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Kikuyu Women, The Mau Mau Rebellion, And Social Change In Kenya
by Cora Ann PresleyBased on rare oral data from women participants in the "Mau Mau" rebellion, this book chronicles changes in women's domestic reproduction, legal status, and gender roles that took place under colonial rule. The book links labour activism, cultural nationalism, and the more overtly political issues of land alienation, judicial control, and character
Kildare Folk Tales
by Steve LallyCounty Kildare abounds in folk tales, myths and legends and a selection of the best, drawn from historical sources and newly recorded local reminiscence, have been brought to life here by professional storyteller Steve Lally. Included in this collection are the exploits of the Wizard Earl of Kildare who lived at Maynooth Castle, the legend of the lonely ‘Pooka Horse’ said to dwell amongst the ruins of Rathcoffey Castle, the story of St Bridgid, the patron saint of County Kildare, and the tale of the time the Devil decided to make a house call. Full of wit and wisdom, these tales tell of the strange and macabre; memories of magic and otherworlds; and proud recollections of county heroes such as Dan Donnelly, Ireland’s first Heavy Weight Boxing Champion. The captivating stories, brought to life with unique illustrations from the author, will be enjoyed by readers time and again.
Kilimanjaro and Its People: A History of Wachagga, their Laws, Customs and Legends, Together with Some
by Charles DundasFirst published in 1924, this account was written by a Senior Commissioner of the Tanganyika Territory.
Kilkenny Folk Tales
by Anne FarrellCounty Kilkenny abounds in folk tales, myths and legends and a selection of the best, drawn from historical sources and newly recorded local reminiscence, have been brought to life here by local storyteller Anne Farrell. Kilkenny is the place where, legend has it, St Evin and St Molin once had to have their dispute settled by a shoal of fish; where the infamous Countess of Ormond brought fear and terror to the people of Grannagh; and where an imprudent local man decided to find out if the supposedly bottomless ‘Kerry holes’ would live up to their reputation. It is also said to be the home of a plethora of strange and magical creatures and stories abound of encounters with fairies, ghosts, banshees, shape-shifters and an army of cats who fought an epic battle near Dunmore Caves. From age-old legends and fantastical myths, to amusing anecdotes and cautionary tales, this collection is a heady mix of bloodthirsty, funny, passionate and moving stories. It will take you into a remarkable world where you can let your imagination run wild.
Kill 'Em and Leave: Searching for James Brown and the American Soul
by James McbrideNational Book Award winner James McBride goes in search of the "real" James Brown after receiving a tip that promises to uncover the man behind the myth. His surprising journey illuminates not only our understanding of this immensely troubled, misunderstood, and complicated soul genius but the ways in which our cultural heritage has been shaped by Brown's legacy. Kill 'Em and Leave is more than a book about James Brown. Brown's rough-and-tumble life, through McBride's lens, is an unsettling metaphor for American life: the tension between North and South, black and white, rich and poor. McBride's travels take him to forgotten corners of Brown's never-before-revealed history: the country town where Brown's family and thousands of others were displaced by America's largest nuclear power bomb-making facility; a South Carolina field where a long-forgotten cousin recounts, in the dead of night, a fuller history of Brown's sharecropping childhood, which until now has been a mystery. McBride seeks out the American expatriate in England who co-created the James Brown sound, visits the trusted right-hand manager who worked with Brown for forty-one years, and interviews Brown's most influential nonmusical creation, his "adopted son," the Reverend Al Sharpton. He describes the stirring visit of Michael Jackson to the Augusta, Georgia, funeral home where the King of Pop sat up all night with the body of his musical godfather, spends hours talking with Brown's first wife, and lays bare the Dickensian legal contest over James Brown's estate, a fight that has consumed careers; prevented any money from reaching the poor schoolchildren