Sigmund Freud's death drive remains among the most controversial concepts in psychoanalysis, something which post-Freudians never could reach consensus on. Over time, it fell into oblivion. Recent developments, however, have actualized the interest in the death drive as political upheavals and turmoil lead to societal breakdowns that, according to reigning academic theory, should not exist. It has become a burning and contentious topic.Existing conflict theories generally unmask structural factors considered as explanatory root causes, whether social, economic, or political in nature, but, typically, these factors may have been in place for decades. These models consistently fail to identify the triggers that ignite abrupt change and what heralds it. Anecdotally, a certain self-destructive sentiment seems to suddenly hold sway, where the established order, the status quo, simply must be destroyed, and the psychological urges to do so are too great to resist. But why would individuals or collectives elect a self-destructive path, which on a superficial level seems to conflict with the survival instinct and the assumption of perpetual human progress? Thus, the question must be posed: are these manifestations of the death drive?The Death Drive: Why Societies Self-Destruct offers an explanatory framework and methodology to predict periods of destruction that often have grim effects on societies, taking as its starting point the controversial death drive concept. The book provides a model to understand and forecast the seemingly irrational destructive human forces that hold such great and sinister influence on world affairs.

Death Drive: Why Societies Self-Destruct

Politics & Social Sciences

Hageback, Niklas

Philosophy

Histria Perspectives

Sigmund Freud’s death drive remains among the most controversial concepts in psychoanalysis, something which post-Freudians never could reach consensus on. Over time, it fell into oblivion. Recent developments, however, have actualized the interest in the death drive as political upheavals and turmoil lead to societal breakdowns that, according to reigning academic theory, should not exist. It has become a burning and contentious topic.\nExisting conflict theories generally unmask structural factors considered as explanatory root causes, whether social, economic, or political, but, typically, these factors may have been in place for decades. These models consistently fail to identify the triggers that ignite abrupt change and what heralds it. Anecdotally, a certain self-destructive sentiment seems to suddenly hold sway, where the established order, the status quo, simply must be destroyed, and the psychological urges to do so are too great to resist. But why would individuals or collectives elect a self-destructive path, which on a superficial level seems to conflict with the survival instinct and the assumption of perpetual human progress? Thus, the question must be posed: are these manifestations of the death drive?\nThe Death Drive: Why Societies Self-Destruct offers an explanatory framework and methodology to predict periods of destruction that often have grim effects on societies, taking as its starting point the controversial death drive concept. The book provides a model to understand and forecast the seemingly irrational destructive human forces that hold such great and sinister influence on world affairs.\nNiklas Hageback has an extensive background in psychology, working with behavioral finance, modelling irrational collective behavior at tier-one financial institutions and consulting firms, such as Deutsche Bank, KPMG, and Goldman Sachs. His previous works include the bestseller, The Mystery of Market Movements: An Archetypal Approach to Investment Forecasting and Modelling, The Virtual Mind: Designing the Logic to Approximate Human Thinking, and Idiots Breed Idiots: Why Men No Longer are Created Equal.

Prelude to the Past: The Autobiography of a Woman

Prelude to the Past is the remarkable story of a young Jewish girl growing up in Germany during the years leading up to the First World War and who experienced adulthood during the tumultuous years between the two World Wars becoming one of the most important journalistic figures of the period.Rosie Gräefenberg was no ordinary woman. Born to a prominent German-Jewish family, Rosie enjoyed an adventurous life as she pursued her career in journalism. Her travels led her to spend several years in inter-war France, where she experienced first-hand the attempts at Franco-German rapprochement in the aftermath of the treaty of Versailles. She ventured to French Morocco, Soviet Russia, and into the French colonies in Africa, leaving vivid portrayals of her encounters with these diverse societies and with many of the major political and social figures of the day.Her life of romance and adventure ultimately led her to marry Franz Ullstein, head of the most-powerful publishing dynasty and key representative of the democratic press establishment in pre-World War II Germany. But an unconventional marriage provoked family intrigues and political struggles that soon thrust Rosie into the greatest scandal the German Republic would endure during its death throes before the establishment of the Third Reich - the Ullstein Affair. Rosie Gräefenberg now found herself at the center of European media attention, as accusations of her being a spy brought down the most powerful media mogul in Europe and led to a drawn out legal battle that exposed the weaknesses of the democratic press in Germany for all to see, helping lay the groundwork for the coming Nazi takeover.In Prelude to the Past, Rosie Gräefenberg provides a masterful, impassioned account of these events, in a fast-paced narrative, revealing many of the surprising motives behind them. Now, for the first time in more than 80 years this tumultuous era comes to life through the eyes of a powerful, passionate, strong, yet vulnerable Jewish woman who not only recorded the events of the era but also helped to shape themPrelude to the Past is a unique feminine perspective on a highly male-dominated era. With an introduction by Dr. Ernest H. Latham, the foremost scholar on the life and work of Rosie Gräefenberg, who later took the name R.G. Waldeck, Prelude to the Past is a must read for anyone interested in European society in the years preceding Hitler's domination of Europe.

