Q&A with Avi Tuschman

The Promethean: New York Times-bestselling author Francis Fukuyama calls Our Political Nature "important reading for anyone trying to understand the sources of our present-day political world." This is your first book. What background and expertise led you to write it?

Avi Tuschman: I first became interested in the puzzle of political orientation while researching mining conflicts for a political-risk consulting firm in Peru. The country was still recovering from a Maoist insurgency that had left 70,000 people dead, and I was shocked at how radically different people's political perceptions were. When I returned to Stanford for graduate school in search of scientific explanations, I soon realized that I'd have to push beyond the traditional social-science literature - to dig into fields like genetics, primatology, and neuroscience.

The research I did for my Ph.D. in evolutionary anthropology indeed gave me a whole new set of tools for understanding the inner landscape of the human political psyche. I later had the privilege to serve as the senior writer and advisor to President Alejandro Toledo (Peru, 2001-2006), helping him shape public opinion and social policies. The result of this decade-long exploration is Our Political Nature.

Avi Tuschman Photo by Mark Tuschman Photography

What do you hope readers will learn from Our Political Nature?

Our Political Nature is the first book to reveal the science underlying political orientation, and to tell the natural history of the left-right spectrums that run through almost every country around the world. The book brings to light the hidden dynamics of our most deeply held values, the ones that influence how we vote, how we choose our mates, and even whether or not we believe in God. My aim here, in sum, has been to paint a compelling, accurate, and illuminating portrait of our nature as political animals.

Does your book shed new light on current events?

Yes. My goal is to provide each reader with a pair of "evolutionary glasses," new lenses that will help them perceive how the natural history of our species is intimately connected to today's headlines. The book shows how key evolutionary drivers are right now transforming the future of our country and our world. For instance, I highlight the role of demographics in the Arab uprisings. And I explain why current reproductive trends are actually contributing to political polarization in the US.

Does your book have a liberal or conservative agenda?

Q&A with Benjamin Ginsberg

The Promethean: The Value of Violence was called "the most insightful recent book on the relationship between politics and violence in American domestic and foreign affairs" by Martin Shefter, professor of government at Cornell University. What background and expertise led you to write the book?

Benjamin Ginsberg: I wrote two previous books that dealt with issues of violence. The first was a book on Reconstruction in South Carolina and the second was a book on the Jewish contribution to Allied victory in World War II. In both instances, political forces that learned to use violence effectively prevailed while those unable or unwilling to master the use of violence were swept away. I decided my next book would focus squarely on the role of violence in political life.

What does The Value of Violence have to say that's different from other books on the topic?

Other books on the topic of violence see it as abnormal, a problem to be resolved. In fact, for better or worse, violence is always with us. Indeed, violence is sometimes the only way to solve political problems.

What do you hope readers will learn from The Value of Violence?

Some say that violence is never the answer, but readers should learn that actually violence answers the main questions of politics--statehood, territoriality and power. What states exist, what territory they control and who exercises power within states is primarily settled by violent means.

Benjamin Ginsberg Photo by Will Kirk

You say that violence is the "driving force" of politics. What do you mean?
Violence is the driving force of politics for four reasons. First, violence usually dominates other forms of political action. Second, once launched, violence will usually dominate the political agenda. Third, violence can, more than any other force, transform politics. Fourth, violence is a main catalyst for political mobilization.

What do you think your research can tell us about the current situation with Syria?

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We hope that these conversations and books provide thought-provoking perspectives for you on the personal and political forces that shape our world.

Happy reading,

Prometheus Books

publicity@prometheusbooks.com