Why We Fight

A great storyteller with important insights for us all

Richard Thaler, co-author of Nudge

Captivating and intelligent

Tim Harford, author of The Undercover Economist

Avoiding the useless dichotomies that either claim violence is an inseparable part of human nature or declare that humanity has all but conquered its proclivity to war, Blattman explains how human communities make use of many different strategies to resolve conflicts, and why these efforts sometimes stumble

Daron Acemoglu, co-author of Why Nations Fail

Essential for understanding the world we live in today

James A. Robinson, co-author of Why Nations Fail

Brings together the passion of the activist and the cool head of the economist to offer practical solutions to one of humanity's most intractable problems

Ian Morris, author of Why the West Rules – for Now

Timely, powerful, hopeful

Paul Collier, author of The Bottom Billion

Important, readable, radical

David Miliband, President and CEO, International Rescue Committee

Wise, intriguing, imaginative

Rory Stewart, author of The Places In Between

Blattman has produced a valuable guide, supported by engaging anecdotes, to what makes people turn to violence - and why, mercifully, they are usually too sensible to do so

Economist

Blattman deftly translates knotty ideas from game theory and social choice theory for a lay audience, weaving in colorful anecdotes from his own life and travels

Foreign Affairs

If you've been a foreign correspondent for any length of time you end up wondering what has pushed so many of the societies you cover into conflict and what can be done to prevent a repeat. Why We Fight answers many of those questions . . . Contrary to expectations, it's an optimistic book . . . outbreaks of violence are the aberration, not the norm, and small, incremental measures can have a disproportionate impact when it comes to avoiding strife. Tinkering trumps transformation

Michela Wrong, Spectator Books of the Year