efenberg, Rosie

Humor & Entertainment

The fifteenth century Romanian Prince Vlad III Dracula, also known as Vlad the Impaler, is one of the most fascinating personalities of medieval history. Already during his own lifetime, his true story became obscured by a veil of myths. As a result, he has been portrayed both as a bloody tyrant -- who degenerated down throughout the centuries into the fictional vampire of the same name created by Bram Stoker at the end of the nineteenth century -- and as a national and Christian hero who bravely fought to defend his native land and all of Europe against the invading Turkish infidels. Even in more recent historiography, the true history of Dracula has been obscured by Communist and nationalist historiography.This revised second edition of the book widely considered to be the most serious comprehensive study of the historical Dracula, presents the life and times of this remarkable figure of medieval Europe. The author uses all extant Romanian, Turkish, Russian, and German sources to reconstruct the history of this famous prince who, despite his short reign, created a name for himself in the history of his own country, as well as in world history. This book studies the life and times of Vlad III Dracula, also known as Vlad the Impaler, providing the reader with a better understanding of the personality of this enigmatic figure of medieval history, as well as the times in which he lived. The author also discusses the development of the Dracula myth. Translations of key documents concerning the history of Vlad III Dracula are included in the appendixes.

Vlad III Dracula: The Life and Times of the Historical Dracula

Literature & Fiction

Treptow, Kurt

Dramas & Plays

Lucrezia Borgia: Daughter of Pope Alexander VI

Lucrezia Borgia is among the most fascinating and controversial personalities of the Renaissance. The daughter of Pope Alexander VI, she was intensely involved in the political life of Italy during the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. While her marriage alliances helped advance the political objectives of the papacy, she also held the office of Governor of Spoleto, a role normally reserved for Cardinals, making her one of the most powerful and dynamic female figures of the Renaissance. Among the first books to employ historical method to move beyond myth and romance that had obscured the fascinating story of Lucrezia Borgia was this biography written by the noted German historian Ferdinand Gregorovius.Ferdinand Gregorovius (1821-1891) was one of the preeminent scholars of the Italian Renaissance. His biography of Lucrezia Borgia reveals the atmosphere of the Renaissance, painting a portrait of Lucrezia and her relationships with her father Rodrigo Borgia, Pope Alexander VI, her brother Cesare, her mother Vanozza, her father's mistress, Giulia Farnese, her husband Duke Alfonso D'Este of Ferrara, and many others, including important artists and writers of the time. All are vividly portrayed against the colorful background of Renaissance Italy. Gregorovius separates myth from documented fact and his book remains a key reference work on the life and times of the Borgia princess.This new edition of Gregorovius's classic work Lucrezia Borgia is enhanced with an introduction by Samantha Morris, a noted expert on the history of the Borgias. Samantha studied archaeology at the University of Winchester where her interest in the history of the Italian Renaissance began. She is the author of Cesare Borgia: In a Nutshell and Girolamo Savonarola: The Renaissance Preacher. She also runs the website theborgiabull.com.

