This may be one of the most important books to come out in this transition to the twenty-first century. It opens up a way of thinking that can lead to social design and behavior changes at every level from the family to the international system, moving away from current trends of increasing violence. Fellman s skillful analytic blend of social psychology and sociology in explaining the interrelationship of social institutions and human behavior offers a new way out of classic sociological impasses. Rambo and the Dalai Lama is highly readable, and made more so by the disarming way Fellman draws on his own personal experiences to illustrate the conceptual points he is making, without for a moment sacrificing the quality of his intellectual argument. Elise Boulding, Professor Emerita, Dartmouth College Fellman s book is a brilliant analysis of the adversary paradigm the self-destructive mind-set that dominates our world today, molding the thought processes not only of those few who seem (on the surface) to profit from it but also of the vast majority who are clearly injured by it. Fellman s notion of the adversary compulsion is a truly original contribution to our understanding of how and why unnecessary conflict persists. He lays bare its psychological and social foundations and provides convincing evidence of its futility and irrelevance for our times. Deftly combining scientific data with personal experience and insights into popular culture he provides us with a valuable map both of the morass in which we now find ourselves and of the path that will lead us out. Philip Slater, author of A Dream Deferred: America s Discontent and the Search for a New Democratic Ideal James Joyce famously described the Irish troubles as 'one bloody fool hitting another bloody fool over bloody nothing.' In a time when mindless adversarialism and bloody conflict are too often the norm, Gordon Fellman s sane and humane attempt to understand the roots and the cure of such conflict is admirable and wholesome. With imagination and a sense of struggle, Fellman combines sociological and personal insight in this exciting new work. Rodger Kamenetz, author of The Jew in the Lotus and Stalking Elijah""This may be one of the most important books to come out in this transition to the twenty-first century. It opens up a way of thinking that can lead to social design and behavior changes at every level from the family to the international system, moving away from current trends of increasing violence. Fellman's skillful analytic blend of social psychology and sociology in explaining the interrelationship of social institutions and human behavior offers a new way out of classic sociological impasses. "Rambo and the Dalai Lama is highly readable, and made more so by the disarming way Fellman draws on his own personal experiences to illustrate the conceptual points he is making, without for a moment sacrificing the quality of his intellectual argument." -- Elise Boulding, Professor Emerita, Dartmouth College "Fellman's book is a brilliant analysis of the adversary paradigm--the self-destructive mind-set that dominates our world today, molding the thought processes not only of those few who seem (on the surface) to profit from it but also of the vast majority who are clearly injured by it. Fellman's notion of the "adversary compulsion" is a truly original contribution to our understanding of how and why unnecessary conflict persists. He lays bare its psychological and social foundations and provides convincing evidence of its futility and irrelevance for our times. Deftly combining scientific data with personal experience and insights into popular culture he provides us with a valuable map both of the morass in which we now find ourselves and of the path that will lead us out." -- Philip Slater, author of A Dream Deferred: America's Discontent and the Search for a New Democratic Ideal "James Joyce famously described the Irish troubles as 'one bloody fool hitting another bloody fool over bloody nothing.' In a time when mindless adversarialism and bloody conflict are too often the norm, Gordon Fellman's sane and humane attempt to understand the roots and the cure of such conflict is admirable and wholesome. With imagination and a sense of struggle, Fellman combines sociological and personal insight in this exciting new work." -- Rodger Kamenetz, author of The Jew in the Lotus and Stalking ElijahAbout the AuthorGordon Fellman teaches Sociology and Chairs the Peace and Conflict Studies Program, Brandeis University. where can i buy pdf books Rambo and the Dalai Lama: The Compulsion to Win and Its Threat to Human Survival (Suny Series, Global Conflict and Peace Education) (Suny Series, Global Conflict Peace Education)
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Ever Relevant: An intelligent, thought-provoking read for everyoneBy J. BrenemanThe last two reviewers did a wonderful job at briefly describing this book, although I was somewhat surprised to see that one was ten years ago and the other was 8 years ago. I feel that this book is written so as to never become outdated. And perhaps with the release of the new Rambo movie more people may stumble across this book.Now don't expect the author to go throughout the book comparing and analyzing the differences or particular aspects of Rambo versus the Dalai Lama. On the contrary it is not written in much of a comparative study at all, and Rambo only gets a short discussion, with elements of the Dalai Lama's (not solely-held) non-violent practice peppered in.You will find references to film, books and news articles, international and sub-national conflicts of our time (never finger-pointing), social strife and encouraging displays of human interaction, problem-solving and compassion at every level.Discussion after discussion, we are left to contemplate adversarialism in our every day actions (sometimes minute) as individuals, corporations and nations. We are left with time to contemplate the aspects and importance to human development and survival that mutuality holds, although receives little attention in our day-to-day lives.An introduction:"The adversary impulse seeks contexts, even invents them, for expression. Winners, in their implicit commitment to the adversary paradigm, believe and feel they have no equally powerful or attractive choice than competing to win; they reject, ridicule, or deny alternatives. It is not only -believed- to be necessary, it is -felt- to be right, natural, even moral, to seek advantage over others, to 'win' what one's culture defines as worth having."Fellman does not seek radical behavior or change, only that we see mutuality in our social and inter-personal structures and emphasize them and encouraging education of our mutualistic tendencies and capabilities:"I believe that mutuality can emerge from the adversary thickets of contemporary institutions--it need not be invented from scratch. Mutuality is already here, as seeds of cooperation, connection, love, and care in institutions familiar to us."0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Insightful and well written from an intelligent individual on his own journey to become more aware ...By Carlyn GilmoreA fabulous meaningful approach to the issues in our society/world. Insightful and well written from an intelligent individual on his own journey to become more aware of his behavior.24 of 24 people found the following review helpful. A challenging, provocative, and entertaining book!By A CustomerThis is a wise and useful book -- full of stories, anecdotes and movie reviews -- about why we compete and how me might learn to cooperate more effectively. In simple language (without jargon), Fellman explores the roots of our tendancy to oppose one another, to define relationships in terms of winning or losing, conquoring or submitting. Western culture is so dominated by conflict, Fellman argues, that we compete compulsively; in business, in our personal lives, in politics and international relations, we've convinced ourselves that success must be purchased at someone else's expense. Such adversarial thinking, according to Fellman, fuels the war machines and threatens us all. Therefore we need to explore some different way of conceiving relations; we need a model of "mutuality." Mutuality, in Felmman's schema, describes a shift in both language and perception: from demonizing those with whom we disagree (thus turning them into enemies) to expressing empathy and understanding, from glorifying triumph and scorning failure to recognizing and forgiving vulnerability and frailty. Such a vision may seem utopian, but Fellman's long list of examples suggests otherwise. Within our predominantly adversarial culture, Fellman finds what he calls the "seeds of mutuality" almost everywhere: in religion, education, politics, sports, movies, even in law enforcement. And this is the most heartening (and entertaining) part of his book. Although mainly a work of sociology that explores our culture in depth, Rambo and the Dalai Lama is also a kind of self-help book -- a psychological pep-talk that suggests people can overcome anger, contempt and jealousy, and learn to accept the estranged parts of themselves. This is an important book and a timely commentary on our age.