The Psychology of Power

Jaap van Ginneken

"This book tests the disquieting hypothesis that our most powerful leaders acquire strange quirks, making them take unnecessary risks. The author scrutinizes some of the best-known top politicians of the largest western or G6 nations over the last half century, when they approached or reached the highest executive office, such as Berlusconi, Bush, Clinton, Kennedy, Reagan, Thatcher and others. All gave in to a slightly amended version of the seven temptations or mortal sins: Lust or sexual obsession, Gluttony or substance abuse, Greed or hidden corruption, Wrath or power abuse, Denial of mortal illness, Folly or mental disease, or Pride and over-confidence. Well documented with references to primary sources in four different languages, this study examines the psychological forces tugging at the top level of political leadership"--