Why Intolerance and Extremism Happen: Understanding our Deepest Divides

To bridge our deepest divides, we must first understand them.In Why Intolerance and Extremism Happen, Kanefield shows that today’s conflicts are not new, but rooted in deep human tendencies. Drawing on insights from multiple disciplines, including political psychology, neuroscience, the history of journalism, U.S. constitutional history, and more, Kanefield uncovers the forces that pull people toward rigid thinking and authoritarian movements. “This is a book for any common-sense person who has looked around at the political division and outrage-fueled information environment and said, ‘What the hell is going on?’ or ‘How did we get here?’” —Dannagal Young, Professor of Communication and Political Science at the University of Delaware “Kanefield synthesizes insights from prominent scholars across different academic fields to give us a deeper understanding of how we got here. A brilliant book that everyone should read.” —Peter Arenella, UCLA Law Professor Emeritus “Kanefield brings her extraordinary intellect and insight to bear on the question of how humans might live in peace with one another. Combining this with her superpower of conveying, clearly and simply, very complex ideas, Kanefield has produced a concise but masterful guide to why things have gone awry in this era of polarization—and how we might find our way back. I could not recommend it more highly.” —Karen Stenner, political and behavioral scientist and author of The Authoritarian Dynamic * * * Teri Kanefield’s books have won numerous awards and distinctions, including the Jane Addams Book Award and the Carter G. Woodson Middle-Level Book Award. Most recently, Rebels, Robbers, and Radicals: The Story of the Bill of Rights was named an Orbis Pictus Honor Book. A Firehose of Falsehood: The Story of Disinformation was selected by the New York Public Library as one of the Best New Comics for Adults. Three of her books have been named Junior Library Guild selections. Rebels, Robbers, and Radicals: The Story of the Bill of Rights was a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. Her books have earned numerous starred reviews. She has written legal commentary for The Washington Post, NBC, CNN, and other mainstream outlets. Her short stories and essays have appeared in publications as diverse as Education Week, The Iowa Review, Cricket Magazine, Scope, and the American Literary Review. She earned her law degree from the University of California, Berkeley. Her private law practice was limited to representing indigents on appeal from adverse rulings. Before law school, she taught English at the college and university level. She holds an MA in English with an emphasis in fiction writing from the University of California, Davis, and an undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania. To learn more about Teri and her books, please visit: www.terikanefield.com. View Less