"Imagine being taken on a journey through the minds of those who make a totalitarian regime possible. From the disturbed idealists who create flawed social theories, the psychopaths who usurp these ideas as cover for their bid for unlimited power, to the thousands of people who, in their ignorance of these predators, take the bait offered. Political Ponerology is just such a guide, written by a Polish clinical psychologist who lived and worked under both the Nazi and Stalinist regimes. He has (from memory!) put together a painstaking analysis of the dynamics of totalitarians systems, with the characteristics of each player, plus the general conditions under which these deviant personalities come to power. As all tyrannical governments are alike in their methods, it is clear that the knowledge gathered under Hitler and Stalin is equally applicable to Bush, Cheney, and their ilk. We couldn't have a more timely warning than Dr. L.'s book." --Amazon.com.