"A vital contribution to the burgeoning scholarship on the logic of torture. Einolf turns the lens on the psychology of perpetrators, exposing a new sinister argument to explain why some governments feel compelled to torture. This is a provocative and important book."Ron Hassner, author of Anatomy of Torture"Why Torture Persists provides a comprehensive history of the practice of torture in various contexts and for a variety of purposes, and it tackles the great paradox of torture – why is it so commonly used if it doesn't 'work'? Einolf provides a deeply informed answer."Lisa Hajjar, University of California, Santa Barbara "As unlikely as this sounds, Why Torture Persists is a page turner, though a trigger warning is required. Brutal and eye-opening. A call to action: eradicate this beast."Lisa Henry, Secretary General, International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims "We've been waiting half a century for a book like this. Einolf offers a desperately needed overview of the now enormous social scientific research on torture, while advancing his own thesis on why this evil persists. Well researched and documented, this is an essential sourcebook for those unfamiliar (and a good reminder for the old pros)."Darius Rejali, Reed College