in Georgia and South Carolina, as instructed in his will; cost Brown's estate millions in legal fees; and left James Brown's body to lie for more than eight years in a gilded coffin in his daughter's yard in South Carolina. James McBride is one of the most distinctive and electric literary voices in America today, and part of the pleasure of his narrative is being in his presence, coming to understand Brown through McBride's own insights as a black musician with Southern roots. Kill 'Em and Leave is a song unearthing and celebrating James Brown's great legacy: the cultural landscape of America today. Praise for Kill 'Em and Leave"Thoughtful and probing . . . with great warmth, insight and frequent wit. The results are partisan and enthusiastic, and they helped this listener think about the work in a new way. . . . James McBride's welcome elucidation . . . is clear, deeply felt and unmistakable."--Rick Moody, The New York Times Book Review "[McBride] turns out to also be the biographer of James Brown we've all been waiting for. . . . McBride's true subject is race and poverty in a country that doesn't want to hear about it, unless compelled by a voice that demands to be heard."--Boris Kachka, New York "The definitive look at one of the greatest, most important entertainers, The Godfather, Da Number One Soul Brother, Mr. Please, Please Himself--JAMES BROWN."--Spike Lee "James McBride on James Brown is the matchup we've been waiting for, a musician who came up hard in Brooklyn with JB hooks lodged in his brain, a monster ear for the truth, and the chops to write it."--Gerri Hirshey, author of Nowhere to Run: The Story of Soul Music "An unconventional and fascinating portrait of Soul Brother No. 1 and the significance of his rise and fall in American culture."--Kirkus ReviewsFrom the Hardcover edition.
Kill for the Thrill: The Crime Spree That Rocked Western Pennsylvania (True Crime)
by Michael W Sheetz&“The book recounts a brutal string of murders committed by John Lesko and Michael Travaglia, who face the death penalty.&” —TribLIVE During the winter of 1979, southwestern Pennsylvania was rocked by a series of sensational murders, sparking a thirty-year criminal justice saga. A week of brutal, seemingly random killings culminated in the provocation and fatal shooting of Patrolman Leonard Miller, an officer new to the town of Apollo&’s police force and only twenty-one years old. Little more than a year later, two men were convicted of the rash of homicides and sentenced to death—yet both are alive today. Incorporating details of the central characters&’ personal lives as well as the state&’s court system, criminologist Michael W. Sheetz here relays the awful story of the so-called &“kill for thrill&” crime spree with the drama of a novelist and the insight of an officer of the law.
Kill Shot: A Shadow Industry, a Deadly Disease
by Jason DearenAn award-winning investigative journalist's horrifying true crime story of America's deadliest drug contamination outbreak and the greed and deception that fueled it. Two pharmacists sit in a Boston courtroom accused of murder. The weapon: the fungus Exserohilum rostratum. The death count: 100 and rising. Kill Shot is the story of their hubris and fraud, discovered by a team of medical detectives who raced against the clock to hunt the killers and the fungal meningitis they'd unleashed."Bloodthirsty" is how doctors described the fungal microbe that contaminated thousands of drug vials produced by the New England Compounding Center (NECC). Though NECC chief Barry Cadden called his company the "Ferrari of Compounders," it was a slapdash operation of unqualified staff, mold-ridden lab surfaces, and hastily made medications that were injected into approximately 14,000 people. Once inside some of its human hosts, the fungus traveled through the tough tissue around the spine and wormed upward to the "deep brain," our control center for balance, breath, and the vital motor functions of life.Now, investigative journalist Jason Dearen turns a spotlight on this tragedy--the victims, the heroes, and the perpetrators--and the legal loopholes that allowed it to occur. Kill Shot forces a powerful but unchecked industry out of the shadows.
Kill the Cowboy: A Battle of Mythology in the New West
by Sharman Apt RussellOn ranching, environmentalism, and change -- life and thought in the West, seen through the eyes of some of the players.