Biographies & Memoirs

GREGOROVIUS, FERDINAND

Community & Culture

Prelude to the Past is the remarkable story of a young Jewish girl growing up in Germany during the years leading up to the First World War. She experienced adulthood during the tumultuous years between the two World Wars, becoming one of the most important journalistic figures of the period.\nBorn to a prominent German-Jewish family, Rosie Gräefenberg enjoyed an adventurous life as she pursued her career in journalism. Her travels led her to spend several years in inter-war France, where she experienced first-hand the attempts at Franco-German rapprochement in the aftermath of the treaty of Versailles. She ventured to French Morocco, Soviet Russia, and into the French colonies in Africa, leaving vivid portrayals of her encounters with these diverse societies and with many of the major political and social figures of the day.\nHer life of romance and adventure ultimately led her to marry Franz Ullstein, head of the most-powerful publishing dynasty and key representative of the democratic press establishment in pre-World War II Germany. But an unconventional marriage provoked family intrigues and political struggles that soon thrust Rosie into the greatest scandal the German Republic would endure during its death throes before the establishment of the Third Reich – the Ullstein Affair. Rosie Gräefenberg now found herself at the center of European media attention, as accusations of her being a spy brought down the most powerful media mogul in Europe and led to a drawn-out legal battle that exposed the weaknesses of the democratic press in Germany for all to see, helping lay the groundwork for the coming Nazi takeover.\nIn Prelude to the Past, Rosie Gräefenberg provides a masterful, impassioned account of these events, in a fast-paced narrative, revealing many of the surprising motives behind them. Now, for the first time in more than 80 years this tumultuous era comes to life through the eyes of a powerful, passionate, strong, yet vulnerable Jewish woman who not only recorded the events of the era but also helped to shape them\nPrelude to the Past is a uniquely feminine perspective on a highly male-dominated era. With an introduction by Dr. Ernest H. Latham, Jr., the foremost scholar on the life and work of Rosie Gräefenberg, who later took the name R.G. Waldeck, Prelude to the Past is a must-read for anyone interested in European society in the years preceding Hitler’s domination of Europe.

The Invisible Walls of Dannemora: Inside the Infamous Clinton Correctional Facility

The infamous Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York, in 2015 became the site of one of the most famous prison breaks in modern American history. However, the conditions that made possible the notorious escape and the massive manhunt that ensued had been developing for many years prior.Having earned the nickname of "Little Siberia", the brutal winters contributed to the already depressing façade of the facility. During the long, dark hours, the wind howled outside and sounded like ghosts haunting the halls of the prison.Dannemora had a proud past. Every employee chose to work there and there was always a transfer list of staff hoping to work there. It was a hard prison for hard criminals. Having housed the likes of mobster Charlie "Lucky" Luciano, "Son of Sam" David Berkowitz, Rappers Tupac Shakur, and Ol' Dirty Bastard, and countless other infamous criminals, the staff at the Clinton Correctional Facility knew how to handle even the toughest of men. Like most prisons, Clinton was a place of routine. Each day was very much like day before. It was a big, clunking machine that simply ran each day unless someone in the administration used poor judgment and tried to implement an unsafe change in policy or targeted the wrong staff member.The author, Michael H. Blaine spent a career at the Clinton Correctional Facility. Having been an Officer, Sergeant, and Lieutenant, his story reveals the changes he observed and what he experienced at each rank he earned. Refusing to compromise his principles and sickened by the downward spiral that Clinton was experiencing, he retired less than 10 1/2 months before the first successful escape at Dannemora on June 6, 2015.This new book reveals the inner workings of this massive prison. It is the first look inside at what it was like to work at the Clinton Correctional Facility, its effects on those who spent time there on both sides of the bars, revealing why nobody escapes the Invisible Walls of Dannemora.

Invisible Walls of Dannemora: Inside the Infamous Clinton Correctional Facility

Blaine, Michael

The infamous Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York, in 2015 became the site of one of the most famous prison breaks in modern American history. However, the conditions that made possible the notorious escape and the massive manhunt that ensued had been developing for many years prior.Having earned the nickname of "Little Siberia", the brutal winters contributed to the already depressing façade of the facility. During the long, dark hours, the wind howled outside and sounded like ghosts haunting the halls of the prison. Dannemora had a proud past. Every employee chose to work there and there was always a transfer list of staff hoping to work there. It was a hard prison for hard criminals. Having housed the likes of mobster Charlie "Lucky" Luciano, "Son of Sam" David Berkowitz, Rappers Tupac Shakur, and Ol' Dirty Bastard, and countless other infamous criminals, the staff at the Clinton Correctional Facility knew how to handle even the toughest of men. Like most prisons, Clinton was a place of routine. Each day was very much like day before. It was a big, clunking machine that simply ran each day unless someone in the administration used poor judgment and tried to implement an unsafe change in policy or targeted the wrong staff member.The author, Michael H. Blaine spent a career at the Clinton Correctional Facility. Having been an Officer, Sergeant, and Lieutenant, his story reveals the changes he observed and what he experienced at each rank he earned. Refusing to compromise his principles and sickened by the downward spiral that Clinton was experiencing, he retired less than 10 1/2 months before the first successful escape at Dannemora on June 6, 2015.This new book reveals the inner workings of this massive prison. It is the first look inside at what it was like to work at the Clinton Correctional Facility, its effects on those who spent time there on both sides of the bars, revealing why nobody escapes the Invisible Walls of Dannemora.

