Conquest is murder & theft.
Conquerors are vicious criminals.
Vicious criminals become kings.
Kings designed civilization.
...and we are the products of civilization.
Right wing movements are rising around the globe, but our attention is misdirected. The problem is not the authoritarian leader, but the blinkered supporters who unthinkingly follow him. Without them, the despot is irrelevant.
Why do we attach ourselves to dictators & demagogues? Why do we defend even their most obvious hypocrisies & lies?
The answer lies in the roots of civilization. Despite our romantic traditions, monarchs were never wise, just, nor generous. History shows that, without exception, kings were the most vicious psychopaths, narcissists, & sadists who ever lived.
And the only path for survival required blindly believing & obeying anything the king said.
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Winner World History: Independent Press Award
Winner Current Events: Indie Book Awards
Winner World History: NYC Big Book
Gold Medal Non Fiction Author Awards
Grand Prize Short List Eric Hoffer Awards
1st Runner-Up Legacy Nonfiction: Eric Hoffer Awards
Bronze Medal Historical Nonfiction: Readers' Favorite
...and 7 others
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"...concise, compelling, & challenging exploration of how humanity became what it is."
-Publishers Weekly
"...the book's scientific analysis, which spans Darwin's concept of evolution to cutting-edge psychology, is a welcome addition to historical conversations..."
-Kirkus Reviews
"This book is unique, delving deeply into the worst horrors & most brutal leaders in history..."
-Psychiatric Times
"...a stark reminder of how fragile & vulnerable to exploitation our modern democratic societies are..."
-Mathematical Association of America
"Why do we excuse an act, unforgivable if committed by an ordinary citizen, if executed or ordered by a leader?"
-Los Angeles Review of Books
"The term 'must-read' has been so overused. But Kings, Conquerors, Psychopaths is a must-read... must-own... and most of all, a must-ponder."
-San Diego Jewish World
"I've always believed society to be a fundamentally rational thing, but what if it wasn't?
"What if it was built on insanity?"
-Jon Ronson, The Psychopath Test
"Abraham commands a very fine style. Humane, incisive, rigorous in its scholarship."
-Robert Mighall, former editor Penguin Classics
"...wide-ranging research & an unflinching eye for detail..."
-Candice Millard, New York Times best-selling author of The River of Doubt, & Edgar Award-winning Destiny of the Republic
"...this may be the most important book you will ever read."
-Robin Levin, The Death of Carthage
"This book is a must-read..."
-Carol Beggy, co-author award-winning Boston book series; & Ted Kennedy: Scenes from an Epic Life
"A detailed and engaging examination of our haunted past and threatening future. Read it and weep."
-John Mack Faragher, Daniel Boone, & The American Heritage Encyclopedia of American History
"This book is a must-read..."
-Jim Engster, NPR affiliate WRKF
"...an insightful, novel argument based on both a keen clinical eye, & an exhaustive review of the literature..."
-James Fallon, The Psychopath Inside
"For those who want their minds expanded & blown: Dr. Abraham is the man."
-Pearson Cross, Bayou to Beltway, NPR affiliate KRVS
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Joseph N Abraham, MD is an emergency physician (Tulane '86), evolutionary biologis