Although the concept is interesting, this book was not as accurate as I would have hoped. It was also fairly monotonous. I saw Stern speak in person; she never answered the questions from the audience and did not really even know her own book well enough to be informative.

Jessica Stern provides insight to the behavior of religious extremists through her personal interviews with members of different religious sects in America and around the world. This is not written as an "edge of your seat" or "read one weekend" style of book. It is a means of educating the reader though sections of the book are filled with suspense and espionage. Stern provides details to the way of life of religious extremists, their surroundings, family, who they trust, who they want to kill and why.

The book is well written with the right amount of detail to place your mind on the dusty road traveling to the mountain camp where Stern will have her interview, to the apprehension she feels of not knowing what will happen next.

The descriptive interviews and statements Stern makes in her book are supported by news casts of today. Stern enlightens the reader to the complexity of the militant's way of thinking and provides reasons for no easy solution to stopping their growth around the world.

An excellent read by an impressive author.

A real page turner! I have never felt compelled to write a book review . . .until now. Dr. Stern has spent years interviewing American terrorists motivated by faith and international jihadists and has compiled an interesting profile of the religious terrorist. What I found so very refreshing was that she does not write like most academics; rather, she writes and approaches the topic like a novel. Considering the sensitive topic of religion, Dr. Stern has approached the subject in a fair and, in what I believe, impartial matter. I would urge attorneys representing terrorist suspects, or prosecutors for that manner, analysts, investigators and the like, to read this book and keep it close for future reference.

While it is critically important to understand why terrorists commit the atrocities they do, a much more significant book is needed to gain those insights.
What you will learn from this book is that most religious terrorists feel humiliated and deprived. How novel. You'll also learn the difference between terrorism and jihad. The latter only kills soldiers and elected officials or particular targets, but not woman, old people and infants. Unless of course, you're talking about attacks against Israel, where anyone is fair game. All that's needed is to redefine who is in the military (any potential will do) and their death is deemed ok. Sounds like old news to me.
Stern always described how she dressed during interviews, what she was served to eat, any gifts she was given, and never failed to mention that she usually bestowed upon her interviewees a Harvard pen. Thrilling. What any of that had to do with her subject matter is beyond me.
Her chapter on Al Qaeda was the best written part of her book, and it is chilling. And her analogy of terrorism as being like a virus is unfortunately all too accurate.
Her recommendations for combating terrorism are for the most part weak.
Karen Armstrong is the kind of writer who could tackle this subject competently.

This is coming from someone that hasn't done any prior research into the subject, but has certainly given it a lot of thought. The book is an vivid evaluation of different types of religious terrorists and their motivations. Furthermore, it reveals the practical details on how the organizations function in terms of finance, hierarchy, etc.

Jessica Stern has talked extensively with religious radicals from all three of the "great" faiths.

She has looked both at the religous as well as political and financial factors at what truly motivates the terrorist.

This book is very enlightening. Well on parr with the one By Peter Bergen for those of us who truly want to understand the "new" threat facing us today.

There is no moral equivalence between Christianity and Islam. It sounds so neat and tidy, this idea that 'fundamentalists' of every stripe are dangerous. The only problem is that if a belief system is based on loving ones enemies, then a fundamentalist of such belief would be a very loving person, not a terrorist. Of course, there are historical exceptions and a very few contemporary ones. People like to mention the Spanish Inquisition but fail to mention that more people are killed by Islamists in any given year than died in all 350 years of the Inquisition. I am amazed by these people who search high and low, far and wide to find some nerdy kooks who "plan to" "want to" were going to" do some terrible thing when Islamic terrorists by the hundreds of thousands are committing acts of terrorism, large and small, in 30 countries around the world. And within 10 miles of most American homes there is probably a Muslim family sending his check every month to support the charity/terrorist network. Oh yes, but what about the KKK? A few impotent bigots in Alabama and one or two lone gunmen here are there are not equivalent in severity, number, motive, or scope to the cancer of Islamic terror.

There simply is no moral equivalence between Islam and Christianity, fundamentalist or otherwise. People have committed atrocities in the name of the Christian God but such acts (comparatively minute in scope compared to Islamic aggression) put the terrorist at odds with Christian orthodoxy. You cannot be a good Christian and kill abortion doctors. The act of murder is forbidden and therefore the terrorist is no better than the abortionist. On the contrary a Muslim can and must participate in violent Jihad, either personally or through the financial support of it, according to most schools of thought within Islam. If a Muslim blows up a bus full of Jews, he is a hero and a martyr and a very good Muslim.

The Quran implores its legions, "make war on the infidels who dwell around you." Sura 9:123. Such verses are found throughout the Quran while there are no such incitements to violence in the New Testament but rather admonishments to humility, charity, and forgiveness. I know hundreds of Christian fundamentalists. Even the slightest suggestion of extremist thought would not be tolerated among them. The author must be a practitioner of yoga, because she has twisted herself and this book into a pretzel of faulty logic and research.

Just to mention the atrocities of one small drop in the river of blood that is Islam, one can consider the Danish cartoons furor. Estimates are that more than 250 people were killed and many buildings bombed and burned as a result of the cartoons. What was the Christian response to a much more offensive product though equally blasphemous to Christians--The Davinci Code? The result was a robust public discussion that caused millions of the faithful to read the book to see and decide for themselves. It is fine to talk about the religious roots of terror. They are not hard to find. Open the Quran and read how a Muslim will be rewarded for the horrific murder and dismemberment of innocent women, men, and children. Make that case, but leave Christians out of it.

