The Algorithm Wars have ended, and the world has been optimized. Thanks to the System, everything that happens is recorded, liked, commented, shared and analyzed at scale in order to produce nonstop and ever-improving recommendations. It is a world of total information and total freedom… although things tend to go more smoothly when you follow the System’s prompts.

"Berger’s absorbing story skewers reliance on social media... A sharp, gripping story of a bleak future." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Optimal is a brilliant exploration of the implications of ceding our personal responsibility and relying on algorithms to teach us how to live. But more than that, it’s great storytelling." -- Hahvi.net

A rising tide of extremist movements threaten to destabilize civil societies around the globe. It has never been more important to understand extremism, yet scholars and policy makers can't even define who is an extremist and why. In this volume in the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series, J. M. Berger offers a nuanced introduction to extremist movements, explaining what extremism is, how extremist ideologies are constructed, and why extremism can escalate into violence. Named an Outstanding Academic Title for 2019 by Choice Reviews, a publication of the Association of College and Research Libraries. Available in English, Spanish, Finnish and Chinese. 

"Elegantly written, the book provides a lucid discussion of a contested concept." -- Perspectives on Terrorism

The definitive book on Americans who joined jihadist movements from the 1970s through 2011. 

"Berger lifts the veil on the phenomenon of American jihadists in this timely and chilling examination." -- Publisher's Weekly

"A sober, factual account of the Americans who have been lured to the cause of religious violence, offers a useful reminder that this phenomenon is nothing new, long predating the Sept. 11 attacks."  -- New York Times