Turncoats and True Believers

Turncoats and True Believers probes the psychology and group dynamics underlying political beliefs.

The concepts of "left" and "right" are no longer adequate descriptions of the ideological landscape of our diverse world. Ted Goertzel uncovers the ideological scripts, which explain the complex roles played by political and cultural leaders who have shaped the modern world.

The personal events and social dynamics that lead people to become Utopians or Survivors, Hawks or Doves, Authoritarians or Protestors, Skeptics or Pragmatists are examples in biographical vignettes of such fascinating people as Bertrand Russell, Adolph Hitler, Linus Pauling, and Ayn Rand.

The lives of Jerry Rubin and Abbie Hoffman illustrate how people with similar values can follow different scripts, one ending in tragedy - the other tranformation. The lives of Betty Friedan, Kate Millet, and Phyllis Schlafly show how different life scripts lead to varying approaches to women's issues. Goertzel also explores the bizarre fanaticism of Jim Jones, which led to the mass suicide of his followers at Jonestown.

From Fidel Castro to Woodrow Wilson, from Joseph Stalin to Leon Trotsky, from George Bush to Mikhail Gorbachev to Saddam Hussein - Turncoats and True Believers provides a new framework for understanding and evaluating the actions of our political leaders.