I am not a professional reviewer or publicist, just a regular person; I often feel like reviews are written by the publisher or author's friends. I am neither, so this is my honest review. This book is an amazingly insightful book on terrorist and the circumstances that go into creating terrorists. I think it is an important read for anyone trying to understand (not sympathize with) terrorists. To beat an enemy you have to understand him. Stern is one of the most intelligent and smartest authors I have ever read, but the book did not make me feel stupid or talk down to me. It was thorough and informative, and quite an eye opener. I am an active duty Marine Infantry-man, and wish I had read this book before my multiple deployments to Iraq.

This is an interesting addition to the literature on terrorism. What sets it apart from many other books is the author's attempt to base analysis on a series of interviews with those whom she defines as terrorists. Some who review this book negatively focus on their sense that her definition is too generous, and includes those whom they would not see in that light. Nonetheless, the interviews illuminate her points nicely. And, too, if those whom she has interviewed do not represent the terrorist population well, her conclusions will suffer. Terrorism, for Stern, is ". . .an act or threat of violence against noncombatants with the objective of exacting revenge, intimidating, or otherwise influencing an audience" (page xx).

She begins by assessing the types of grievances that lead to terrorist activities. Among these are a sense of humiliation that terrorists see themselves as suffering from, alienation, demographics (religious groups, socioeconomic groups, and the like), history, and territory. Then, she explores the organization of "holy war" operations. She notes that organizations run a continuum from "lone wolves" or "leaderless resistance" models on to "terrorist armies or commander-cadre organizations." As to leaders, she argues that the requirements for their success are similar to those of firms or nongovernment organizations. She says: "Today's multinational terrorist leader is an entrepreneur who brings together mission, money, and market share" (page 142). The evidence suggests to her that terrorist organizations that are most successful have a resilient network organization, with "widely distributed leadership and minimal (or successfully encrypted) communication among nodes" (page 144). Greater organizational communication can make it easier for states to penetrate such organizations and thereby disrupt them .

After the analysis, she speaks of policy recommendations. She also suggests why Islamic countries are particularly good recruiting areas for terrorist organizations. The list of policy suggestions would include some of the following: try to undercut the attractiveness of students going to extremist religious schools (which can become seedbeds of terrorist recruitment), go after the infrastructure of recruitment of new terrorists, upgrade security at vulnerable and attractive targets (so-called "target hardening" strategy), avoid being sucked into ongoing occupations (since this will generate resentment and lead to recruitment of terrorists), work to strengthen "weak states" such as Afghanistan (or stay out of such states), before they descend into chaos and warlordism and terrorist recruitment. And, finally, she argues in her last lines: ". . .what counts is what we fight for, not what we oppose. We need to avoid giving into spiritual dread, and to hold fast to the best of our principles, by emphasizing tolerance, empathy, and courage" (page 296).

Overall, this is a useful study to add to others. Her methodology is interesting, but fraught with the problem noted above. Nonetheless, a good addition to the literature.

This is an interesting addition to the literature on terrorism. What sets it apart from many other books is the author's attempt to base analysis on a series of interviews with those whom she defines as terrorists. Some who review this book negatively focus on their sense that her definition is too generous, and includes those whom they would not see in that light. Nonetheless, the interviews illuminate her points nicely. And, too, if those whom she has interviewed do not represent the terrorist population well, her conclusions will suffer. Terrorism, for Stern, is ". . .an act or threat of violence against noncombatants with the objective of exacting revenge, intimidating, or otherwise influencing an audience" (page xx).

She begins by assessing the types of grievances that lead to terrorist activities. Among these are a sense of humiliation that terrorists see themselves as suffering from, alienation, demographics (religious groups, socioeconomic groups, and the like), history, and territory. Then, she explores the organization of "holy war" operations. She notes that organizations run a continuum from "lone wolves" or "leaderless resistance" models on to "terrorist armies or commander-cadre organizations." As to leaders, she argues that the requirements for their success are similar to those of firms or nongovernment organizations. She says: "Today's multinational terrorist leader is an entrepreneur who brings together mission, money, and market share" (page 142). The evidence suggests to her that terrorist organizations that are most successful have a resilient network organization, with "widely distributed leadership and minimal (or successfully encrypted) communication among nodes" (page 144). Greater organizational communication can make it easier for states to penetrate such organizations and thereby disrupt them .

After the analysis, she speaks of policy recommendations. She also suggests why Islamic countries are particularly good recruiting areas for terrorist organizations. The list of policy suggestions would include some of the following: try to undercut the attractiveness of students going to extremist religious schools (which can become seedbeds of terrorist recruitment), go after the infrastructure of recruitment of new terrorists, upgrade security at vulnerable and attractive targets (so-called "target hardening" strategy), avoid being sucked into ongoing occupations (since this will generate resentment and lead to recruitment of terrorists), work to strengthen "weak states" such as Afghanistan (or stay out of such states), before they descend into chaos and warlordism and terrorist recruitment. And, finally, she argues in her last lines: ". . .what counts is what we fight for, not what we oppose. We need to avoid giving into spiritual dread, and to hold fast to the best of our principles, by emphasizing tolerance, empathy, and courage" (page 296).

Overall, this is a useful study to add to others. Her methodology is interesting, but fraught with the problem noted above. Nonetheless, a good addition to the literature.

Stern took the time to personally visit terrorists in various causes around the world. Religious terrorism, she tells us, arises from pain or loss. Its converts often long for a simpler time when the outside world didn't humiliate them. Their thinking often includes "Kill and be rewarded in heaven," "Why is my life not going as well as it should? The answer is (fill in the blank) "America, affirmative action, Jews, . . .," "It is clear from the Bible that this land is legitimately our," etc. Killing homosexuals, Jews, etc. is seen as a way of worshipping God.

