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missamandamae's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.5
This was really hopeful and inspiring to read - seeing how high conflict plays out in everyday life, and see how that leads to the larger conflicts that cause even greater pain. Gave me many things to ponder.
jaredwill_'s review against another edition
4.0
I read "How Civil Wars Start: And How to Stop Them" by Barbara F. Walter and "High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out" by Amanda Ripley together and, I think they are almost perfect companion pieces.
They both use some of the same examples as well as explore the dangers of conflict entrepreneurs but, more so they complement each other.
Walter's book shows how dangerous conflict can be and how the US is edging ever closer to civil war but, the solutions are macro and would need support in a deeply divided congress to implement.
Ripley's book details much lower stakes but, gives solutions that each individual person can take to reduce conflict around them.
Together they show how dangerous small-scale conflict can become if it's nurtured by conflict entrepreneurs, how individual people can slow or resolve these conflicts, and the kinds of tools governments can use to create bulwarks against the worst outcomes of these conflicts.
They both use some of the same examples as well as explore the dangers of conflict entrepreneurs but, more so they complement each other.
Walter's book shows how dangerous conflict can be and how the US is edging ever closer to civil war but, the solutions are macro and would need support in a deeply divided congress to implement.
Ripley's book details much lower stakes but, gives solutions that each individual person can take to reduce conflict around them.
Together they show how dangerous small-scale conflict can become if it's nurtured by conflict entrepreneurs, how individual people can slow or resolve these conflicts, and the kinds of tools governments can use to create bulwarks against the worst outcomes of these conflicts.
mojo_jojo722's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
5.0
shirleytupperfreeman's review against another edition
This is my new favorite book! I listened to it, read by the author, and can't wait to buy a copy and read it again while taking notes. Using stories and examples from people all over the world, Ripley investigates the how, what, why and when we get sucked into high conflict --- conflict that seems impossible to resolve, that exists for its own sake, that feels just plain intractable. From messy divorces, to gang warfare, to city council arguments, to Israel & Palestine, to FARC and the Columbian military and especially our own current politics, Ripley pulls together multiple threads to help us think about how we got here and how we can get out of the 'tar pits' of high conflict. I just want to read and talk about this book with everyone I see.