Kill the Messenger
by Maria ArmoudianThis wide-ranging, insightful book will make readers keenly aware of the media's power, while underscoring the role that we all play in fostering a media climate that cultivates a greater sense of humanity, cooperation, and fulfillment of human potential. In the spring of 1994, after decades of intermarrying and living in relative harmony with each other, Rwandan Hutus, en masse, went on a murderous rampage against their Tutsi neighbors. By the end of just three months, nearly three-quarters of the entire Tutsi population had been exterminated. This swift, appalling genocide followed a relentless propaganda campaign broadcast from government-controlled radio, which for over three years had demonized Rwandan Tutsis. What role do the media have in creating the conditions for atrocities such as occurred in Rwanda? Conversely, can the media be used to preserve democracy and safeguard the human rights of all citizens in a diverse society? How will the media, now global in scope, affect the fate of the planet itself. The author explores these intriguing questions and more in this in-depth examination of the media's power to either help or harm. She begins by documenting how the media were used to spread a contagion of hate in three deadly conflicts: Rwanda, Nazi Germany, and the former Yugoslavia. She then turns to areas of the world where the media acted constructively--by aiding the peace process in Northern Ireland, rebuilding democracy in Chile, bridging ethnic divides in South Africa, improving the lot of women in Senegal, and boosting transparency and democratization in Mexico and Taiwan. Finally, she explains how the media interact with psychological and cultural forces to impact perceptions, fears, peer-pressure, "groupthink," and the creation of heroes and villains.
Kill the Ones You Love
by Robert ScottExperience the true crime story of a married father and ex-cop with a dark side in this &“fast-paced, unforgettable real-life thriller&” (Sue Russell).Family On The RunA handsome, married young father and former deputy sheriff, Gabriel Morris looked like the picture of respectability. When his mother and her boyfriend were found brutally murdered in their pleasant Oregon seaside home, authorities were shocked to find a trail leading to him. Soon, police in several states were caught up in a riveting chase as Gabriel, with family in tow, went on a cross-country crime spree. No one knew if his wife, Jessica, was a victim or accomplice; or if his four-year-old daughter was in jeopardy. In a gracious Virginia suburb, a SWAT team swooped down on the renegade family and ended their wild, dangerous ride. What followed was even more shocking, as the story of how Gabriel Morris ended up on the wrong side of the law took investigators on a dark journey into the heart of a killer . . .Includes sixteen pages of dramatic photos.&“Unsettling. . . . While Scott paints a horrifying murder scene, he also efficiently shows how such monsters are made. . . . Unexpected shocks and disturbing surprises.&” —Publishers Weekly
Kill the Overseer!: The Gamification of Slave Resistance (Forerunners: Ideas First)
by Sarah Juliet LauroExplores the representation of slave revolt in video games—and the trouble with making history playable <P><P>Kill the Overseer! profiles and problematizes digital games that depict Atlantic slavery and “gamify” slave resistance. In videogames emphasizing plantation labor, the player may choose to commit small acts of resistance like tool-breaking or working slowly. Others dramatically stage the slave’s choice to flee enslavement and journey northward, and some depict outright violent revolt against the master and his apparatus. In this work, Sarah Juliet Lauro questions whether the reduction of a historical enslaved person to a digital commodity in games such as Mission US, Assassin’s Creed, and Freedom Cry ought to trouble us as a further commodification of slavery’s victims, or whether these interactive experiences offer an empowering commemoration of the history of slave resistance. Forerunners is a thought-in-process series of breakthrough digital works. <P><P>Written between fresh ideas and finished books, Forerunners draws on scholarly work initiated in notable blogs, social media, conference plenaries, journal articles, and the synergy of academic exchange. This is gray literature publishing: where intense thinking, change, and speculation take place in scholarship.
Killdozer: The True Story Of The Colorado Bulldozer Rampage
by Patrick BrowerOn June 4, 2004, Marvin Heeymeyer unleashed his gigantic, armored, tank-like bulldozer upon the small town of Granby, Colorado. It was an act of defiant, but misguided, revenge upon those who he perceived had done him wrong in a long series of local property disputes. Over a period of serveral hours, Heemeyer proceeded to cause mayhem and destruction while overwhelming the efforts of local police to stop the Killdozer in its tracks. This book recounts the events and actions of the perpetrator leading up to the dramatic rampage as well as the aftermath of the horrendous incident in the community.
