New York and Berlin. But it is only because that is where it works.
   
   4. Unlike what Barber says, terrorism is for real, and it is nourished by the dictatorial states. The threat of nuclear proliferation is for real and North Korean testings only confirm this. Here, Barber goes into what every ideologue (no matter left or right) falls when reality does not coincide with vision: that is, denial. Denial that evil in the world is not constrained to George W. Bush and neocons.
   
   5. This denial makes him fail to recognize the fact that dictators and terrorists free ride on multilateralism. That is, they use international institutions, rules, treaties, etc., to obstruct democratic powers, to bind their hands, and to go on: with repressions, genocide, nourishing terrorism, etc. If you need examples how multilateralism kills, look at Bosnia and Darfur.
   6. Preemptive democracy beyond the area of shared values is hence nothing but cover-up for this free-riding.
   7. One thing I totally agree with Barber is much what he says about the Iraq war. It was a wrong decision to go into it. But let us face it: the character of war changed dramatically since 2003. It is no longer the war on Saddam's state. It is the war on stateless terrorism, on the people ready to slaughter their ethnic and religious kin, on the people ready to kill Italians, Russians, Jordanians, Shia, whatever stays in their front. Withdrawal from this war is capitulation equal to Munich. Oh, yeah, peace for our time, like Chamberlain said.
   8. By no means war shall be a primary weapon in spreading democracy. But it shall be an option in exceptional cases. Let us admit not humans are perfectible. Let us acknowledge that some have to be constrained and deterred. Let us agree that rules of contstraining, deterring, and if necessary destroying evil shall not be entrusted with the bodies where Libya chairs the human rights commission. If we want for multilateralism: let us organize the community of democracies. Let us recognize that Luxembourg shall have more voice on the international arena than China only because it does not slaughter and persecute its people. If this is the case, I will have no problem to give Luxembourg and the US equal voice.
   
   Preventive democracy shall be the first choice of the tool because it is safe and because it is nice. But insisting that this is the only available tool means denial of the obvious. If the world could have been changed by the nice means only, it could have been a nice world. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Insisting on the opposite means disarming oneselves from Osamas, Kim Jong Ils, and Akhmadinejads.
   
   And that is why Barber mourns the downfall of the Taliban.



5. This book is interesting, it is a quick and easy read. It uses many references to great political theorist that can lead to new pathways of learning. However, the basic premise of his book appears to be incorrect in my opinion. The man is clearly a "Leftist," easily denoted from his diction is descriptive matters. However, even though he is a leftist, which I generally do no subscribe to, he is still informative, and his opinions cannot be dismissed offhand.
   
   This is interesting to read, you can learn from it. But I have learned more in recognizing and analyizing its follies rather than susbcribing to its doctrine.
   
   It is well written, if not necessarily backed thourghouly in its basic premise, but the style of writting makes it enjoyable and quick enough to race right through.
   
   Recommended for those who would like to see how others may think.

2 comments about In the Name of God.

1. Collaboratively written by military chaplains Timothy Demy and Gary P. Stewart , In The Name Of God: Understanding The Mindset Of Terrorism is a comprehensive and informative inquiry into the phenomenon of religious terrorism throughout recent history, from cyberterrorism and information warfare to the September 11 attacks to the threat of nuclear bombs. Addressing both factual events and the religious questions that people ask in the wake of tragic loss, In The Name Of God: Understanding The Mindset Of Terrorism is a chilling and close look at what is really going on behind today's terrible headlines.



2. read some of the events are old as this book was written 2-3 years ago but it has alot of GREAT reading and lessons in the book that never will get old. EDUCATE your mind buy this book

5 comments about 9-11 on Trial.

1. I have been a 9-11 doubter since around November 2001 and have absorbed nearly everything I could find on the subject. It goes without saying that 9-11 was an inside job and if you do enough truth searching you will see just about every kind of theory out there. One does have to be able to weed out a lot of junk. That being said this is a good book to add to your 9-11 library.
   
   I came across this book while reading a message board. When I ordered it I did not know that Thorn had a beef with nearly every other 9-11 doubter out there. Something about this is very fishy to me. I believe that Thorn has a solid enough message to not have to denegrate others to get his point across. He should just let his work stand on its on merit and stop HATIN' or the true patriot movement is no better than the dems and reps.



2. The trial style of this book can seem dry, at first. Every chapter represents different type of testimony/evidence. It has a thorough bibliography. After reading every chapter of this book one overwhelmingly understands that the mass murder of 3000 people at the World Trade Center was an inside job that was covered up by our own government.
   There was never any governmental crime scene investigation. Indeed the evidence seemed to disappear about as fast as the buildings came down.
   The recent newfound evidence of thermate by BYU Professor Jones and the realization by scholars all over the country that the odds against the veracity of the official version of events is about a trillion to one makes me strongly feel that this book serves a very important function as an introductory primer as to the extent that the corrupt influences in this country (actually a worldwide power) will go to attain their evil goals.
   This book demonstrates why and how the major media dish put propaganda on behalf of these influences and that it behooves all Americans to develop their own independent sources of news information so one can increase their wisdom and knowledge.



