Handbook of Heroism and Heroic Leadership

'The study of heroes and exemplars is generating increasing excitement throughout the social sciences at the present time, and for good reason. We live in a time of diminished expectations for moral leadership and true heroism. This innovative Handbook of Heroism and Heroic Leadership draws on the best available science to help us understand the conditions that foster heroic leadership, and how it works across a variety of social contexts. The volume is an essential contribution to the study of human lives in all their full potential.' – William Damon, Professor and Director, Stanford Center on Adolescence, Stanford University'Studying heroism is challenging for scientists, yet Allison, Goethals, and Kramer have assembled 29 chapters by knowledgeable authors who explore varied aspects of heroism. The result is a thoroughly impressive volume that surely is the key resource in this developing area of science. Professors could organize an outstanding course or seminar on heroism around these excellent chapters.' – Alice Eagly, Professor of Psychology and James Padilla Chair of Arts & Sciences, Northwestern University'Allison, Goethals, and Kramer's Handbook marks the emergence of the study of heroes and heroism as a central concern of the social sciences. A handbook in the truest sense, the book’s well-organized and executed chapters—written by leading experts in the field—combine to form a foundation for the study of heroic leadership; they summarize current scholarly thinking, build thematic connections between subareas, suggest novel interpretations and insights, and identify future directions for theory, research, development, and application. This book is a goldmine of information essential for anyone seeking to better understand the ethical, psychological, interpersonal, and spiritual bases of heroism.' – Donelson R. Forsyth, Colonel Leo K. and Gaylee Thorsness Endowed Chair in Ethical Leadership, University of Richmond 'This handbook is a comprehensive, informative, and exciting contribution to the literature on heroism and heroic leadership. Material on heroism tends to be scattered in many different places, and it is wonderful to have it at last in one place, in readable and engaging prose. I recommend the handbook most highly.' – Robert J. Sternberg, Professor of Human Development, Cornell University'Editors Scott Allison, George Goethals and Roderick Kramer have assembled an outstanding team of contributors whose expertise ranges from neurobiology and evolutionary psychology to developmental approaches as well as spirituality, leadership, and career development. In addition to the variety of topics and approaches featured in this volume, readers will appreciate the uniform clarity of the presentations and their engaging style of academic storytelling.' – Philip Zimbardo, Professor Emeritus, Stanford University, and Founder of the Heroic Imagination Project“These chapters do an excellent job of codifying what is known and defining the questions that remain to be answered. As those questions are addressed in the coming decade, this handbook will stand as the most comprehensive resource of sophisticated and penetrating scholarship on this intriguing, important, and yet somewhat elusive construct.” - Brian H. Stagner, PhD, Clinical Professor, Texas A&M University