Nonviolence: The History of a Dangerous Idea

Summary

With his tightly focused examinations of critical topics, New York Times bestselling author Mark Kurlansky is the master of microhistory. In books like Cod, Kurlansky has shown how seemingly banal subjects have profoundly influenced the world. In Nonviolence he expands his focus to offer a compelling overview of one of the most passionately practiced ideas in human history. Using the examples of Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and others, Kurlansky argues that nonviolence is distinct from pacifism and when wielded properly, has tremendous power—even the power to end wars. From ancient to modern times, Kurlansky shows how nonviolence has frequently been the best solution to conflicts, yet was and is often considered a dangerous notion.