"What is it about human nature that leads some people to commit unspeakably evil acts? And, perhaps a more important question for reach of us, why do so many people submit to or even support these villains? World history sadly offers us a long list of dictators and totalitarians thugs who used their power to steal from and oppress their countrymen--and kill those who defied them. As tragic as these stories all are, they can still offer us lessons to learn from if we try to understand why these people acted the way they did--both those in control and those who were controlled. These lessons may have the key we need to help make sure the list of future villains is far shorter than the list in this book." Back cover.