Author:Francois Bizot
In 1971, Francois Bizot was kept prisoner for three months in the Cambodian jungle, accused of being a CIA spy. His Khmer Rouge captor, Comrade Duch, eventually had him freed and it took Bizot decades to realize he owed his life to a man who, later in the Killing Fields regime, was to become one of Pol Pot's most infamous henchmen. As the head of the Tuol Sleng S-21 jail, Duch personally oversaw the detention, systematic torture and execution of more than 16,000 detainees.
Duch's trial as a war criminal ended in July 2010 amid a blaze of publicity. He was sentenced to a controversial 35 years imprisonment. In the tradition of Gitta Sereny, who sat with Speer in the Nuremberg trials, Bizot attended Duch's court case and spent time with him in prison, trying to unearth whatever humanity Duch had left.
'It would be all too easy,' says Bizot, 'if this man was a monster, not a member of the human race. We could use the slogan 'never again' and move on. But the deep horror is that this man is normal...Through his very qualities he became a mass murderer. Does that exonerate him from the crimes? Certainly not. But it does force us to question ourselves in a way that is deeply unsettling.'
At once a personal essay, a historical and philosophical meditation, and an eye-witness account, Facing the Torturer will join a very short list of important books about man's personal responsibility in collective crimes.
A brave attempt at clarity; that it poses more questions than it answers is a measure of how unanswerable and disturbing these questions remain.
—— Literary ReviewA hard and admirable book.
—— SpectatorA difficult but essential read.
—— Press AssociationA powerful philosophical meditation on the nature of humanity – and inhumanity – and personal responsibility, and an empathetic attempt to bring Duch the man out from behind Duch the monster.
—— Financial TimesFacing the Torturer is Bizot's attempt to reconcile the monster of popular imagination with the man who set him free.
—— Sunday TimesThis beautifully written book will certainly get you thinking and makes for an uncomfortable read about the human psyche.
—— welovethisbook.comAn unparalleled investigation into the nature of humanity itself... Facing the Torturer is a deeply moving book not only about Cambodia but the nature of evil. What takes place inside the mind of a torturer, and what in the end drives him to become deeply religious and confess all of his past sins? Haunted by his own guilt decades later, Bizot is still searching for those answers.
—— Asia TimesRemarkable insights into the lives of evil men.
—— ScotsmanCombines erudite analysis, historical context, a mind-bending adventure and extremely suggestive sex - some of it involving Foer's grandmother.
—— Tony Allen-Mills , Sunday TimesA labyrinthine personal journey that explains how our author ended up in the finals of the US Memory Championship - a compelling story arc from sceptical journalist to dedicated participant. I can't remember when I last found a science book so intriguing.
—— David Profumo , Literary Review[A] charming book...interwoven with informed exposition about the psychological science of memory.
—— Professor Larry R Squire , NatureA fascinating, engaging and very well-written book.
—— Dallas Campbell , Science FocusAddictive and fascinating...extraordinary. [Foer] attended the US Memory Championship as a journalist and returned the next year as a competitor and won...It is Foer's gifts as a teacher and a storyteller that make this book essential reading.
—— Leo Robson , Scottish Sunday ExpressTake, for example, the emergence of Downing Street as a salon for intellectuals from around the world, and not only economists and political scientists. Under David Cameron-or, more accurately, Steve Hilton, the prime minister's most influential adviser-the thinkers invited to hold court there often have little to say about policy per se. Joshua Foer, a young American who has written an acclaimed book about how memory works, was a recent guest. Mr Hilton's rationale is that governments have more to learn from fields of research that investigate how humans behave, such as neuroscience and social psychology, than from conventional technocrats. There is now a policy team devoted to "behaviourial insight" in the Cabinet Office.
—— Bagehot, The EconomistFoer's book is great fun and hugely readable, not least because the author is a likeable sort of Everyman-science nerd whom we want to become a memory champion. Always fascinating and frequently mind-boggling, Moonwalking with Einstein is a book worth remembering.