Killed Strangely: The Death of Rebecca Cornell
by Elaine Forman Crane"It was Rebecca's son, Thomas, who first realized the victim's identity. His eyes were drawn to the victim's head, and aided by the flickering light of a candle, he 'clapt his hands and cryed out, Oh Lord, it is my mother.' James Moills, a servant of Cornell . . . described Rebecca 'lying on the floore, with fire about Her, from her Lower parts neare to the Armepits.' He recognized her only 'by her shoes.'"--from Killed Strangely On a winter's evening in 1673, tragedy descended on the respectable Rhode Island household of Thomas Cornell. His 73-year-old mother, Rebecca, was found close to her bedroom's large fireplace, dead and badly burned. The legal owner of the Cornells' hundred acres along Narragansett Bay, Rebecca shared her home with Thomas and his family, a servant, and a lodger. A coroner's panel initially declared her death "an Unhappie Accident," but before summer arrived, a dark web of events--rumors of domestic abuse, allusions to witchcraft, even the testimony of Rebecca's ghost through her brother--resulted in Thomas's trial for matricide. Such were the ambiguities of the case that others would be tried for the murder as well. Rebecca is a direct ancestor of Cornell University's founder, Ezra Cornell. Elaine Forman Crane tells the compelling story of Rebecca's death and its aftermath, vividly depicting the world in which she lived. That world included a legal system where jurors were expected to be familiar with the defendant and case before the trial even began. Rebecca's strange death was an event of cataclysmic proportions, affecting not only her own community, but neighboring towns as well. The documents from Thomas's trial provide a rare glimpse into seventeenth-century life. Crane writes, "Instead of the harmony and respect that sermon literature, laws, and a hierarchical/patriarchal society attempted to impose, evidence illustrates filial insolence, generational conflict, disrespect toward the elderly, power plays between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, [and] adult dependence on (and resentment of) aging parents who clung to purse strings." Yet even at a distance of more than three hundred years, Rebecca Cornell's story is poignantly familiar. Her complaints of domestic abuse, Crane says, went largely unheeded by friends and neighbors until, at last, their complacency was shattered by her terrible death.
Killer: The Autobiography of a Mafia Hit Man (Adrenaline Classics Ser.)
by Joey the Hit Man David FisherNew York Times Bestseller: This groundbreaking tell-all by a mob hit man is &“chilling and compelling—a must-read&” (Former FBI agent Joe Pistone, aka Donnie Brasco). The Bronx-born son of a Jewish bootlegger, &“Joey the Hit Man&” was introduced to crime when he was just eleven years old. For the next thirty years he was a numbers king, scalper, loan shark, enforcer, and drug smuggler. He hijacked trucks, fenced stolen goods, and trafficked in pornography. But Joey really made his name as a Mafia assassin, racking up thirty-eight cold-blooded hits—thirty-five for cash, three for revenge. In Killer, Joey tells the true story of life in organized crime. He exposes the reality of gang wars, discusses how he raised a family while living on the wrong side of the law, and documents the day-to-day business of crime—from making and breaking alliances to staying one step ahead of the cops. He reveals how he faced a grand jury seven times with no convictions (&“never lie to your lawyer&”) and kept a seven-figure fortune out of reach of the IRS. He lays out in graphic detail the difference between getting paid to kill and doing it for personal reasons. &“People think because they saw [The Godfather] they know everything there is to know about organized crime,&” Joey contends. In this no-holds-barred account, he reveals the brutal truth behind the Hollywood fantasy. Forty-five years after this true crime classic shocked readers all over the world and set the standard for bestselling Mafia biographies including Joseph Bonnano&’s A Man of Honor and Philip Carlo&’s Ice Man, the new edition of Killer includes an afterword by coauthor David Fisher that unmasks Joey&’s real identity—and the circumstances behind his death that add another layer of mystery to his complicated, colorful, and fascinating life.
