Mann (sociology, U. of California, Los Angeles) seeks to explain the atrocities of the last century by comparing them to the eight theses he has developed about ethnic cleansing within democracy. These include the concepts that the violence of ethnic cleansing is modern, emphasizes ethnicity over class, is triggered by resistance by the minority group, involves conflicting claims for the same land, is considered spontaneous or unavoidable by the perpetrators (who usually include a radical elite or a militant force), and presses ordinary people into service as murderers. Mann examines situations in Eastern and Western Europe, the New World, Africa, and India. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)