This ground-breaking work by world-renowned psychiatrist Anthony Storr, author of the widely acclaimed SOLITUDE, focuses on one of the most disturbing aspects of human behavior: our virutally unlimited capacity to inflict cruelty. Originally published in the early 1970s, HUMAN DESTRUCTIVENESS has been completely revised by the author to reflect the most up-to-date research and his own accumulated experience as a psychotherapist. The result is a thought-provoking work that sheds new light not only on such vast historical cataclysms as the Holocaust, but on some of the most compelling social issues of today -- the physical and sexual abuse of children; the upsurge in violent crime; the routine use of torture in many allegedly civilized nations. Dr. Storr challenges widely held views on a broad range of subjects, including child-rearing, criminal justice, caste and class, alcohol and drug addiction, violence in the media, and the limits on the obligation to obey authority. For this edition he has written a new chapter on how, as a society, we can reduce the incidence of violence and cruelty. Always lucid, and imbued with the humane intelligence and graceful style that are the hallmarks of Dr. Storr's work, HUMAN DESTRUCTIVENESS belongs in the library of every thoughtful reader who seeks to understand -- and resist -- the alarming tide of violence in our times. "One of those rare books that can help us understand the world we have made for ourselves." -- Los Angeles Daily News