First published 2021
Amanda Ripley examines how ordinary people get trapped in destructive feuds that transform disagreements into battles of good versus evil. She follows a California conflict expert caught in his own political battle, a Chicago gang leader whose quest for revenge leads him to an unexpected partnership with his enemy, and communities in Colombia learning to escape cycles of hostility. Her investigation takes her to Michigan, where conservative corrections officers and liberal Manhattan Jews stay in each other's homes to bridge their divide. Ripley shows how conflict entrepreneurs, humiliation, and false choices fuel these toxic disputes, but also reveals how people break free by rediscovering curiosity about their opponents. The book demonstrates that individuals and entire communities can escape the feedback loops of outrage and blame, transforming destructive conflict into something that makes them better people.
Genres: psychology, sociology, social-issues, non-fiction
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-allies, redemption
Setting: California, Chicago, Colombia, Michigan
368 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster