Yet, these hesitations were easily put to rest. Mind-Body Problem: How Consciousness Emerges from Matter, Why Even Rational People Believe Conspiracy Theories, 3 Communication Styles That Gradually Poison a Relationship, How to Reclaim Your Playful Self and Find More Joy, Why Some People Hand Their Lives Over to Cults, Choosing Between Authenticity and Attachment, A Blame-Free Way to Reach an Emotionally Unavailable Partner, Might Your Partner Be in Your Blind Spot? There were some truly wonderful highlights that kept me going through the frustrating parts. As for Thomas and Barbara though, I had both positive and negative reactions. 15. He concludes that reactive aggression (see definitions provided earlier in this article) has progressively diminished much more in humans compared with other primates, whereas proactive aggression (which is more often, though not exclusively, directed at members of another group) remains quite high in humans. Nevertheless, for practical purposes, he uses the term in his analysis:2, "There are four major root causes of evil or reasons that people act in ways that others will perceive as evil. ), Herzliya series on personality and social psychology. This is a must for fans of this series. And while I've always been frustrated by frumpy, stubborn Barbara, she also displays even more than her usual grit and courage, and picks up a surprising admirer while in Italy (although it's doubtful anything can come of that, but maybe). But none has observed it, endured it. I do not believe that a single character in the earlier books would have acted the way they did in this book. In M. Mikulincer & P. R. Shaver (Eds. Join BookBrowse today to start discovering exceptional books! The Italian police are investigating, and the Yard won't get involved, until Barbara takes matters into her own hands - at the risk of her own career. Violence has in fact been declining in human societies. Utopian ideologies are among the worst offenders, since practically any means can come to be rationally seen as a regrettable but justifiable action toward achieving an imagined utopian end. Watching Hadiyyahs father, Taymullah, grieve for the loss of his child breaks Havers heart and she does all in her power (and beyond) to help him track her whereabouts, including hiring a private detective and putting her own job under threat (nothing new there). The difficult decision had to be made to have this people disappear from the earth. It ought to be reconceptualized as a common set of traitstraits that are fundamental to human functioningrather than just one among many kinds of psychiatric disorders. "Jumping is sort of like using a gun once you make that decision to [kill yourself], it's pretty much a done deal.". This is not to say I didnt like it. However, while I cannot say there wasnt a high level of frustration with Detective Sergeant Havers for herdamning behaviour in this story, I did understand her actions were due to her feelings for her neighbour, Taymalluh Azhar and his daughter, Hadiyyah. Most of us cannot know if we would have had the courage to do what those people did. Well-Schooled In Murder (1990) While Lynley does not feature as prominently in Just One Evil Act, he is shown to be rising from the ashes and depths of his loss of his beloved, Helen. The internet and social media have amplified both the best and worst aspects of human nature, increasing the availability of both high- and low-quality information, equalizing the ability of individuals and groups to disseminate information far and wide, breaking down traditional group boundaries while also fostering new tribal affiliations.22. When Hadiyyahs mother Angelina takes Hadiyyah and disappears, Barbara puts her career on the line to help Azhar. But that list is daunting, and I really wish she would edit herself. For example, higher levels of testosterone do not inevitably cause higher levels of aggression, and the hyped hormone oxytocin only increases trust and empathy toward people with whom we identify as within our group. Those theories are very well articulated by David Buss in When Men Behave Badly: The Hidden Roots of Sexual Deception, Harassment, and Assault. Evil Act weighs in at over two pounds. Lynley tries in vain to prevent Barbara from getting involved in her neighbor's problems, but, of course, she does anyway. -- low intelligence (applicable more to crime than to aggression; and probably applicable more to criminals from communities where sociological factors like those listed above are not the main cause). After being ever so slightly disappointed in the portrayal of the grieving Inspector Lynley in the last couple of books, it was nice to have the sleuthing Earl return to form but, just when George brings Tommy back, Havers goes off the rails and behaves in a manner that seems out of character to the fiercely loyal, street-wise and committed detective weve grown to know and love. And when violence and crime are committed by groups, there is also the huge factor of peer pressure and influence.4. Perhaps no event in history, therefore, better confirms that very difficult warning embedded in a German proverb that captures the meaning I hope readers will take away from this book: Webret den Anfngen, Beware the beginnings.. Reviewed by Lybi Ma. Barbaras clever manipulation of the worst of Londons tabloids forces New Scotland Yard to become involved. Ordinary, well-intentioned people may perform evil acts when under the influence of these factors, singly or in combination.". I guess I need to go back and refresh my memory. 10 Possibilities. Also, unfortunately, some of the reviews (just glanced at) didnt express a lot of love for this 18th in the series. Overall I did enjoy the book. They were both ordinary and extraordinary, a cross section of the men and women of Germany, its allies, and their collaborators as well as the best and the brightest. [Michael Berenbaum, The World Must Know: The History of the Holocaust as Told in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (Boston: Little, Brown, 1993), p.220]. 13. Review of Just One Evil Act by Elizabeth George, Kid Lit Review of In My Mosque by M. O. Yuksel, Kid Lit Review of Music is a Rainbow by Bryan Collier, Review of The Seeds of Life by Edward Dolnick, Kid Lit Review of Yellow Dog Blues by Alice Faye Duncan, Review of Mountains Made of Glass by Scarlett St. Clair. I tried to read the one that takes place in Guernsey but gave up.