3. 911 was an inside job!
   The author tells the truth, 911 was an inside job and our government is evil. I hope more people read this book so they can resist this terrorist government. God bless Victor!



4. 
   This is yet another of the many excellent books from Pregressive Press, with lots of details and lots of common sense.
   
   My only regret is that despite the many excellent blogs and websites surrounding the 9-11 lies and deceptions, there is still no single sense-making facility that could "rack and stack" specific individuals like Dick Cheney, Rudy Guliani, and Larry Silverstein such that the public could demand, and get, indictments and grand jurys and everything else.



5. Victor Thorn's book "9-11 on Trial" flattens the pancake theory of the World Trade Center tragedies that has become the current equivalent of the magic bullet theory regarding the assassination of President Kennedy, vulnerable but being promoted by powerful political forces because some kind of answer was needed.
   
   Thorn uses the approach of a tough prosecutor in a courtroom in crafting this work that offers a different speeding bullet every chapter. The prosecution theories are developed in a question and answer format based on information culled from 48 listed sources.
   
   The pancake theory has been presented by believers in the conventional government theory that was further buttressed by the Official 9/11 Commission Report, which critics denounced for its failure to interview critics of the government's view and accompanying failure to look beyond superficial alleged supportive evidence.
   
   A theory was needed to embrace a rapid-fire collapse of skyscrapers resulting from crashing airplanes and resultant fires in the impacted buildings. The pancake theory loomed as a chain reaction choice explaining how the buildings collapsed.
   
   Thorn flattens the pancake theory by pointing out some convincing facts about the construction and composition of the World Trade Center buildings. For one thing, there did not appear to be significant fire damage to bring the buildings down. It is pointed out that a Madrid skyscraper had endured after days of burning without collapsing. So did buildings in Los Angeles and Philadelphia following hours of fire damage.
   
   Firemen on the scene at the WTC were quoted as stating that the fires were not of particularly significant strength while one telltale photo was taken of a woman waving out the window from one of the buildings amid fire activity.
   
   Another significant argument refuting the pancake theory resides in the potent composition of buildings constructed to endure in the wake of the sternest tests from nature and other elements. The strongly reinforced concrete and sturdy layers of steel made the buildings invulnerable to destruction in the manner described.
   
   Another point intelligently raised is that the telltale damage at ground level is consistent with explosive detonation rather than fire. Respected Protestant clergyman Reverend Robert Schuller commented in an interview after visiting Ground Zero that he observed tremendous amounts of dust on the ground. This is consistent with decimation by explosion rather than piles of charred rubble, which would have resulted had fire been the cause of the buildings' collapse.
   
   Numerous comments from on the scene witnesses ranging from first responders to occupants of the destroyed buildings who escaped to safety, as well as nearby bystanders, described explosions. Loud sounds were repeatedly heard prior to the collapse of the buildings.
   
   Fox News could hardly be considered a critic of the Bush Administration's 9/11 position. A Fox 5 News commentator on the scene nonetheless delivered the following spontaneous comment while videotaping a large white cloud of smoke billowing near the base of the South Tower.
   
   The commentator exclaimed:
   
   "There is an explosion at the base of the building ... white smoke from the bottom ... something has happened at the base of the building ... then, another explosion. Another building in the World Trade Center Complex."
   
   Teresa Veliz, manager of a software development company located at the World Trade Center, revealed, " ... There were explosions going off everywhere. I was convinced that there were bombs planted all over the place and someone was sitting at a control panel pushing detonator buttons ..."
   
   These are only two of many sources quoted within the pages of a revealing book that should serve as a wakeup call to America for the need of an independent investigation into the causes of the 9/11 tragedies.

5 comments about Closure: The Untold Story of the Ground Zero Recovery Mission.

1. It was an incredible and accurate account of the heroics and emotions involved in the months of recovery at ground zero. A must read.



2. This is the story that needed to be told of the many courageous, heroic men and women involved in this search and recovery effort. It is also the story of the courageous, heroic families who lived through this effort with their loved ones. It is a must read.



3. Excellent read. Heartbreaking at times, but well written of the trials and
   tribulations of the Ground Zero Recovery mission
   This book honors the months day after day the recovery workers devoted to trying to find bodies. Some of the rescue workers suffered emotionally and physically, yet others kept going to the end.
   I recommend highly



4. I have not even finished reading this book yet, but I am blown away by the extraordinary story this man has to tell, and told with such heart. This is a major contribution to the history of 9/11.



5. This is very touching story of the (mainly) men who conducted the recovery operations at Ground Zero. The telling is true to the tremendous respect shown to those who perished (nothing titillating) and is inspiring in its humanity and faith. Anyone who has ever worked anywhere will appreciate the turf skirmishes that were waged.
   
   The writing, however, is a bit simple.