If one is a student of history, an undeniable truth pops right to the surface: We have spent a lot of time killing one another. Despite what anthropological apologists might prefer to believe about the past—that at some remote Edenic time we were all living in harmony while munching on nuts and berries—for the span of recorded history we have been locked into ongoing and deadly conflict. Viewed over the broad sweep of the centuries, many of these battles seem pointless or unnecessary because the issues that fueled them are beyond our current comprehension, but we sneer at the hot blood of our ancestors at our own peril. The madness, ignorance, greed, and lusts of both individuals and crowds still fuels our beliefs and actions, and this will be true no matter how much the chickenhearted and scolding might wish Read more