What drives a person to kill himself for killing others, in the name
of a political or religious cause? This book is the first to report a
series of studies in which failed suicide bombers and organizers of
suicide attacks were subjected to systematic clinical psychological
interviews and tests and were compared to non-suicide terrorists. This direct psychological examination enabled a first-hand assessment of the personality characteristics and motivation of suicide bombers.
Additional interviews conducted by seasoned area specialists provided a comprehensive picture of the ways by which the suicide bombers were recruited, prepared and dispatched to their planned death, as well as how they felt and behaved along this road. This information was supplemented by data derived from interviews with the families of suicide bombers who died carrying out their attacks.
The book describes the first systematic empirical studies of the personality characteristics and motivation of suicide bombers and organizers of suicide attacks. Arrested suicide bombers own accounts of the process of making suicide attacks, as well as their decisions and feelings along this process. On the basis of these findings the book provides a unique comprehensive analysis of suicide attacks, showing how personality characteristics interact with group pressure and public atmosphere. In analyzing suicide attacks around the world, the book relies on the most comprehensive database.
Review: Driven to Death: Psychological and Social Aspects of Suicide Terrorism (includes links to other books that provide essential context)
