Talking to the Enemy: Violent Extremism, Sacred Values, and What It Means to Be Human

“Talking to the Enemy” is an intellectually and personally courageous exploration of one of the most contentious issues of modern times.

Scott Atran has spent years talking to terrorists – from Gaza and Afghanistan, to Indonesia and Europe – in order to help us understand and mitigate the rise of religious violence. Here he argues persuasively that we need to consider terrorists’ close relationships, with family and friends, as much as the causes they espouse, and delivers a fascinating journey into the mindsets of radicalised people in the twenty-first century. Along the way, he also provides deep insights into the history of all religions, and into their evolutionary origins. He shows us, above all, how we have come to be human. More than any other book, “Talking to the Enemy” invites us to empathise; it is itself the best possible example of how to do it.