SynopsisWith chapters on the use of ceremony and scapegoats to distract their people, the importance of building a personality cult, the pretension to and control of culture and the myth of efficiency, The Nature of Despotism is a fascinating look at what it is, Jonathan Langley's life took a devastating turn when he lost his eyesight to a rare illness. Once a successful painter and printmaker, Jonathan now lives in complete darkness, rarely leaving his apartment and angry at the world. When he encounters his precocious 11-year-old neighbor, Lupe, the two form an unlikely friendship. Her cheerful presence shatters his hardened exterior, revealing a gentle man struck by tragedy. Lupe leads him to a fresh perspective by showing him the power of kindness, compassion, and love. Based on the celebrated teachings of Louise Hay, Painting the Future explores the power of positive thinking in healing past struggles and learning to live a joyful, heart-centered life., The tyrants discussed in The Nature of Despotism share common backgrounds, behaviours and motivations that, when viewed together, can be seen as forming the character of the despot. From more predictable origins, such as violent, miserable childhoods, to those that seem more surprising, such as frustrated artistic impulses, each aspect of despotic cause and effect is examined in detail. The book covers the lives and careers of such despots as Nero, Genghis Khan, Vlad the Impaler, Robespierre, Stalin, Hitler, Francois 'Papa Doc' Duvalier, Pol Pot, Saddam Hussein and Kim Jong-Il. With chapters on the use of ceremony and scapegoats to distract their people, the importance of building a personality cult, the pretension to, and control of, culture and the myth of efficiency, The Nature of Despotism is an in-depth study of what it is that makes a tyrant and offers predictions for the future of depotism in a world where international bodies increasingly intervene in a country's affairs. Book jacket.
LC Classification NumberD107