Your email address will not be published. Yet, George doesput it all to bed quite neatly in the end for a very satisfying read. Most of you here know what it means when 100 corpses lie next to each other, when there are 500 or when there are 1,000. 2012;486(7404):527-531. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11128]. Instead, there is a suspicious death and a whole new cast of suspects, at which point Havers throws her career to the wind and departs . Required fields are marked *. Author
More evolutionary psychology perspectives on aggression: In his book The Goodness Paradox: The Strange Relationship Between Virtue and Violence in Human Evolution (New York: Pantheon, 2019), the primatologist Richard Wrangham, who has spent his career studying the ecology of primate social systems and the evolutionary history of human aggression, highlights the contrast between the relatively low levels of human aggression within-group (compared with other primates, humans are very tolerant and unreactive to provocation) versus the much higher levels of between-group human aggression. Instead of being the one chosen to go to Italy and thus to Taymullah Azhars aid to help find his daughter and deal with the Italian authorities, much to Havers chagrin, Inspector Lynely is sent in her stead. Deception on His Mind (1997) Genre: Mysteries
Nazi propaganda dehumanized Jews by labeling them as subhuman vermin, pollution, a pathogen, or a malignant presence. It begins with the kidnapping of nine-year-old Hadiyyah Aszhar, the daughter of Havers' neighbor and good friend Taymullah Azhar, who is raising the girl alone. Young S, Moss D, Sedgwick O, Fridman M, Hodgkins P. A meta-analysis of the prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in incarcerated populations. A Place of Hiding (2003) That would have been cowardly. More Information |
He has no legal claim. ), Much of the action is set in Lucca, in Tuscany, Published by Dutton, a member of Penguin Group (USA), 2013, A Great Deliverance (1988) Belief in irrational conspiracy theories is a mainstream phenomenon, not fringe. Baumeister p. 377. The explanation for Havers erratic behaviour is quickly established. Cervical cancer is often . As much as I loved the Italian connection, I found it difficult to follow some of it as there is much unexplained Italian in the prose, and it's like trying to figure out a puzzle while determining what is actually being said. This instalment appears to be more of a Detective Sergeant Havers series but it is due to the characters at the centre of this murder mystery. A parallel question is the evolutionary one: Which of our two equally related first cousin species do we humans more closely resemble: chimpanzees or bonobos? Barbara is by far my favourite character in this wonderful series, but it was difficult to maintain my liking of her as a character with this book. But then where is the child? Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi propaganda minister, wrote in his diary in March 1942: A judgment is being carried out on the Jews which is barbaric but thoroughly deserved." They could have been, and in many cases were, killed for doing so. The descriptions of Italy are breathtaking. The point of understanding Hitlers deluded beliefs is not in any way to exonerate him and the Nazisthe fanatical and callous ruthlessness with which he and his inner circle implemented their murderous agenda constituted crimes against humanity of the highest degree, and probably required no small measure of psychopathic traits. How far are you willing to go, and what will you sacrifice? beatrice beckett cause of death just one evil act ending. It wasnt a tedious read, unlike some of the few other 700+ pagers. All it takes is "Just One Evil Act" to turn someone's world upside down. Originally, I felt some hesitation towards it, because of the length of it and wondered if the pacing would keep my interest in reading. BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfictionbooks that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. Barbara agrees to find him. https://doi.org/10.1037/13091-020. Where Im confused right now is one of the books and TV shows made it look as if Barbara and Taymullah Azhar were going to have a relationship. "Abdication syndrome" occurs when followers hand responsibility for their lives over to leaders. Though, I did wonder at the end how the mess Havers created would be resolved. Psychology Today 2023 Sussex Publishers, LLC, Adolf Hitler speaking at the Kroll Opera House to Reichstag members about war in the Pacific, December 11, 1941, Source: On Wikimedia Commons / Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-1987-0703-507 / Unbekannt / CC-BY-SA 3.0. She left, came back and left again - this time taking their daughter with her. The best tactical belts are made of strong webbing and durable buckles. 