They view people who practice other versions of their faith, or other faiths, as infidels; because the true faith is purportedly in danger, the killing of innocents becomes, in their view, permissible. These grievances often mask a deeper fear - godless universe, loneliness, and often greed for political power, land, or money.

Palestinian terrorists Stern visited believe "There are no civilians in Israel because every citizen is required to serve in the army." Palestinian authority suicide bombers often are teens, disproportionately are from refugee camps, mentally immature, can't find a job, more likely than not have been prisoners in Israeli jails, have no girlfriends, and throws himself into religion (even the 4 A.M. prayers - skipped by many devout Muslims). Thus, they are easily identified and then recruited.

Arabs interviewed repeatedly express their dislike/hatred of Jews and their treatment of Palestinians, but no reference to hating us because of democracy or freedom. (President Bush would benefit from reading those quotes.)

Stern also studied American and Pakistani extremists.

Stern took the time to personally visit terrorists in various causes around the world. Religious terrorism, she tells us, arises from pain or loss. Its converts often long for a simpler time when the outside world didn't humiliate them. Their thinking often includes "Kill and be rewarded in heaven," "Why is my life not going as well as it should? The answer is (fill in the blank) "America, affirmative action, Jews, . . .," "It is clear from the Bible that this land is legitimately our," etc. Killing homosexuals, Jews, etc. is seen as a way of worshipping God.

They view people who practice other versions of their faith, or other faiths, as infidels; because the true faith is purportedly in danger, the killing of innocents becomes, in their view, permissible. These grievances often mask a deeper fear - godless universe, loneliness, and often greed for political power, land, or money.

Palestinian terrorists Stern visited believe "There are no civilians in Israel because every citizen is required to serve in the army." Palestinian authority suicide bombers often are teens, disproportionately are from refugee camps, mentally immature, can't find a job, more likely than not have been prisoners in Israeli jails, have no girlfriends, and throws himself into religion (even the 4 A.M. prayers - skipped by many devout Muslims). Thus, they are easily identified and then recruited.

Stern also studied American and Pakistani extremists.

Jessica Stern immediately sets the tone by telling her readers that her goal is to understand, not sympathize with terrorists who belong to Christianity, Islam, or Judaism (pp. xiii - xxxi). Stern is not an armchair anti-terrorist expert. She has talked at length to among others ("retired") terrorist leaders and expendable foot soldiers in the U.S. and overseas (pp. xix, 291 - 92). Whoever has the opportunity to meet Stern will realize it quickly.

Stern reminds her readers that (state-sponsored) terrorism has two key characteristics: 1. Noncombatants are the target; 2. Inspiring dread in the target constituency is often more significant than the physical result. The definition of noncombatants is still in the works. Terrorism is in the eyes of the beholder (pp. xxviii - xxix). Like religious non-terrorists, their terrorist counterparts are struggling human beings who are dealing with unmet aspirations, negation, and despair (pp. xxvii, 247 - 48, 282 - 83). Young males, who usually make up the bulk of the terrorist staff, are more prone to violence if they grow up in either a violent society or a disintegrating state (pp. xxiv, 53, 284). Stern also draws to the attention of her audience that religious terrorism is nothing new in human history (pp. xx-xxii).

Understanding the emotional, spiritual, and/or material motivations of terrorists is essential to stop them as Stern correctly points out (pp. xvi, xxviii - xxix, 6, 50, 283 - 86). Like a legitimate (non-) profit organization, a terrorist platform needs (part-time) talent with different aspirations to fulfill its mission statement (pp. 6 - 8). Talented terrorist leaders excel at reading their recruits to figure out their wants and needs and how to satisfy them for their own profit (pp. 24, 50 - 51, 69, 84, 156 - 57, 164, 214 - 16, 260 - 64). Terrorist aspirations are not necessarily cast in stone; money, political power, or attention can replace the original grievances behind the enrollment with a terrorist infrastructure (pp. 6 - 7, 216, 263). Most terrorists are not a one-man show (pp. 172 - 87).

Sympathizers, including charities, have to be sold on the mission statement and see a return on their investment (pp. 1 - 2, 7, 76, 142 - 43, 208, 231, 262, 265, 271 - 74). The "investment" can be expendable bodies, money, know-how, or any other asset useful to the strategy and tactics of the enterprise (pp. 32, 40 - 44, 48 - 49, 210 - 11, 223). Terrorists feel the need to be perceived that they are accomplishing something (p. 143). The "return" is either instrumental or expressive. Scaring the enemy, killing as many noncombatants as possible, destabilizing an economy, inviting enemy overkill, imposing a religious set of rules, empowering the disenfranchised, neutralizing "pollution" by impure outsiders, or communicating rage without really weighing the long-term consequences are some potential paybacks (pp. 7, 18, 52 - 54, 223, 283).

Stern bluntly demonstrates that a "performing" terrorist has to become two people, the self he/she was, and the new, morally disengaged killer self. Skilled terrorist leaders market this doubling to their recruits for crushing any potential sympathy for their targets when time for action comes (pp. xv - xvi, xxii - xxiii, 52 - 53, 55, 137, 142, 159, 261, 296). However, desensitivity training is not the preserve of terrorists. Some doubling is required to be up to the job for say, a soldier or a surgeon (pp. xv - xvi, 16).