Killer Apes, Naked Apes, and Just Plain Nasty People: The Misuse and Abuse of Science in Political Discourse
by Richard J. PerryMisunderstood—or deliberately twisted—biological science leads to overheated rhetoric and bad policy.We like to think that science always illuminates. But the disturbing persistence of the concept of biological determinism—the false idea that human behavior is genetically fixed or inherently programmed and therefore is not susceptible to rapid change—shows that scientific research and concepts can be distorted to advance an inhumane and sometimes deadly political agenda. It was biological determinism that formed the basis of the theory of eugenics, which in turn led to the forced sterilization of "misfits" and the creation of Nazi death camps.In Killer Apes, Naked Apes, and Just Plain Nasty People, anthropologist Richard J. Perry delivers a scathing critique of determinism. Exploring the historical context and enduring popularity of the movement over the past century and a half, he debunks the facile and the reductionist thinking of so many popularizers of biological determinism while considering why biological explanations have resonated in ways that serve to justify deeply conservative points of view.Moving through time, from the prevalence of overt racism in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to "human nature" arguments, from the rise of sociobiology in the 1970s to the current fixation on evolutionary psychology, the book argues that both history and cross-cultural studies amply demonstrate the human capacity for growth and self-determination. Clearly written, conversational, and rationally argued, this book promotes sound and careful research while skewering the bogus ideological assertions that have been used to justify colonialism, slavery, gender discrimination, neoliberal economic policies, and the general status quo.
Killer Apps: War, Media, Machine
by Jeremy Packer Joshua ReevesIn Killer Apps Jeremy Packer and Joshua Reeves provide a detailed account of the rise of automation in warfare, showing how media systems are central to building weapons systems with artificial intelligence in order to more efficiently select and eliminate military targets. Drawing on the insights of a wide range of political and media theorists, Packer and Reeves develop a new theory for understanding how the intersection of media and military strategy drives today's AI arms race. They address the use of media to search for enemies in their analyses of the history of automated radar systems, the search for extraterrestrial life, and the development of military climate science, which treats the changing earth as an enemy. As the authors demonstrate, contemporary military strategy demands perfect communication in an evolving battlespace that is increasingly inhospitable to human frailties, necessitating humans' replacement by advanced robotics, machine intelligence, and media systems.
Killer Charm: And Other True Cases (From the Files of Linda Fairstein #7)
by Linda FairsteinThe complete collection of true crime stories and articles by the New York Times–bestselling author and former prosecutor. In this collection of horrifyingly true stories, Linda Fairstein provides an in-depth look inside the minds of such psychopaths as Ted Bundy and the Craigslist Killer. Drawing on decades of experience as a sex crimes prosecutor in New York City, she delves into the atrocities of these cold-blooded criminals and explains how they target their unsuspecting victims. A true victim advocate, she deftly touches on taboo subjects like law enforcement&’s astounding failure to process rape kits, as well as the false rape claims that ruin innocent people&’s lives. With her background in the Special Victims Bureau, Fairstein offers an unfiltered view of rape in the United States. But she doesn&’t stop there: She uses her understanding of the inner workings of violent criminals&’ minds to outline ways for women to protect themselves. Originally published in Cosmopolitan magazine and collected here for the first time, each essay features a new introduction by the author.
Killer Charm: The Double Lives of Psychopaths (From the Files of Linda Fairstein #1)
by Linda FairsteinLinda Fairstein unmasks the true face of psychopathy, and reveals the warning signs that every woman should knowThe 2009 &“Craigslist Killer&” murder case shocked America, not just because of the heinous nature of the crimes but because their perpetrator—a handsome young law student with an unsuspecting girlfriend—seemed a very unlikely suspect. This killer, like others before him, had learned to leverage his charm and golden-boy looks to lure his victims, a skill many psychopaths learn to master. In Killer Charm, legal expert Linda Fairstein draws on her decades of experience in the Manhattan District Attorney&’s office to uncover what traits psychopaths often share, and how to spot them. She illustrates these points with the stories of some of America&’s most notorious sex criminals, such as Ted Bundy and Marvin Teicher. Originally published in Cosmopolitan, this essay is now available in digital format for the first time and features a new introduction by the author.
