Causes and Prevention of War

I was amazed at the lucidity and incisiveness with which this book addresses with the complex issue of violence, as well as presents an eclectic spectrum of means to deal with it. The surprising brevity of the work, for once, has helped me grasp coherently the exhaustive range of stimulants to the incitement of violence. That includes everything from individual human psychology as an engendering cause of international conflict and war, to structural and cultural incitements to violent socio-political behavior, both within and without countries. It is a pleasant reading experience that will not make one forgetful of the beginning by the time one will have reached the end. I could easily fathom the complex intermingling of biology, psychology, anthropology, sociology, political science, and other branches of study that all contribute to the causes of violence and its prevention. The book goes on to explain the various roles of governments and the public in inciting and justifying war. Rectification of perceived injustice by communities, need to preserve national honor, windows of threat or opportunity in geopolitical calculations - all are attended plainly yet compellingly. Brown explores concepts like balance of power, international collective security, arms control, and their historical, philosophical bases, in proceeding towards the conclusion envisioning a unique mix of morality and changes in political-economic structure as the final hope of a new world order.