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This book introduces principles of Chaos theory (and Complex Adaptive Systems) to social science, in a lively and elegant way. It applies it to the twin disciplines of mass psychology (under social psychology, mostly in Europe) and collective behavior sociology (mostly in North America) that deal with emergent psychosocial phenomena that lie outside conventional approaches. Each of the eleven chapters begins with a topical case study section, on an issue related to climate change and collective behaviour, such as the school strike by Swedish schoolgirl Greta Thunberg, the Hollywood movie The Day After Tomorrow, and more. This book aims to show that there are fundamental reasons why many phenomena cannot be easily measured, predicted and controlled, and thus we need to familiarize ourselves with alternative ways of thinking about them. Jaap van Ginneken is a Dutch author, specialised in science studies, collective behaviour sociology and mass psychology. He has published some 25 books, the 10 major ones also translated into English. Earlier forerunners of this book were widely hailed as very innovative - yet highly readable.

By analysing a wide range of empirical research into leadership, this book provides a composite portrait of frequent characteristics, such as personality and demeanour, that influence both the success and popularity of political leaders. Through the lenses of mass psychology and collective behaviour sociology, the author offers fascinating observations on political leadership which reveal a coherent pattern. In our choice of and support for leaders, we still seem to be guided by unconscious or instinctive preferences. Evolutionary psychologists have labelled this 'CALP' for 'Cognitive Ancestral Leadership Prototype'. Length, symmetry, face form, voice pitch, eye blinking and more turn out to play a role - even today - alongside personality and style. Each chapter of the book offers a case study to illustrate these observations, including Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan, Nicolas Sarkozy, and Boris Johnson. This book is accessibly written to appeal to students of politics, psychology and sociology, as well as the wider interested reader.--

"This book tests the disquieting hypothesis that our most powerful leaders acquire strange quirks, making them take unnecessary risks. The author scrutinizes some of the best-known top politicians of the largest western or G6 nations over the last half century, when they approached or reached the highest executive office, such as Berlusconi, Bush, Clinton, Kennedy, Reagan, Thatcher and others. All gave in to a slightly amended version of the seven temptations or mortal sins: Lust or sexual obsession, Gluttony or substance abuse, Greed or hidden corruption, Wrath or power abuse, Denial of mortal illness, Folly or mental disease, or Pride and over-confidence. Well documented with references to primary sources in four different languages, this study examines the psychological forces tugging at the top level of political leadership"--