Logic of Evil

Why did millions of apparently sane, rational Germans join the Nazi Party between 1925 and 1933? In this provocative book, William Brustein argues that Nazi supporters were no different from citizens anywhere who select a political party or candidate they believe will promote their economic interests. The roots of evil, he suggests, may be ordinary indeed. "A fascinating story of how ordinary Germans joined an extraordinary party for ordinary reasons...Brustein has written an important book. The database is impressive, the theory is provocative, and the conclusions are scary."-Jeffrey Kopstein, American Political Science Review "An important book on the social origins of the Nazi Party from 1925 to 1933...Its conclusions are significant."-Richard J. Evans, Jewish Chronicle "The most useful part of this book is the group of chapters in which the author analyzes the material interests of different classes and the responses of the various Weimar parties."-Stanley Hoffmann, Foreign Affairs "The Logic of Evil ...is destined to become an important contribution to the sociology of Nazism and other extreme political movements." -American Journal of Sociology "Combining new historical data with acute attention to the problem of individual decisions, Brustein makes frighteningly clear how Nazism could be a reasonable choice for Germans in the 1930s. An important contribution to understanding how radical movements attract followers, and to understanding the rise of the Nazi Party."-Jack A. Goldstone, University of California, Davis William Brustein is professor and chair of the department of sociology at the University of Minnesota