Why We Fight: The Roots of War and the Paths to Peace

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Based on two decades of research, the five causes of wars and two ways to stop them The truth is, warfare shouldn't happen - and most of the time it doesn't. Around the world there are millions of hostile rivalries at any given moment and yet only a tiny fraction erupt into prolonged fighting. Most books on conflict forget this. So in those rare instances of war, what broke down and kept the sides from compromise From unchecked interests and intangible incentives, through uncertainty commitment problems and misperceptions, this peerlessly authoritative and thought-provoking book shows that there are only so many logical possibilities for why we fight and how by knowing them we can act to prevent war altogether. Drawing on the latest research in behavioural economics; gripping, counterintuitive examples from the long history of warfare around the world; and distinguished professor Christopher Blattman's own experience in warzones, we see, for example, how queens have waged war more than kings; that the homicide rate in the ganglands of Medellin, Columbia is lower than you think; and that even monkeys have an innate righteousness. In an accessible, intuitive structure framed around causes and solutions, Why We Fight is a hopeful book, with answers to some of history's most important questions. In an age of growing isolationism and the weakening of global institutions, this book couldn't be timelier.

Reviews

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 *
Wise, intriguing, imaginative -- Rory Stewart, author of The Places In Between
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
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 *
Important, readable, radical -- David Miliband, President and CEO, International Rescue Committee
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
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 *

Author Bio

Christopher Blattman is the Ramalee E. Pearson Professor of Global Conflict Studies at the University of Chicago in the Harris School of Public Policy and The Pearson Institute. As a young man, he met his future wife in a Kenyan internet cafe, where she set him on a path to working on conflict and international development. He's now done so for 22 years. Through his academic work he has witnessed (and helped to stem) violence around the world. Blattman writes regularly for The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Foreign Policy and Foreign Affairs, among others. For 15 years he has run one of the most popular blogs on international affairs and global development. This is his first trade book.