Genocide occurs when a government attempts to exterminate systematically a large percentage of its own citizens or subjects, simply because they fall into a particular group defined by religion, ethnicity, political affiliation, or (rarely) other group identification ranging from occupation to gender status. Genocide has been a major cause of death worldwide over the last 100 years or more, and is far from being eliminated. Through examining available cases, Warning Signs of Genocide: An Anthropological Perspective shows that genocide becomes a live danger when group hatreds—especially religious, ethnic, and political—are exploited by political regimes as major ways of seizing and maintaining power. Genocide is actually invoked, however, only when such regimes feel they are threatened, usually either because they are new and not consolidated in power or because they are challenged by local rebellions, civil war, or (less often) international war or major economic decline. Knowing these warning signs should make the international community take note that genocide is virtually certain to occur, and take action to stop it. This book joins others in noting that the international community has rarely intervened in time, and in the hope that these findings will encourage more prompt action.

"Anderson (emer., Univ. of California, Riverside) and Anderson (Frontier Nursing School) have produced a thought-provoking study of the causes of genocide, employing methodologies from anthropology and public health to make their case. The authors are clear that they have not penned a complete review of genocide studies, nor are they intending "to just speak to genocide scholars." Rather, they offer "a new explanation ... an epidemiology of genocide." Using both recent and historical examples, they explore indirect and direct causes of genocide, providing readers with a robust perspective on causative factors that give rise to instances of genocide. The Andersons also identify "good seeds," factors that might reduce the risk of future genocides: accountable governance is one such good seed they cite. The book, which includes useful appendixes and a comparison of past genocides, could have benefited from a more thorough explication of the methods they employed, but overall, this is a solid contribution that speaks to audiences beyond genocide scholars. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-level undergraduates, graduate students, and professionals/practitioners." - CHOICE