The Downfall of China or CCP 3.0?

The Downfall of China or the Emergence of CCP v3.0? is a book for everyone that aspires to understand the enigmatic Middle Kingdom which has become so mighty that its domestic affairs are bound to play out also globally. The author describes why we now have arrived at a critical junction where the path chosen by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will decide whether it will face an impending downfall, or yet again can manage to radically transform itself and weather the storm.Niklas Hageback has an extensive background in psychology, working with behavioral finance, modeling irrational collective behavior at tier-one financial institutions and consulting firms, such as Deutsche Bank, KPMG, and Goldman Sachs. His previous works include the bestseller, The Death Drive: Why Societies Self-Destruct.

Downfall of China or CCP 3.0?

History

Asia

All Rise!: The Libertarian Way with Judge Jim Gray

What do Libertarians believe that sets them apart from other political parties? How do Libertarian values, approaches and principles result in more successful "pursuits of happiness" than the approaches of other political parties? And how does Judge Jim Gray dare to say that the Libertarians are the only political party in the mainstream of American political thought today? All Rise! The Libertarian Way with Judge Jim Gray will answer all of these questions and more - to your complete satisfaction!Judge Gray reveals how liberty is intertwined in our country's genes, taking us all the way back to when the Pilgrims first landed on Plymouth Rock. All Rise! unfolds alongside Judge Gray's life and upbringing and explores the experiences that spurred his path toward independent thought. The voices of those closest to him are materialized in exclusive interviews, revealing a rare and nuanced look at Judge Gray throughout various points in his life. How did Judge Gray, a former Congressional candidate and member of the Finance Committee of the Republican Party of Orange County, California lean into Libertarianism in only 13 seconds? See how he has been an involved and passionate member of the Libertarian Party ever since that whip-quick decision, and travel with him through his subsequent campaigns as a Libertarian for US Senate in 2004, Vice President in 2012 and President in 2020.Join Judge Gray on his mission to mainstream the word Libertarian - not simply the word, but the party's values, approaches and principles. Direct and frontal attacks on our freedoms and liberties are unacceptable, and Judge Gray's platform offers an antidote to the continual trespassing of an overzealous government on its citizens. All Rise! also demonstrates how government has failed to run economies throughout history, and how it is failing to perform under today's duress, which will leave a legacy of debt to our children and grandchildren! Judge Gray, a recipient of the 2019 Judge Franklin G. West Lifetime Achievement Award from the Orange County Bar Association, argues that there is a solution: employ Responsibility, and employ Liberty!All Rise! The Libertarian Way with Judge Jim Gray provides us all with an inside look at Judge Gray's ideological transformation, giving a clear overview of Libertarianism, the values it holds for America, and how it stands to unite us, which is precisely what we need in these divisive and frustrating times.The book includes a foreword by Tom Campbell, former Member of Congress from California (1989-1993; 1995-2001).&nbsp; He was also the Dean of the Haas School of Business at the University of California Berkeley and the Dean of the Chapman University School of Law.

Gray, Jim

Constitutional Law

See the best price to sell, buy or rent books by the Histria Perspectives publisher. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Histria Perspectives

See the best price to sell, buy or rent books by the Histria Perspectives publisher. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Death Drive: Why Societies Self-Destruct

Death Drive: Why Societies Self-Destruct

Prelude to the Past: The Autobiography of a Woman

Vlad III Dracula: The Life and Times of the Historical Dracula

Lucrezia Borgia: Daughter of Pope Alexander VI

Prelude to the Past: The Autobiography of a Woman

Invisible Walls of Dannemora: Inside the Infamous Clinton Correctional Facility

The Invisible Walls of Dannemora: Inside the Infamous Clinton Correctional Facility

Downfall of China or CCP 3.0?

All Rise!: The Libertarian Way with Judge Jim Gray