—— Mark Turner , The IndependentFor anyone interested in economics, cognitive science, psychology, and, in short, human behavior, this is the book of the year. Before Malcolm Gladwell and Freakonomics, there was Daniel Kahneman who invented the field of behavior economics, won a Nobel...and now explains how we think and make choices. Here's an easy choice: read this
—— The Daily BeastI will never think about thinking quite the same. [Thinking, Fast and Slow] is a monumental achievement
—— Roger Lowenstein , Bloomberg/BusinessweekA terrific unpicking of human rationality and irrationality - could hardly have been published at a better moment. Kahnemann is the godfather of behavioural economics, and this distillation of a lifetime's thinking about why we make bad decisions - about everything from money to love - is full of brilliant anecdote and wisdom. It is Kahnemann's belief that anyone who thinks they know exactly what is going on hasn't understood the question; as such it's the perfect gift for opinionated family members everywhere.
—— Tim Adams , Observer Books of the YearThe book I most want to be given is Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. I'm a speedy thinker myself, so am hoping to be endorsed in that practice.
—— Sally Vickers , Observer Books of the YearIn this comprehensive presentation of a life's work, the world's most influential psychologist demonstrates that irrationality is in our bones, and we are not necessarily the worse for it
—— 10 Best Books of 2011 , New York TimesSelected by the New York Times as one of the 100 Notable Books of 2011
—— New York TimesWonderfully rich and insightful
—— Julian Ovenden , Daily ExpressA brilliant read
—— Nadine O’Regan , Sunday Business PostEssays true to psychoanalytic principles, but free from jargon; they have the quality of the best short stories.
—— Lorna Bradbury , Daily TelegraphGrosz is able to expand out creating universal themes and experiences that makes every chapter personally relevant to the reader. It is a fascinating process that challenges you to reflect honestly about your own experiences… Indeed this is both the perfect book for someone with no psychology background or someone who works in the area… I found this book extremely interesting… I would highly recommend to anyone wanting an interesting and fascinating social science read and it is a book you’ll remember long after reading.
—— Topic UKGrosz’s vignettes are so brilliantly put together that they read like pieces of bare, illuminating fiction. . . utterly captivating
—— Robert Collins , Sunday TimesMarvellous… After reading [Grosz’s] absorbing accounts of his patients’ journeys you might feel that The Examined Life ought to be given out free at birth
—— Melissa Katsoulis , The TimesCrystal-clear and completely magical…The Examined Life is a book full of troubles, but also of wonders
—— Craig Brown , Mail on SundayEngaging, frank, and with many penetrating insights. His short, succinct chapters have both the tension and the satisfaction of miniature detective or mystery stories
—— Michael Holroyd , The SpectatorBy turns edifying and moving…Grosz offers astute insights into the perplexities of everyday life
—— Trisha Andres , Financial Times[Grosz's accounts] are shaped like short stories, but true and moving in ways that fiction cannot be […] distilled through long examination into finely crafted literary form…
—— Alexander Linklater , ObserverGrosz’s message is always affirming…it is possible to change
—— Mark Crockett , The ScotsmanExcellent… Every one of these case histories bears repeating. All offer worthwhile insights
—— Susanna Rustin , GuardianIntelligent, human and deeply moving
—— Jane Clinton , Sunday Express'Grosz] writes lucidly and with sensitivity… sprinkled with wise reflections… A gem… highly recommended
—— Leyla Sanai , The Independent[A] fine and moving book… It is a true literary work and a very modern one…
—— Anthony Rudolf , Jewish ChronicleThat rarest of pleasures: a book I loved, and could recommend to almost anyone
—— John Self , Asylum blogEnlightening…full of wisdom and insight
—— Sophie Hannah , MetroBeautifully unadorned writing... He paints a vivid portrait of his patients
—— Sunday Business PostA rare insight into the life of the psychoanalyst… succeeds in making complex behavioural issues accessible for any reader
—— Kathryn Gaw , Irish TimesExquisitely written casebook
—— Vantage NW MagazineThe suspense in each chapter is so expert that I had to double check that this wasn’t a work of fiction. Best of all, Grosz manages to give a jargon-free account of how psychoanalysis works
—— The WeekBy turns edifying and moving… Grosz offers astute insights into the perplexities of everyday life
—— Trisha Andres , Financial TimesGrosz's vignettes are so brilliantly put together that they read like pieces of bare illuminating fiction... It is this combination of tenacious detective work, remarkable compassion and sheer, unending curiosity for the oddities of the human heart that makes these stories utterly captivating.