Killer Cities (Published in association with Theory, Culture & Society)
by Nigel ThriftKiller Cities uses a combination of social theory, polemic and close attention to empirical detail to tell the story of how and why cities cause mass animal death and, in the process, hasten the destruction of the planet. This book is not just a lament, however. It is an attempt to navigate out of this mess of planned and unplanned violence towards a world in which cities no longer act as killers but become aligned with the lives of other beings. It offers pragmatic ways of diminishing the death toll and changing mindsets without ever minimizing the dilemmas that inevitably will have to be faced. Killer cities can be rehabilitated so that they offer brighter paths towards the future - for animals, for human beings, and for the planet. A new urban geography could be within our grasp. Indeed, it has to be, for all of our sakes.
Killer Cities (Published in association with Theory, Culture & Society)
by Nigel ThriftKiller Cities uses a combination of social theory, polemic and close attention to empirical detail to tell the story of how and why cities cause mass animal death and, in the process, hasten the destruction of the planet. This book is not just a lament, however. It is an attempt to navigate out of this mess of planned and unplanned violence towards a world in which cities no longer act as killers but become aligned with the lives of other beings. It offers pragmatic ways of diminishing the death toll and changing mindsets without ever minimizing the dilemmas that inevitably will have to be faced. Killer cities can be rehabilitated so that they offer brighter paths towards the future - for animals, for human beings, and for the planet. A new urban geography could be within our grasp. Indeed, it has to be, for all of our sakes.
Killer Cocktails: Dangerous Drinks Inspired by History's Most Nefarious Criminals
by Holly Frey Maria TrimarchiFrom the hosts of the criminally popular podcast Criminalia, Holly Frey and Maria Trimarchi, a dangerously delicious cocktail and mocktail book inspired by history&’s most notorious (and notoriously overlooked) criminals Every month, over 200,000 listeners download Criminalia to hear stories of history&’s wildest and most devious criminals they never knew existed. But this isn't just any true-crime podcast—more than an engaging history lesson, Criminalia also offers a cocktail recipe to go with each criminal. After all, what pairs better with the story of an identity-shifting murderess who burned her house down to cover up a crime… than a fiery jalapeño cocktail? In KILLER COCKTAILS, Criminalia cohosts Holly Frey and Maria Trimarchi offer readers a cornucopia of creative and out-of-the-box cocktail and mocktail recipes, inspired by some of the wildest, weirdest, and most bizarre crimes throughout history. Written with their signature wit and humor, KILLER COCKTAILS gives us dozens of recipes, many of which fans have never seen before, expertly paired with its historical dastardly villain. From brutish bodysnatchers and comely conwomen, to poisonous chemists, nefarious mystics, and even a pirate queen, this book is perfect for anyone who loves a juicy, bloody story and a creative concoction. History and true crime lovers, cocktail and mocktail enthusiasts, and anyone looking for the perfect gift for their off-beat friend will find much to savor in this wickedly fun book. Brimming with stranger-than-fiction stories and recipes that are equally thought-provoking and tasty, KILLER COCKTAILS is a double-shot of morbid fun—and will satisfy all your darkest cravings for years to come.
Killer Data: Modern Perspectives on Serial Murder (Routledge Studies in Criminal Behaviour)
by Enzo YaksicKiller Data examines the phenomenon of serial murder using data collected from international sources to review offender patterning with a focus on contemporary cases. This type of attention will allow for a broader understanding of modern-day serial murderers and will help to dispel some of the myths that surround offenders. The current serial murder classification scheme incorrectly types serial murderers as supremely intelligent killing machines while discounting their socialization, experiences, and choices. This book exposes serial murderers as run-of-the-mill hometown losers, who brutalize women, and are lucky to escape apprehension. Like other atypical homicide offenders, modern-day serial murderers are propelled forward by a deep sense of entitlement, easy access to firearms, and a nonchalant attitude toward using murder to attain their goals. Readers should come away with a deeper understanding not of the ultra-rare or the "deadliest" serial murderers but of the more common offenders who pose a consistent threat to day-to-day life. The book utilizes the Consolidated Serial Homicide Offender Database, one of the largest and most robust open access databases of multiple murders available, presenting new thinking on areas such as: myths and stereotypes the impact of entertainment on the perception of serial murder inaccurate prevalence estimates spree/serial hybrid offenders the classification of two and three victim serial murderers how serial murderers pursue longevity the characteristics of aspiring serial murderers whether hit men and gang members are serial murderers if and why serial murder is in a state of decline how many serial murderers are responsible for the homicides that sent innocent people to prison luck as a factor of “success” for serial murderers. These findings are illustrated with 200 narrative vignettes of serial murder series that occurred between 2011 and 2021, such as Itzcoatl Ocampo, Charles Severance, Nikko Jenkins, and Pamela Hupp, offenders who may be unfamiliar to many but represent the next iteration of the serial murderer. Correcting decades of flawed assumptions about serial murderers, and written in an accessible and concise style, Killer Data is essential reading for students and scholars of criminal justice and criminology, law enforcement professionals, and the interested general reader.
