This book explores the social and psychological factors behind how ISIS was able to rise in Iraq, control most of it, and why most of that population eventually turned on it. Synthesized by some of the foremost experts on terrorism, the analysis is based on a unique array of public opinion data from surveys, focus groups, and interviews.

Table of content: Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Needs, Networks, and Narratives: An Explanation of Social Support for Violent Extremists Chapter 3 The Prelude to ISIS Chapter 4 The Rise of ISIS Chapter 5 Joining ISIS Chapter 6 Life under ISIS Chapter 7 The Decline of the ISIS Caliphate Chapter 8 After the ISIS Caliphate Chapter 9 Conclusion

"I was most impressed by the years of rolling surveys, structured by cutting-edge social science theory and insight, to support the bookâs central argument on the sense of personal and collective significance that ISIS initially afforded Sunni Arabs in the aftermath of America's intervention in Iraq and then squandered through brutal intolerance. The focus on Iraq as the cradle of this violent and dynamic transnational movement, and on local folk in search of meaning and certainty in their lives as opposed to more current journalistic preoccupation with foreign volunteers and the role of ideology, is key to making this book the best empirical work that I have seen on the rise and demise of ISIS." -- Scott Atran, Emeritus research director, CNRS-France; co-founder Arris International and Centre for the Resolution of Intractable Conflict, University of Oxford "ISIS in Iraq provides a unique and insightful analysis of the critical relationship between ISIS and the Iraqi public-what Mao famously termed 'the fish in the sea.' Using a rich and diverse array of data gleaned from surveys, focus groups, and interviews with former ISIS fighters, the authors incisively explain the dynamics of ISIS's ascent to power, its governance of the population and territory of significant parts of two existing countries, and the group's ultimate defeat." -- Bruce Hoffman, Georgetown University and author of Inside Terrorism "The authors provide a unique perspective on the rise and fall of ISIS: that of the Iraqis who watched, participated, or simply survived the experience. The exceptional research presented in this book will help readers better understand the dynamics of ISIS' relative and temporary success, and what the future might bring for the people of Iong-suffering Iraq." -- Craig Whiteside, Naval War College, Co-author of The ISIS Reader "I was most impressed by the years of rolling surveys, structured by cutting-edge social science theory and insight, to support the book's central argument on the sense of personal and collective significance that ISIS initially afforded Sunni Arabs in the aftermath of America's intervention in Iraq and then squandered through brutal intolerance. The focus on Iraq as the cradle of this violent and dynamic transnational movement, and on local folk in search of meaning and certainty in their lives as opposed to more current journalistic preoccupation with foreign volunteers and the role of ideology, is key to making this book the best empirical work that I have seen on the rise and demise of ISIS." -- Scott Atran, Emeritus research director, CNRS-France; co-founder Arris International and Centre for the Resolution of Intractable Conflict, University of Oxford "Leading scholars on the study of terrorism: Arie Kruglanski, Karl Kaltenthaler, Munqith Dagher, Ian McCulloh and Michele Gelfand explore the psychosocial factors prompting the support and eventual opposition toward ISIS in Iraq. The book offers insights into how groups used violence to achieve their political goals basing their analyses on public opinion data, focus groups, and in-depth interviews with front line soldiers and senior personnel. This comprehensive study integrates research from sociology, psychology, political science, and terrorism studies to explain ISIS's genesis, rise, and demise." -- Mia Bloom, Georgia State University

Munqith Dagher is the former special adviser to the Iraq Prime Minister and the CEO and founder of the Independent Institute of Administration and Civil Society Studies (IIACSS). Karl Kaltenthaler is Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Intelligence and Security Studies at the University of Akron. Michele Gelfand is a Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and Professor of Psychology at Stanford University. Arie W. Kruglanski is a Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland, College Park. Ian McCulloh is a retired lieutenant colonel from the US army and adjunct associate professor in the Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Whiting School of Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

Selling point: Features in-depth, original interviews with around 50 ISIS fighters and ISIS leaders Selling point: Draws from large-scale, nationwide public opinion surveys inside Iraqi ISIS -occupied areas Selling point: Explains why and how ISIS lost the support of Iraqi Sunni Arabs, and how this contributed to its defeat in Iraq