Stern convincingly argues that modernity generates confusion and fear because it obliges individuals to make choices, which can be overwhelming for some of them (p. 69). Similarly, dictatorial states are particularly at risk when they start liberalizing and democratizing (pp. 80 - 81, 287 - 88). In contrast, terrorism has the key "benefit" to simplify life. Why bother with gray areas when everything can be reduced to good and evil carved in stark relief (pp. 5, 19, 23, 60 - 62, 121, 136 - 37, 228 - 30, 276 - 77, 281, 289)?

Stern looks at different grievances such as alienation, humiliation, demographics, history, and territory so that her readers better understand why terrorists turn their faith into violence for trying to achieve their goals (pp. xiv, 50, 84). To smooth their integration into a terrorist organization, new members are usually internalizing the rules of the game, even at the cost of their own life for the greater "good" of the movement (p. 20).

Stern clearly demonstrates that terrorist leaders have to show a special flair for opportunism in purging sources of inspiration of anything that stands in the way of the mission statement (pp. 33, 47, 52, 54, 104 - 06, 265 - 69). Similarly, terrorist leaders have to optimize resilience and capacity for sustainability purposes (pp. 142 - 43, 187, 249, 271 - 72, 278 - 80). Unsurprisingly, terrorist leaders think that unlike their low-level recruits, they are indispensable (pp. 59, 80, 194, 245, 259). "Smart" terrorist leaders also avoid being caught in the act (pp. 160, 165, 171).

Terrorist organizations and their eventual state sponsors often have no interest in completely eliminating poverty and helplessness in their surrounding environment (pp. 38, 41, 48, 62, 119, 133, 233 - 36, 250, 263, 286). State agencies "recycle" terrorists for doing their dirty work at both their own profit and risk (pp. 77 - 79, 116, 118, 205, 211, 221, 226 - 29, 234, 252 - 54, 261). Terrorists can become their own masters by diversifying their sources of support (pp. 84, 236). Furthermore, terrorist leaders have a strong incentive to exaggerate the threat of their perceived enemy to encourage sympathy for their cause (pp. 79, 259, 263, 284, 295). Collective punishment of civilian population caught in the middle is usually counterproductive (pp. 61, 103).

What is probably the most frightening is the proliferation of increasingly powerful weapons usable by ever smaller groups in an asymmetric conflict with states (pp. 152, 185, 209, 254 - 58, 283, 293). Stern concludes with some policy recommendations about how to eradicate the virus of terrorism (pp. 281 - 96).

Jessica Stern immediately sets the tone by telling her readers that her goal is to understand, not sympathize with terrorists who belong to Christianity, Islam, or Judaism (pp. xiii - xxxi). Stern is not an armchair anti-terrorist expert. She has talked at length to among others ("retired") terrorist leaders and expendable foot soldiers in the U.S. and overseas (pp. xix, 291 - 92). Whoever has the opportunity to meet Stern will realize it quickly.

Stern reminds her readers that (state-sponsored) terrorism has two key characteristics: 1. Noncombatants are the target; 2. Inspiring dread in the target constituency is often more significant than the physical result. The definition of noncombatants is still in the works. Terrorism is in the eyes of the beholder (pp. xxviii - xxix). Like religious non-terrorists, their terrorist counterparts are struggling human beings who are dealing with unmet aspirations, negation, and despair (pp. xxvii, 247 - 48, 282 - 83). Young males, who usually make up the bulk of the terrorist staff, are more prone to violence if they grow up in either a violent society or a disintegrating state (pp. xxiv, 53, 284). Stern also draws to the attention of her audience that religious terrorism is nothing new in human history (pp. xx-xxii).

Understanding the emotional, spiritual, and/or material motivations of terrorists is essential to stop them as Stern correctly points out (pp. xvi, xxviii - xxix, 6, 50, 283 - 86). Like a legitimate (non-) profit organization, a terrorist platform needs (part-time) talent with different aspirations to fulfill its mission statement (pp. 6 - 8). Talented terrorist leaders excel at reading their recruits to figure out their wants and needs and how to satisfy them for their own profit (pp. 24, 50 - 51, 69, 84, 156 - 57, 164, 214 - 16, 260 - 64). Terrorist aspirations are not necessarily cast in stone; money, political power, or attention can replace the original grievances behind the enrollment with a terrorist infrastructure (pp. 6 - 7, 216, 263). Most terrorists are not a one-man show (pp. 172 - 87).

Sympathizers, including charities, have to be sold on the mission statement and see a return on their investment (pp. 1 - 2, 7, 76, 142 - 43, 208, 231, 262, 265, 271 - 74). The "investment" can be expendable bodies, money, know-how, or any other asset useful to the strategy and tactics of the enterprise (pp. 32, 40 - 44, 48 - 49, 210 - 11, 223). Terrorists feel the need to be perceived that they are accomplishing something (p. 143). The "return" is either instrumental or expressive. Scaring the enemy, killing as many noncombatants as possible, destabilizing an economy, inviting enemy overkill, imposing a religious set of rules, empowering the disenfranchised, neutralizing "pollution" by impure outsiders, or communicating rage without really weighing the long-term consequences are some potential paybacks (pp. 7, 18, 52 - 54, 223, 283).

Stern bluntly demonstrates that a "performing" terrorist has to become two people, the self he/she was, and the new, morally disengaged killer self. Skilled terrorist leaders market this doubling to their recruits for crushing any potential sympathy for their targets when time for action comes (pp. xv - xvi, xxii - xxiii, 52 - 53, 55, 137, 142, 159, 261, 296). However, desensitivity training is not the preserve of terrorists. Some doubling is required to be up to the job for say, a soldier or a surgeon (pp. xv - xvi, 16).