17. He often treats her like shes beneath him because shes female and, therefore, only capable of so much even in police work. And she is a marvellous writer. Roy F. Baumeister, Evil - Inside Human Violence and Cruelty (New York: W. H. Freeman, 1997), p. 13. Definitely NOT a fashion-plate. It is a physically encoded web of representationsa correlational map. From an evolutionary point of view, "aggression enabled the biggest and strongest to survive and hence reproduce better than their weaker rivals." All rights reserved.Information at BookBrowse.com is published with the permission of the copyright holder or their agent. Never one to worry about compromising her work or others opinions of her in a professional sense, when Hadiyyah is eventually located with her mother, Angelina, in Lucca, Italy, but is then kidnapped from the mercato, Havers common sense and uncanny ability to sum up a situation and work within it, vanishes. Baumeister makes the point that while instrumental violence often achieves its goals in the short-term, it is very often an unsuccessful strategy in the long-termboth at the level of criminal or violent individuals and at the level of violent groups, such as terrorist organizations and (arguably) even warring nation-states. Web the deb , 02/10/2020. There have been some recent bumps in the road, and I REALLY wanted to love this. Is that still going on? Just One Evil Act (2013), Your email address will not be published. American Psychological Association. Great post! Azhar and Barbara hire a private detective, but the trail goes cold. The Lynley I have come to know would never have allowed Barbara to carry on as she was for as long as he did nor let her get away with her self-destructive behaviour as he did once he found out how deep she had gotten into this situation. (And yes, this truly sounds hypocritical from one who complains that trilogies, for example, dont end their stories and thus virtually require you to purchase additional books and keep reading. The plot was filled w/ more twists and turns than a spy novel, w/ many unexpected villains and more than a few evil acts, in contradiction of the title. When Hadiyyah's mother Angelina takes Hadiyyah and disappears, Barbara puts her career on the line to help Azhar. Its not her desperation to help Taymullah at all costs, or that she makes some silly decisions that irks, its the fact that she not only puts her trust in someone who clearly demonstrates they are less than worthy, but that she also fails to share important information and confidences with her partner Lynley that somehow doesnt ring truenot after all theyve been through together. His work in Italy with the interesting and terrific character of Salvatore also showed Lynley in his best light. I finished "Just One Evil Act" by Elizabeth George this afternoon. Particularly when coupled with dehumanization of a group of people who are believed to be an obstacle to achieving the perfect society. A little girl goes missing - a half-Pakistani, the friend and neighbour of Barbara Havers. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added. I'm in that awkward place right now where I keep thinking I need to get back to reading to find out what's going on with the characters! I'm on page 120 and had I not paid full price for the hardcover I wouldn't bother to read further. Culture relies heavily on self-regulation because culture consists partly of a system with rules and standards, and it can function only if people alter their behavior to bring it into line with those rules and standards. But it was a major commitment of time to read, and it could well have been broken up into several books! There were many who secretly hid or rescued Jews and other victims. Can you believe Ive never read this series? Many Nazi officials were simply opportunists who put their own career advancement ahead of any reservations they may have had about being a cog in the vast killing machine, and they likely found ways to rationalize and mentally compartmentalize what they were doing. One dealing with the kidnapping of Hadiyyah and the other the murder mystery part (wont share the victims name. Publication Information. So many things were good about this book but some were frustrating and disappointing as well. Speaking of Salvatore, he was fabulous, a really excellent character and the salvation (no pun intended) here when one was getting frustrated with Barbara's single-mindedness or Lynley's detachment. How to tell when a mystery writer has been working on the same characters for too long: You really wish that the authors of some of these books would read the reviews here. Its high prevalence in the human population can be understood as the result of an evolutionary mismatch relative to the high executive functioning demands placed on people by the modern society we have created. 