“This remarkable book charts the living history of war and conflict, from what unfolds on the evening news to spellbinding examples from military history. Nicholas Wright’s analysis of our capacity for planning, introspection, perspective taking and metacognition lays bare our capacity for deceit, dehumanisation and destruction. However, the books dénouement revisits these fundaments of the human mind, and they point to another path–a path in which the horrors of war can be avoided through our complementary capacities for consciousness, communication, and construction.”–Karl Friston, Professor Neuroscience, University College London

“I learned a great deal from Nicholas Wright’s unique book about how today’s neuroscience can better explain the workings of the brain, and provide understanding of how our brains feed the roots of human conflict. Highly recommended.”–Professor Sir David Omand, War Studies Department King’s College London and former Director of GCHQ

“In a survival scenario, such as war, fundamental questions arise: How do we survive hunger? How can we think when tired? How do we detect deception? How do we choose our collaborators? In war, if we can’t answer these questions, we will doom ourselves and many others as well. In this distinctive and fascinating book, Nick Wright reminds us of the true importance of all the various brain functions, wherever they may be in the brain's hierarchy of function."—Chris Frith, Emeritus Professor of Neuropsychology, University College London, and author of Making up the Mind: How the Brain Creates our Mental World.