Prisoners of Hate

“Prisoners of Hate offers a profound analysis of a most pressing human challenge: the causes—and prevention—of hatred. Of the many important books Aaron Beck has written, this may be his greatest gift to humanity.” —Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence

World-renowned psychiatrist Dr. Aaron T. Beck has always been at the forefront of cognitive therapy research, his approach being the most rapidly growing psychotherapy today. In his most important work to date, the widely hailed father of cognitive therapy presents a revolutionary look at destructive behavior—from domestic abuse to genocide to war—and provides a solid framework for remedying these crucial problems.

In this book, Dr. Beck:

Illustrates the specific psychological aberrations underlying anger, interpersonal hostility, ethnic conflict, genocide, and war;
Clarifies why perpetrators of evil deeds are motivated by a belief that they are doing good;
Explains how the offenders are locked into distorted belief systems that control their behavior and shows how the same distortions in thinking occur in a rampaging mob as in an enraged spouse;
Provides a blueprint for correcting warped thinking and belief systems and, consequently, undercutting various forms of hostility; and
Discusses how the individual and society as a whole might use the tools of psychotherapy to block the psychological pathways to war, genocide, rape, and murder.

Author Biography

Aaron T. Beck, M.D., widely known as the father of cognitive therapy, was University Professor Emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and president of the Beck Institute for Cognitive Therapy and Research. He graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Brown University, and went on to attend Yale Medical School. He received more than 18 major professional awards from associations such as the National Institute of Mental Health, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Psychopathological Association.