Stern convincingly argues that modernity generates confusion and fear because it obliges individuals to make choices, which can be overwhelming for some of them (p. 69). Similarly, dictatorial states are particularly at risk when they start liberalizing and democratizing (pp. 80 - 81, 287 - 88). In contrast, terrorism has the key "benefit" to simplify life. Why bother with gray areas when everything can be reduced to good and evil carved in stark relief (pp. 5, 19, 23, 60 - 62, 121, 136 - 37, 228 - 30, 276 - 77, 281, 289)?

Stern looks at different grievances such as alienation, humiliation, demographics, history, and territory so that her readers better understand why terrorists turn their faith into violence for trying to achieve their goals (pp. xiv, 50, 84). To smooth their integration into a terrorist organization, new members are usually internalizing the rules of the game, even at the cost of their own life for the greater "good" of the movement (p. 20).

Stern clearly demonstrates that terrorist leaders have to show a special flair for opportunism in purging sources of inspiration of anything that stands in the way of the mission statement (pp. 33, 47, 52, 54, 104 - 06, 265 - 69). Similarly, terrorist leaders have to optimize resilience and capacity for sustainability purposes (pp. 142 - 43, 187, 249, 271 - 72, 278 - 80). Unsurprisingly, terrorist leaders think that unlike their low-level recruits, they are indispensable (pp. 59, 80, 194, 245, 259). "Smart" terrorist leaders also avoid being caught in the act (pp. 160, 165, 171).

Terrorist organizations and their eventual state sponsors often have no interest in completely eliminating poverty and helplessness in their surrounding environment (pp. 38, 41, 48, 62, 119, 133, 233 - 36, 250, 263, 286). State agencies "recycle" terrorists for doing their dirty work at both their own profit and risk (pp. 77 - 79, 116, 118, 205, 211, 221, 226 - 29, 234, 252 - 54, 261). Terrorists can become their own masters by diversifying their sources of support (pp. 84, 236). Furthermore, terrorist leaders have a strong incentive to exaggerate the threat of their perceived enemy to encourage sympathy for their cause (pp. 79, 259, 263, 284, 295). Collective punishment of civilian population caught in the middle is usually counterproductive (pp. 61, 103).

What is probably the most frightening is the proliferation of increasingly powerful weapons usable by ever smaller groups in an asymmetric conflict with states (pp. 152, 185, 209, 254 - 58, 283, 293). Stern concludes with some policy recommendations about how to eradicate the virus of terrorism (pp. 281 - 96).

This is a valuable study. Through interviews, it examines the background, motives, mission, inspiration, and organization of terrorists. How can they justify murder with religion and morality? Though it doesn't fully answer this contradiction (can anything?), Stern's book is a well written contribution to the subject.

Also worthy: Richard Rhodes, 'Why They Kill' (A study of murderers based on interviews); Robert Pape, 'Dying to Win' (the strategy of terrorism).

This is a valuable study. Through interviews, it examines the background, motives, mission, inspiration, and organization of terrorists. How can they justify murder with religion and morality? Though it doesn't fully answer this contradiction (can anything?), Stern's book is a well written contribution to the subject.

Also worthy: Richard Rhodes, 'Why They Kill' (A study of murderers based on interviews); Robert Pape, 'Dying to Win' (the strategy of terrorism).

Timely for her insight into the psychology of religious militarism, Jessica Stern investigates the factors that create terrorism. Written in narrative format, the author interviews members of several militant movements in order to understand how religion can be used as a tool of violence. By dividing the book into two parts, Stern first examines the factors leading to religious terrorism, and in the second part of the book, she studies typical terrorist organizational structures. Written in the last two years, Stern concludes with public policy implications to counter the rise of religious terrorism.

In each chapter in the first part of her book, Stern interviews religious militants from differing religions in order to uncover the factors that increase the likelihood a person will join and remain in a terrorist organization. Although "fun and profit" (5) provide incentives for religious militancy, Stern believes five other factors influence the decision to join in a jihad. Whether real or perceived humiliation, terrorist leaders have learned to harvest the outrage youth feel against occupying powers. Because of the oppression of these powers, terrorist organizations set up legitimate charitable organizations to ease the suffering of the oppressed class. Youth join terrorist organizations to strike back against their oppressors because of their alienation and humiliation, and out of a sense of obligation to return the favor to those terrorist organizations that provide charitable relief to their families. Ethnic demographics also play a key role in terrorism. When a government creates a "policy [that] deliberately shifts an ethno-religious mix" (62) (i.e., a migration policy), the power of the once dominant ethnicity becomes weakened. As a result, the privileges this group once received begin to diminish, and this group seeks to reestablish its authority. Eventually, a "holy war" is called, and militants flock to either side believing they are fighting an eternal struggle. Ancient history can be a "powerful weapon in extremists' hands, including in their efforts to expand national boundaries and to seek redemption" (85). Terrorists use a selective reading of history and religious texts for justifying violence and mobilizing recruits. Disputes over territory also create an Us versus Them mentality, which helps establish a "clear identity and a definite purpose in life" (137).

