The Sophisticated Monkey

Carmela Yom-Tov

Why we make war, not love

What keeps war - a pathological killing frenzy - alive and well, even in the 21st century?

Aggression, and so war, is deeply embedded in our very DNA. To survive as a species, we need aggression to protect ourselves. But this innate aggression requires a perfect storm of external circumstances to escalate into war. War is never the result of one factor such as religion, nationalism or scarce resources.

This book, through intriguing experiments and stories, examines the biological, psychological, societal and political triggers of war: our testosterone; our need to belong and conform; our loyalty to authority figures even if foolish and irrational; the glorification of war; the divisiveness of religion; and international political dramas feeding fear, xenophobia and conflict.

Clinical psychologist, Dr Carmela Yom-Tov, horrified by the devastation of war, explores the riddle of war’s perseverance through human history.

Are we nothing more than sophisticated monkeys?

 

About the Author

Dr Carmela Yom-Tov worked as a Clinical Psychologist, skilled in psychodiagnostics and psychotherapy in varied settings such as schools, outpatient clinics, psychiatric hospitals, child protection agency, Family Law Court appointed expert and off-line radio counselling; she sat on numerous professional committees; was an appointed sessional member of the State Administrative Tribunal; lectured in South Africa, Israel, Australia, Hong Kong and California to lay audiences and at university. For her achievements she gained a National Council of Western Australia Women award. She co-authored Conquering Corporate Stress and since retiring has written this book as well as Meandering Minds, an exploration of her varied career. She is currently writing her Whinging Book – short complaints about everything. Carmela has been married for a very long time to a chemical engineer; has two children and two grandchildren and has lived in sunny Perth, Australia for over 30 years.