A psychoanalyst at the University of Virginia, Vamik Volkan tries to apply the wisdom of his profession to the problem of international conflict resolution. He offers a new vocabulary that illuminates concepts such as nationalism and ethnic pride in helpful ways, and is always careful to connect his theories to lessons from the real world. And as a native of the strife-torn island of Cyprus, Volkan knows his subject intimately. Blood Lines lacks an overarching thesis, but it also rewards readers with details and observations not to be found elsewhere. Those who enjoyed Samuel Huntington's The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order or Robert Kaplan's Ends of the Earth will appreciate Blood Lines.
