What Makes a Terrorist: Economics and the Roots of Terrorism

by Alan B. Krueger

Book Overview

Many popular ideas about terrorists and why they seek to harm us are fueled by falsehoods and misinformation. Leading politicians and scholars have argued that poverty and lack of education breed terrorism, despite the wealth of evidence showing that most terrorists come from middle-class, and often college-educated, backgrounds. In What Makes a Terrorist , Alan Krueger argues that if we are to correctly assess the root causes of terrorism and successfully...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0691134383
• ISBN13: 9780691134383
• Release Date: August 2007
• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.86 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Interesting. Good synthesis of the available research on terrorism.

This book is based on a series of 3 lectures that take a deep look at the roots and causes of terrorism. While Krueger is not able to answer all the questions that we may have about this problem, he does an excellent job of examining and explaining the available research. He presents compelling evidence that dispels the common notion that terrorism is caused by poverty and a lack of education. The first lecture is a micro level analysis of individuals, the second lecutre is a macro analysis of countries, and the third lecture describes the wide array of the consequences of terrorism. This very interesting book helps make sense of a current issue that the media and politicians tend to misunderstand. Good read for anyone interested in economics (although you may want to brush up on some basic statistics before diving in).

A Great Read!

Prof. Krueger has connected the dots and makes a true grand slam home run with this slim volume on a critical subject of interest to people from every walk of life. You can take that to the bank. I found his copious and careful analysis of the kind of people who turn into terrorists, and their reasons, extremely compelling. he doesn't skimp on the economic analysis but he keeps it aimed at a general audience. Krueger is also a great writer. He has revised his public lecture into a great book that has truly opened my eyes to the real causes of terrorism. You owe it to yourself to study this book carefully for yourself and get away from the sloppy stereotypes of terrorism bandied about by politicians and the media.

Need of the hour

"What Makes a Terrorist" can easily be classified as one of the most important books of the year! Prof. Krueger has presented a very new perspective to one of the greatest and gruesome challenges of our time. A challenge that has not only haunted our generation, but also fearlessly unbuckling itself to haunt our children and grandchildren. In this short, yet precise book, Prof Krueger presents three brilliant essays that get to the bottom to reveal the causes that wrought terrorists. 1) Who Becomes A Terrorist ? Characteristics of Individual Participants of Terrorism 2) Where does Terror Emerge? Economic and Political Conditions of Terrorism 3) What does Terrorism Accomplish? Economic, Psychological and Political Consequences of Terrorism. With an excellent Q & A section towards the end, the book flows pretty smoothly and ends perfectly. For me, the book became immediately personal. I've seen with disgust the underlying causes of terrorism in Sri Lanka. It was not about poverty and lack of education as argued by many scholars. Original Sri Lankan militants (now terrorists) were mostly college graduates and were reasonably wealthy. Fifty years of non-violent struggle transformed into terrorism because the successive Sri Lankan governments mishandled the situations, and failed to address the legitimate grieves of minorities, exactly how someone would mishandle an economic policy, as eloquently described by Prof. Krueger. Militarism and violence then draws the poor and uneducated, and transforms into terrorism. "What Makes a Terrorist" is timely and thought provoking. It brings innovative concepts to the discussion, and provides answers to fundamental questions about terrorism in a manner that is digestible to even non-economists. N.Sivakumar Author of: America Misunderstood: What a Second Bush Victory Meant to the Rest of the World