Stern writes the second half of her book in an attempt to understand terrorist organizational structures. She believes terrorist organizations fall into four categories. Within each of these organizations is a tension between being able to withstand loss of members (resiliency) and the organization's ability to optimize the destruction of the attack (capacity). First, terrorist organizations can be structured by an inspirational leader. In this type of organization, one leader headlines a movement, but does not give explicit orders or material benefits to his/her followers. The movement is tied together by a special narrative and language, and followers are inspired to take violent action on behalf of the group. Second, lone-wolf avengers use their own ideologies and agendas to fight for their own cause. The lone-wolf avengers cannot cause damage on a large scale, but at the same time, these terrorists provide difficulty for investigators, as networks are individualized. Third, commander and cadre organizations provide a large hierarchical network that are highly destructive, and members of the organization and their families benefits from their large fund-raising efforts. Because of the structure of this organization, it can be easily penetrated, and this organization necessitates a large cash income. Fourth, Stern examines Al Qaeda as an example of the ultimate organization. This organization has a hierarchical structure, but hires militants for specific geographical areas to use in one-time missions. This organization takes careful interest in planning its attacks, has allies in high governmental positions, and has the ability to acquire conventional, unconventional, and nuclear weapons. Recruitment and training are a high priority for this organization. This organizational structure vocalizes and articulates the grievance it wants addressed, advertises its mission, and has the patience and ability to change its mission objectives. This organization is structurally a network of network weakly tied together, optimizing resiliency. This organization receives incomes from licit and illicit businesses and charitable organizations, and it uses leaderless resisters, freelancers, and franchises to optimize its effectiveness.

In her concluding chapter, Stern explains the vulnerability of Islamic states to terrorism. America's support for Israel, increasing globalization leading to lower standards of living, and the vulnerability of states transitioning to a democracy all increase the likelihood of terrorism in Islamic states. With this in mind, Stern closes with a handful of foreign policy suggestions.. America must understand that violence against terrorism is partially effective, and violence provides terrorist organizations with the ability to recruit new militants. Therefore, we need to learn to penetrate these organizations. We should not impose the death penalty on terrorists. We should not use torture during interrogation, and we should purchase the expertise of unemployed terrorists. America should also promote and develop alternative educational methods in Muslim nations, combat infrastructures that mobilize recruits, and make it more difficult for terrorist organizations to obtain weapons.

Jessica Stern describes "religious terrorism" rationally as Islamistic Dschihad as well as grumpy Israeli settler stubbornness, and - surprisingly - she does not forget her compatriots, those Americans, who attack abortion medical centers in the name of Jesus. Looking at the current French suburb-debacle Americans mockingly like to talk of EURABIA instead of EUROPA: but of course it is not only France's problem (though the TIME titles this week "It can't happen here"). Muslim teenagers are drawing globally the attention with never ending series of at least arson attacks. One sees, the interview, analysis and description work of Prof. Jessica Stern is aimed to the centre of the present global conflict events - no wonder that her book is top-mentioned in the German Newsmagazin DER SPIEGEL. A translation into German, Arabian or Russian certainly would be rewarding -- surely also one in French ...

Jessica Stern, professor at the JFK School of Government at Harvard University, has written a well researched book about the role religious belief plays in the motivations of terrorists of many different cultural backgrounds. Written for a general audience as opposed to a scholarly one, this book has many high points as well as a few low ones.

First, the book at appears to be very lazily written. Sentences and thoughts are sometimes poorly organized and appear not to have been edited. Hopefully, these errors were corrected in the paperback version.

The real value of the book lies in the interviews Stern conducts with terrorists all around the world, including a few in the United States. We get to see actual quotes, justifications, and thought patterns from representatives of many of the most violent terror organizations in the world. This alone is worth the read.

Part memoir, or at least semi-travelogue, this is an excellent book for the general reader to take up.

I have been recommending "Terror in the Name of God" to everyone I know who will read a serious and troubling book. And troubling indeed is Jessica Stern's look at why religious militants kill. Troubling also are her observations on how others, both individuals and governments, respond to religious violence. While governments all over the world respond in ways that escalate religious violence, her main concern is that America, and especially American foreign policy, tend to respond in ways that make matters worse.

Stern's first point is that grievances, real or imagined, give rise to an individual's joining a terrorist group. One group with a grievance, which we might not think of as a terrorist organization, is an American group existing only as virtual organization. A website for those who believe in killing doctors who provide abortions announces which clinics are scheduled to have protests, and encourages people to show up to harass staff and women coming for abortions. The site provides names and home addresses of such doctors, and people encouraged by the site have succeeded in forcing clinics in several states to shut down. At least two murders of abortion providers have been traced to this site. But it is very difficult to prosecute on virtual evidence. And it is almost impossible to trace the money donated through the Internet, and the people who "belong" to such a nebulous group.

Stern also talked to men in a militant Jewish group in Jerusalem, who were involved in a plan to blow up the Dome of the Rock to make room to rebuild the Temple. To them, Judaism will not be complete unless this is done.

But the crux of the book, because it is of such danger in today's world, is Islamist fundamentalist violence, in its multiplicity of forms, from Algeria to Indonesia. This is the truly frightening part of the book, because it poses the greatest danger, and because the West, specifically the United States, is responding to it in such counterproductive ways.

Stern builds up to this conclusion. She must have been researching terrorism for years before she began this particular book, given her position on the National Security Council as far back as 1994. For this book, she began visiting terrorists in 1999, and was still visiting after September 11. In some cases, it took nearly two years of negotiations before they would meet with her. And she is very careful to remind the reader that they all lied to her, to serve their own purposes. In cases where she could verify the lies, she points them out. In other cases, they have to go unchecked.

So we follow her as she goes to Pakistan, Palestine, Israel, Indonesia, Afghanistan, India. She takes what have to me felt like isolated incidents, and shows how they have helped groups learn from each other and in many cases merge. For instance, Egypt did an excellent job of suppressing its militant jihadist group. They then left Egypt, joined Al Queda, and provided the technical know-how that made possible the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, the African Embassy bombings, and September 11. It was Osama Bin Laden, through his legitimate and illegitimate businesses in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere who provided the money.

