Tragedy of an American President

There is something authentically new in this book, something that has never before been categorized, or even articulated. It is the combining of the psychologist's insight about the cause of extremism with the philosopher's insight about that portion of reality that is inaccessible to human beings with their human apparatus -- what Plato and Kant called noumenal reality. The new insight presented in this book places religious belief in the realm of noumenal reality where it's inaccessibility fosters doubt which is often hidden from the believer. When this hidden doubt is placed under pressure by, say, a new scientific discovery, that doubt is over compensated for by extremism that sometimes leads to violence and war. Identifying this hidden doubt and the process which transforms it into extremism and war can deprive it of its power and its potential for destructiveness. This authentic new combination of insights is presented in this book in the context of a dramatic and compelling story. This book is the result of a search for an underlying cause of wars with a religious aspect. It was motivated by the narrow escape of a close relative from Ground Zero on 9/11, between the time the second plane hit the Twin Towers and their total collapse. The narrative reveals a unique discovery about an underlying cause of war that is driven by extremist beliefs and their related doubts, especially doubts that are exacerbated by scientific and cultural challenges. It describes a practical, realistic way to reduce and eliminate such wars. These discoveries are presented in the dramatic context of a story that is crafted to make the exploration of this discovery fascinating and thought-provoking. As the author, I hope that you, the reader, will find enjoyment and enlightenment from the dramatic and intellectual adventures you experience along the way. President Clinton found it "FASCINATING!" Ambassador Cofer Black said it shows "A BREATHTAKING KNOWLEDGE OF HISTORY," and James Fallows called it "ALARMING AND VERY POWERFUL."