Volkan (emeritus, psychiatry, U. of Virginia) discusses the psychopolitical and psychosocial dynamics of large groups in conflict. His theories of how ethnic, national, religious, and some ideological large-group identities are formed in childhood are built on Erik Erikson's theories of individual identities. Having explored how these large-group identities develop in Blind Trust: Large Groups and Their Leaders in Times of Crisis and Terror, he devotes this volume to the relationship between group identity and the experience of large trauma delivered by enemies, such as the attacks on New York and Washington, DC on September 11th, 2001. He also describes his experiences in applying his theories to mitigating inter-group conflict between Russians and Estonians. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)