So why do they hate us? Partly it is because we do not embody their religious values. Fifty years ago, Muslims came to the West for higher education. Now, if they come, they are repelled by our materialism, the freedom of our women, our decadence, and our lack of religious and moral values. They return with anti-Western values. But current surveys show that people in the Arab world still highly value the technology of the West (no doubt including our weapons, though the survey didn't include this question). This ambivalence no doubt fuels some of the problem.

So what are doing wrong, and what could we do to improve things? First, we don't understand the complexities of what drives people to be terrorists. As one example, in places like Pakistan, schools are so inadequate, and expensive, that poor parents may have no choice. If they want their sons to get any education, they send them to the madrassahs. Boys enter these schools as early as five; there they are fed, housed, clothed, taught the Koran--and the hard line of the terrorist organization. If they show promise, they may be allowed to enter the organization. Even if they do not, they will in all likelihood toe the party line, and perhaps send their sons to the school. (Rather than try to shut these schools down, she would like to see alternative schools set up, which would provide an education beyond the Koran, which is the only curriculum in these schools. A free practical education might siphon off some of the attendance.)

Stern talks about the "God-shaped hole" in modern life, which afflicts people in Indonesia as much as it does in Chicago. People are looking for meaning in their lives, and they will take it wherever they can find it. If all that is on offer is a terrorist organization, so be it.

Stern sees the Islamic world as particularly vulnerable to the virus of terrorism, for a number of reasons. One is US support for Israel. Another is that standards of living have remained stable or fallen in most Muslim states over the last 25 years, while in the rest of the developed world they have risen. This has bred fury with rich America. 80% of Muslim states are ruled non-democratically. She makes the interesting point that states with many natural resources (i.e. oil) have especially hard times becoming viable democracies. I wish she'd explored that more. She also notes that the transition to democracy is a vulnerable period across the board. I wish she'd explored that more too, given the current situation in Iraq.

As to what to do, she is critical of a strictly military approach. For one thing, Al Queda and other terrorist groups don't function like armies; they use small amorphous cells in a wide variety of places, and our usual military tactics don't work. I'd guess this is why we end up with so much "collateral damage." And when we use military force, we provide more recruits for terrorism. She is also critical of our insistence on the death penalty, primarily because the European Parliament has prohibited extradition of terrorists to the US without guarantees that the death penalty will not be used. And Britain has said that its soldiers will not turn Bin Laden over to the US unless the death penalty is waived.

The US needs to denounce, loudly, Israel's de facto settlement process, and wherever possible, counter the slogans of the terrorists, not with throwing down gauntlets, but with statements of our values in ways that respect the true values of Islam.

Let me finish this overly long review of a truly important book with a short quotation from her ending:

"The religious terrorists we face are fighting us on every level--militarily, economically, psychologically, and spiritually. Their military weapons are powerful, but spiritual dread is the most dangerous weapon in their arsenal....We need to avoid giving in to spiritual dread, and to hold fast to the best of our principles, by emphasizing tolerance, empathy, and courage."

If you care at all about the future of the United States, and if you're intelligent enough to ask "WHY?" (why do people turn to terrorism to get their point across?!), read this book.

Ms. Stern doesn't just cover Al Queda -- she covers terrorist groups all over the planet, including some in the United States that you might not have previously thought of as being "terrorists" .... although they clearly are just that.

This book is fascinating and an easy read, and I absolutely recommend it. I also applaud Ms. Stern's willingness to take on this dangerous mission and compile this information for the rest of us -- she's done an awesome job!

Rarely will you see the authoritarian personality in such stark relief as you will here. Jessica Stern is both scholar and human in her approach to her subject. Her humanity opened doors to terrorists themselves, leading them to level with her about their fears of, and ambitions for, humankind. She illustrates how the authoritarian personality is particularly vulnerable to radicalization. The authoritarian personality is expressed by rigidity of views, a strong desire to be told what to do, an equally strong desire to tell 'lessor mortals' what to do, and to see all things in a good-or-evil context. You will see these features and more in Stern's thoughtful and insightful book. If you care about the future of human kind, this book is a good place to start. Stern highlights in detail the greatest threat in our time--we are our own worst enemies in our battles over who's god is God. Our very personalities inherited from our jungle heritage make many of us vulnerable to radicalization. Religious miltants of all monotheisms are at once the root and twig of terror in our problematic times.

Stern's definition of "religious terrorism" is comprehensive, encompassing the growing Muslim jihad in Indonesia, militant Palestinians and zealous Israelis, and Americans who kill abortion doctors in the name of Christ. The thing she didn't expound upon is if any of those terrorist groups are radically and consistently living out the core tenants of their belief-system or if they are being disingenuous to their faith. This would have gone a long ways in helping the reader understand differing terrorist motives and possible manipulation of their respective religions. That is, are some people using their faith for their own personal ends as opposed to submitting to its truth-claims?

Certainly the author has done an enormous amount of first-hand research. However, after interviewing extremist members of three religions around the world: Christians, Jews, and Muslims, Jessica Stern implies that each of these world religions is equally conducive to terrorism. However, common sense, statistical analysis, and history prove otherwise. Is that politically correct to say? No, however, I wish she'd had the courage to acknowledge that basic truth.