—— Sunday TimesBrilliant…. Grosz is a superb writer, yes, but it is the stories his patients tell him that really make you marvel. An elegant, jargon-free expedition into the secret business of our minds written with such wisdom and kindness… After reading [Grosz’s] absorbing accounts of his patients’ journeys you might feel that The Examined Life out to be given out free at birth
—— Melissa Katsoulis , The TimesA fine and moving book... The tact, patience and understatement, which are particular components of Grosz’s wisdom, remind the reader that this writer’s insights and empathy result from thousand of hours with patients. This book is not polemical literature… nor is it an academic work or a popular self-help book. It is a true literary work and a very modern one.
—— Jewish ChronicleCrystal-clear and completely magical...The Examined Life is a book full of troubles, but also of wonders: it shows people trapped by their own mysterious impulses, searching for an escape hatch, and often finding it
—— Craig Brown , Daily MailFive star review - an intelligent, human and deeply moving book… Grosz is listening for the unspoken and the gaps in between. His book celebrates change and the triumphs and tragedies of humanity
—— Jane Clinton , Sunday ExpressExcellent… this book arrives like a box of chocolates. Thirty-one elegantly presented chapters which, when you bite into them, each reveals something sweet, rich or crunchy. Every one of these case histories bears repeating. All offer worthwhile insights.
—— Susanna Rustin , The GuardianEngaging, frank, and with many penetrating insights. His short, succinct chapters have both the tension and the satisfaction of miniature detective or mystery stories… A stimulating book.
—— The SpectatorGrosz writes lucidly and with sensitivity, treating his patients with respect. The cases are sprinkled with wise reflections... highly recommended
—— IndependentThere are many sage lessons here, backed up by research where necessary…fascinating… Grosz writes lucidly and with sensitivity, treating his patients with respect. The cases are sprinkled with wise reflections…highly recommended
—— Leylai Sinai , IndependentIntensely readable… As a reminder of the strangeness of human existence, the myriad ways we find of making ourselves unhappy and the perplexing resourcefulness of the unconscious mind, Grosz’s book is a worthwhile addition to the literature of the examined life.
—— New StatesmanWritten with real elegance and a strong sense of structure… several chapters read like powerful short stories
—— Readers DigestElegantly structured and written… Grosz’s book is intensely readable
—— Jane Shilling , New StatesmenShaped like short stories, but true and moving in ways that fiction cannot be... Gradually accumulating through his book, Grosz provides, not a definition, but an enactment of the purpose of psychoanalysis, which is both modest and profound.
—— Alexander Linklater , ObserverGrosz is an able writer, engaging, frank and with many penetrating insights. His short, succinct chapters have both the tension and the satisfaction of miniature detective or mystery stories… a stimulating book
—— Michael Holroyd , Spectator[These] interpretations make fascinating reading, leave you marvelling at the ingenuity of the human subconscious. Grosz’s message is always affirming: if a person can work out what it is that’s driving them, it is possible to change
—— Mary Crockett , The ScotsmanGrosz’s narrative is by turns edifying and moving...tempered by his engaging prose and moments of humour
—— Trisha Andres , The Financial TimesI couldn't put this down—I read about other people, but learned about myself at the same time. Real stories can be so much more fascinating than fictional ones, especially with Stephen Grosz. No preaching, no clichés—just wisdom.
—— Victoria HislopModest and profound
—— Alexander Linklater , Observer