For more than twenty years, I have studied destructive and apocalyptic cult leaders like Jim Jones, David Koresh (Waco), Shoko Asahara (Aum Shinriko), Marshall Applewhite (Heaven’s Gate), Charles Manson (Helter Skelter Murderers), and Luc Jouret and Joseph DiMambro (Suicidal Solar Temple). These cult leaders, the mesmerizing Malignant Pied Pipers of our time, led idealistic, father-hungry, or disillusioned young people away from their homes and toward destruction. Having an understanding of cult mentality and the pathological personalities of cult leaders is essential, for there are striking similarities between these deadly leaders and the newest examples, Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda cult of ultimate terror. The death toll from Jonestown, the Branch Davidian disaster at Waco, and Al Qaeda/ISIS terror cults of the last 30 years is horrendous. My previous book, A Boyish God, is a troubling novel with deep insights. I was jolted to my core when I learned that a college friend’s son died at the Rev. Jim Jones’s side at Jonestown. Over 30 years later, I am still searching for answers, especially about terror prevention.

For more than twenty years, I have studied destructive and apocalyptic cult leaders like Jim Jones, David Koresh (Waco), Shoko Asahara (Aum Shinriko), Marshall Applewhite (Heaven’s Gate), Charles Manson (Helter Skelter Murderers), and Luc Jouret and Joseph DiMambro (Suicidal Solar Temple). These cult leaders, the mesmerizing Malignant Pied Pipers of our time, led idealistic, father-hungry, or disillusioned young people away from their homes and toward destruction. Having an understanding of cult mentality and the pathological personalities of cult leaders is essential, for there are striking similarities between these deadly leaders and the newest examples, Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda cult of ultimate terror. The death toll from Jonestown, the Branch Davidian disaster at Waco, and Al Qaeda/ISIS terror cults of the last 30 years is horrendous. My previous book, A Boyish God, is a troubling novel with deep insights. I was jolted to my core when I learned that a college friend’s son died at the Rev. Jim Jones’s side at Jonestown. Over 30 years later, I am still searching for answers, especially about terror prevention.

In times of rapid change and instability, people are vulnerable to seductions of cult leaders and terror groups like Al Qaeda and ISIS. This book describes the psychological roots of such Malignant Pied Pipers.

What are the factors that lead some individuals to become terrorists? In this book, a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst examines case histories of terrorism and reveals how radicalized youths living next door can become dangerous homegrown terrorists. Religious zeal and passionate dogma can be powerful motivators for homegrown recruits of terrorist organizations. In this book, Peter A. Olsson, MD, applies his years of work with disordered personalities to the psychological understanding of why seemingly ordinary Americans turn into murderers of their countrymen. He identifies the psychodynamic patterns of the lives of those who become "homegrown terrorists" and commit acts of cold-blooded murder, examining 20 detailed case histories of individuals—often youths or young adults—to provide theoretical and practical understandings. The book focuses on individuals that include Timothy McVeigh; Ted Kaczynski, a.k.a. "The Unabomber"; the "Shoe-Bomber" Richard Reid; Colleen LaRose, a.k.a. "Jihad Jane"; Nidal Malik Hasan, an American-born, former U.S. Army officer who opened fire on American troops at Fort Hood, Killeen, TX, killing 13 and injuring more than 30; and Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tzarnaev, the two brothers charged with placing pressure cooker bombs at the finish line area of the 2013 Boston Marathon. It also delves into topics such as distinguishing between "good charisma" in a youth versus "evil charisma" and recognizing the characteristics of a healthy group or leader versus those with unhealthy motivations—subject matter that will be of interest and importance to anyone from concerned citizens and parents to teachers and terrorism specialists.

Authors Peter A. Olsson and Laurence F. Messner both had high hopes when Barack Obama was elected President of the United States. “We were impressed with Obama’s gift for moving and eloquent speeches. As both black and white himself, Obama had a unique opportunity. We had hopes that Obama would bring black America and white America together to continue our country’s solid progress toward freedom and justice for all,” the authors state. “After a severe economic crisis, we hoped for the return of American economic prosperity, military power, and spiritual leadership for peace in the world through American strength of leadership. We have been sorely disappointed in Mr. Obama! This book expresses our intense disappointments and the rationale behind our thinking.” The opinions, discussions, and correspondence in The Trojan Horse President took place from soon after Barack Obama’s election to the presidency until just before the presidential election of 2016.

The playground at Saint Thomas Moore School in Houston has become a terrifying place. When Sister Agnes hears young Will's fiery funeral sermon for a dead bird, she must comfort a group of fearful students. At the forceful insistence of his teachers, Will Powers reluctantly stops his explosive sermon. Will's teacher thinks that his parents, and particularly his father, seem very troubled. The parents won't return Sister Agnes's phone calls about similar events involving Will. School psychologist Sister Andrea Albright turns for help to a trusted psychiatrist friend, Dr. Tom Tolman. The ensuing therapy is seen from Will's perspective and the "helpful" adults around him. Those who would aid the boy instead reveal perspectives on psychotherapy's ability to thwart the evil of malignant self-absorption. And along the path of Will's therapy, Sister Andrea and her friend Tom find genuine love and romance. A Boyish God is a troubling novel with deep insights. Says the author, "I was jolted to my core when I learned that a college friend's son died at the Rev. Jim Jones's side at Jonestown. Two books and over thirty years later, I am still searching for answers...especially about terror prevention." Peter Alan Olsson is a retired psychiatrist/psychoanalyst. His four published nonfiction books are Malignant Pied Pipers of Our Time: From the Rev. Jim Jones to Osama Bin Laden; The Cult of Osama: Psychoanalyzing Bin Laden and His Magnetism for Muslim Youths; If I Knew Then What I Know Now: Advice to a Young Psychotherapist; and Poems Behind a Psychiatrist's Couch.