Killer Instinct: Having a mind for murder
by Donald GrantForensic psychiatrist Donald Grant asks, what is it about murder that fascinates us? Is it the chill whisper of fear reminding us we too can kill? Grant describes ten true murder cases, each with unique triggers. For most of us, murder is an arm's length experience, close enough to frighten and fascinate yet far enough not to traumatise. For those directly affected, murder can be scarring. Our restless chatter about murder, our state of heightened alert, our endless appetite for news, may all just be play therapy, reassuring us that our own killer instincts are under control.
Killer Instinct: The Popular Science of Human Nature in Twentieth-Century America
by Nadine WeidmanA historian of science examines key public debates about the fundamental nature of humans to ask why a polarized discourse about nature versus nurture became so entrenched in the popular sciences of animal and human behavior. Are humans innately aggressive or innately cooperative? In the 1960s, bestselling books enthralled American readers with the startling claim that humans possessed an instinct for violence inherited from primate ancestors. Critics responded that humans were inherently loving and altruistic. The resulting debate—fiercely contested and highly public—left a lasting impression on the popular science discourse surrounding what it means to be human. Killer Instinct traces how Konrad Lorenz, Robert Ardrey, and their followers drew on the sciences of animal behavior and paleoanthropology to argue that the aggression instinct drove human evolutionary progress. Their message, spread throughout popular media, brought pointed ripostes. Led by the anthropologist Ashley Montagu, opponents presented a rival vision of human nature, equally based in biological evidence, that humans possessed inborn drives toward love and cooperation. Over the course of the debate, however, each side accused the other of holding an extremist position: that behavior was either determined entirely by genes or shaped solely by environment. Nadine Weidman shows that what started as a dispute over the innate tendencies of animals and humans transformed into an opposition between nature and nurture. This polarized formulation proved powerful. When E. O. Wilson introduced his sociobiology in 1975, he tried to rise above the oppositional terms of the aggression debate. But the controversy over Wilson’s work—led by critics like the feminist biologist Ruth Hubbard—was ultimately absorbed back into the nature-versus-nurture formulation. Killer Instinct explores what happens and what gets lost when polemics dominate discussions of the science of human nature.
Killer Joe
by Tracy Letts"One of our most valuable playwrights."-Time Out New York"A hideously funny tabloid noir. . . . Letts' balance of irony and empathy continues to impress."-LA WeeklyA definitively dysfunctional family gives in to its basest instincts and is forced to face hidden truths in this twisted modern-day fairy tale by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of August: Osage County. Performed in fifteen countries and twelve languages since its 1998 stage debut, Killer Joe is "a terrifically tasty potboiler. . . . It has the enjoyable hairpin turns of the standard mystery thriller, but it's the skewed shifting relationships that keep you hooked" (The New York Times). Now a critically acclaimed film adapted by the playwright and starring Matthew McConaughey.Tracy Letts is the author of the Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning play August: Osage County (soon to be a feature film starring Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts). His other plays include Bug, Superior Donuts, and Man from Nebraska, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. He is an ensemble member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago as playwright and actor.