Ripley, Amanda

High conflict is what happens when discord distills into a good-versus-evil kind of feud, the kind with an us and a them. The normal rules of engagement no longer apply: we feel increasingly certain of our own superiority and, at the same time, more and more mystified by the other side. Ripley investigates how good people get captured by high conflict-- and how they break free. She interviews people who were drawn into high conflict, and shows how they found ways to rehumanize and recategorize their opponents, even as they continued to fight for what they knew was right.

Examines effective education systems in other countries through the experiences of three youth from America that studied abroad.

Examines effective education systems in other countries through the experiences of three youth from America that studied abroad.

Draws on the work of brain scientists, trauma psychologists, and disaster experts to explore the human response to disaster, revealing how a person's attitude, beliefs, gender, upbringing, and personality influences whether or not they will survive a disaster.

Traces mankind's reactions to various disasters throughout history, from the explosion of the "Mont Blanc" munitions ship in 1917 to the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, in order to reveal how individuals overcome fear and find the will to survive. Includes full-color and black-and-white photographs of various historical and modern disasters.