Explaining the "how" therefore becomes as important as explaining the "why," and the book carefully outlines the ways in which militant leaders of all denominations find recruits among the disenfranchised. It's the phrase `all denominations' that hints at Stern's wide blanket toss. Is she suggesting everyone's the same and all beliefs are equally at fault? It appears so. And if so, that's academically irresponsible and simply doesn't fit the facts.

Stern suggests the most effective counterstrategy to terrorism is thus not violence but nonviolent techniques such as psychological counter-warfare and the reaffirmation of our own values. However, it's that last part that raises questions. We are to reaffirm our own values? Wait, I thought earlier she suggest that `all denominations' are to be blamed for the rise in terrorism. How is it that we should re-affirm our own beliefs? If she were to be logically consistent is seems she should suggest all metaphysical beliefs be abandoned.

Stern compares Muslim suicide bombers with early Christian martyrs. The obvious thing she doesn't point out is the Christian martyrs were put to death (murdered) for their faith - while suicide bombers put others to death (murder) for their faith. It seems she would have been best served sticking with the comparison between abortion clinic bombers and suicide bombers.

Some of Stern's research is at best questionable. On page 26 she quotes a person who's suppose to be an authority on Christianity and in one paragraph the person makes three significant mistakes. I'll conclude with this statement from page 95. "Evangelical Christians and Messianic Jews have developed a cooperative relationship, based on their common belief that rebuilding the Temple will facilitate the process of redemption..." At best this statement is sloppy and at worst it's intentionally misleading. The vast majority of both Evangelical Christians and Messianic Jews do not believe this. Yes, there is a small faction, which is more accurately defined as dispensational Christianity who might believe this - but this would represent a very small number of people.

In short, I'm disappointed with the lack of distinctions in the book - and expect more from an author of her experience and influence.

In the interest of not repeating what other reviewers have already pointed out, I want to focus on two specific points about Stern's extremely important book.

Stern has made a huge contribution with this book by providing insight into what makes terrorists tick. It is wonderfully devoid of the gung ho jingoistic machismo we so often see in today's political debate. While Stern's observations might not win votes, it is psychologically and sociologically logical and coherent. If only the policitians would heed the information Stern has presented we might actually defeat terrorism in the long term.

Unfortunately, how Stern has presented her information is rather dry to say the least. A quick glance confirms her background at Harvard University.

"In this chapter I will explain . . . " is the classic academic style of a first sentence of a chapter. This might be fine for a thesis paper, it is not for a book for public consumption. This severely detracts from the possible larger reading audience Stern could have had had she used a more interesting approach.

I'd rather listen to material like this than read it, so I recommend the audio version over the original text. It's abridged and it suffers from Stern's dry reading style, but it is easier to digest overall.

The other issue which another reviewer raised was whether or not Stern actually spoke to terrorists given how misognystic Islamic extremists can be. The idea is that such people would not talk to a woman.

As someone who has also travelled to the Middle East, including Iraq in 1998 when I met many Iraqi soldiers, I have observed many Muslims, good and bad, separate in social settings how they behave towards a Muslim Arab woman versus how they might behave towards a liberal white woman born in the U.S. While they won't tolerate the behavior of the former, they will the latter.

Obviously, this is not to suggest that all Arabs and Muslims are alike or that what I observed is also symptomatic of terrorists. But it does suggest that some people with strong religious beliefs do indeed have a surprising level of cultural tolerance in certain circumstances.

It's impossible to prove either way if Stern actually spoke with terrorists. Could a man prove beyond a doubt that he had? Just as likely he could not. Thus, I would not so easily dismiss Stern's experiences and insight just because she is a woman. There's ample evidence here to show that Stern knows exactly what she's talking about.

Religious fanaticism is a growing concern in the modern world. Following the attacks on September 11, 2001, the United States and the rest of the world have been forced to cope with the growing reality of religious extremists and their irrational goals to rid the world of anything they perceive as evil.

Jessica Stern wrote this book to answer the many questions that people have about terrorist movements that base their philosophy of destruction on religious dogma. She spends the first half of the book providing some background on the type of people who join terrorist organizations, discussing the factors, the demographics, and other conditions that lead a person to want to kill in the name of God. The second part of the book deals with specific people and groups, and it follows Stern as she travels around the globe, meeting face to face with some of the individuals who are members of these radical religious organizations.

Stern includes many quotes in this book, and many of them are very extreme and very outspoken, like one would expect from a terrorist. Even though stern is Jewish herself, she doesn't allow this fact to interfere with her desire to complete her study and learn more about these people and their morbid desire to kill. She remains fair and impartial throughout the book, talking like an investigative reporter and then presenting the results of her study in an objective manner with little or no personal opinion thrown in.

One thing that really adds to the book's appeal is the fact that Stern includes interviews with people outside of the Muslim world. She talks with radical antiabortionists, like Paul Hill and Michael Bray- two men who see no problem with killing those who perform abortions or blowing up abortion clinics. She talks with members of an Arkansas cult that once had plans to blow up federal buildings. By adding these groups, Stern is able to make the book more complete. It shows that extremists exist everywhere in the world, and some of them might even be your next- door neighbor.

"Terror in the Name of God" is a very good book overall. It takes a complex subject and analyzes it in a sophisticated and intellectual way. It would have been nice if the conclusion was a little longer, but I still enjoyed this book. Stern should be commended for her effort to conduct this type of study while keeping her own personal opinions in check. In many instances, she took great risk when she conducted her study (like meeting one on one with anti- Jewish zealots). But she completed the task regardless. Her book is a good starting point for those who would like to gain a better understanding about what ingredients go into the recipe for creating a radical terrorist. I recommend it to anyone who has an interest in this difficult subject.