This book by D. A. Churchman is perhaps the ultimate multidisciplinary view of conflict at every level from the family to the family of nations. It is a must for anyone interested in knowing more about the sources of conflict, its essence, and the ways to deal with it. (Volodymyr Dubovyk, Odessa National University, Ukraine)Why We Fight offers new insights into these timeless issues. I find it extremely useful as I deal with business opportunities and challenges daily throughout Europe where history and culture play such tremendous roles in the way business is done in each country. It is a remarkable book that is very well written. I highly recommend it to anyone involved in international business. (John J. Harris, Chief Executive, Nestl Purina PetCare, Europe)The suggested criteria presented in this study should be engaged by all of us who research and write in the field of conflict studies. (Oliver Richmond, Saint Andrews University, Scotland)About the AuthorDavid Churchman is professor emeritus at California State University, where he held appointments as professor of humanities and as a chairman and professor of behavioral science graduate programs where he taught the course on which this book is based. He has been an infantry officer, a Fulbright scholar in Cyprus and Ukraine, a Malone scholar in Saudi Arabia, a National Science Foundation program officer, and an exotic animal trainer. He co-founded and was the treasurer of Wildlife on Wheels, a nonprofit organization and federally licensed zoo that provided live animal education programs and rescued animals from oil spills. He is the author of Negotiation: Process, Tactics, Theory (University Press of America, 1995). what is the best fantasy book series of all time Why We Fight: The Origins, Nature, and Management of Human Conflict
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. All About ConflictBy John AmesProfessor Churchman leads us on a grand tour of conflict from early hominids to world war and contemporary terrorism. His aim is to lay the groundwork for development of a legitimately scientific theory of conflict. He doesnt claim to have created one himself, but defines the criteria for a good one, demonstrates why various notions that purport to be such are mostly no more than ruminations on anecdotes, and compiles a trove of evidence with which a good theory must be consistent. Along the way, he regales us with dozens of fascinating historical facts seasoned with his often droll commentary on misguided interpretations of them.Its not a book with a specific thesis. Its more like a tasty smorgasbord built around the theme of objective rigor. He draws on 30 pages of bibliographic references, about 900 total, so some parts are better than others, but they cover the ground and give the reader sources for further study. The sections are more-or-less independent, so you can skip the more mathematical game theory parts if youre more interested in, say, just-war theory in eight cultures or peace making.My only complaint is what seems to be an excessive number of editorial failures, that is, things like words out of order, or incompletely explained charts like figure 7.1. While these are frustrating, you can skip over them and enjoy the main elements of each section.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Great readingBy MIt is the best book you can read on conflict resolution. As specialist in the field, i found this book to be comprehensive and fun to read. I would recommend it to anyone who likes to tackle negotiations and conflict resolution from all angles.