1981 single by Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty, "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around by Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers", "Fans delirious as Stevie Nicks joins Tom Petty on stage", "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around - Stevie Nicks . Many, many reviewers had the same feelings I did about this bloody series. Elizabeth George has delivered another solid read in the Inspector Lynley Series. So far, we have mostly been talking about ordinary violence and crime, not war or government tyranny. I've had my problems with the Lynley books ever since Helen's death. A few of the obvious factors contributing to violence and crime: -- countries with weak or corrupt systems of government and law enforcement, where criminals are seen to act with impunity. Although these books are not for those who like edge-of-their-seat page turners, they have a certain British charm and a lot of atmosphere-building, you might say. To be sure, there were certainly a great many people in the midst of all this madness who were not taken up by the Nazi ideology, and some of those people actively resisted the regime at great personal risk. As I have argued elsewhere, the ADHD diagnosis is misunderstood and too limiting. 2015;45(2):247-258. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291714000762. It was a PDF so it wasnt going to work no way could a 700+ page PDF be done. Then it begins. As both Barbara and her partner, Inspector Thomas Lynley, soon discover, the case is far more complex than a typical kidnapping, revealing secrets that could have far-reaching effects outside of the investigation. They are her close friends as well as neighbours, but since the child is with her mother, nothing can be done. (Similarly, human characteristics are somewhere in between several other categories that are more clear-cut and dichotomous in other species, e.g. AbeBooks.com: Just One Evil Act: A Lynley Novel (9780451467843) by George, Elizabeth and a great selection of similar New, Used and Collectible Books available now at great prices. 12. Barbara is close to her neighbors, Taymullah Azhar and his daughter, nine-year-old Hadiyyah. Also informative are Michael Shermer's The Moral Arc: How Science and Reason Lead Humanity toward Truth, Justice, and Freedom (New York: Henry Holt, 2015), especially Ch. She is such an unique character that it's just fun reading about her. Series fans will enjoy following Lynley and Havers on their first investigation outside the U.K., while newcomers will be just as enthralled." We were faced with the question: what about the women and children? In the conclusion to his book, Hayes writes (p. 342): The Holocaust was not mysterious and inscrutable; it was the work of humans acting on familiar human weaknesses and motives: wounded pride, fear, self-righteousness, prejudice, and personal ambition being among the most obvious. She said to him, Sir. The bonobo genome compared with the chimpanzee and human genomes. I truly adored the original Lynley/Havers relationship and that has been sorely lacking in the past few books. She has them travel to Italy when Barbara discovers her favorite neighbors are in serious trouble. It didn't seem premeditated, it didn't seem like it was something he did intentionally," John Diffenderfer said. I found it tough slogging through the 700 plus pages, and there were times when I got so frustrated with the way Barbara was behaving that I almost put the book away. - Kirkus
6th Nov 2013 Book Review: Just One Evil Act by Elizabeth George I was so excited when this book came out, I dropped all others I was either reading or about to in order to lose myself in the world of Inspector Thomas Lynley and his partner in crime, Sergeant Barbara Havers. The denouement is surprising, even if it does have someone else acting in a way that a reader would not have anticipated but in this instance, its a very pleasant surprise. By "instrumental violence," he is referring to "the simple desire for material gain," and also to a large extent "threatened egotism"which from an evolutionary psychology point of view is mostly about protecting one's status and thereby defending one's privileged access to resources, as in the case of alpha-male primates. The only purpose it actually serves is to interrupt the flow of the story and remind us how very quaint and insular we American readers are. What an infuriating book. From genocide to malware and everything in between, its easy to feel demoralized about the moral fiber and caring of our fellow humans. Thomas, by contrast, has some light moments (well-deserved after his time of grief) and even finds the possibility of new love. Heres the synopsis of Just One Evil Act, which featuresthe regularcast of characters Lynley fans are quite familiar with: When Hadiyyah Upman disappears from London in the company of her mother, Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers is as devastated as the girls father. Your email address will not be published. 14. Without giving away too much of the plot, suffice it to say that Just One Evil Act does not end with the discovery of Hadiyyah.
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