What accounts for the rise and fall of so many civilizations-especially when some of them held more political power than their rivals? Author Joseph Sassoon tackles this question and many others in this, his second volume on self-actualization. As a missionary for humanism, he explores the social conditions that are necessary for the greatest number of people to achieve self-actualization.

In presenting his theories, he reviews the work of major thinkers, including Kurt Goldstein and his landmark book, Human Nature in the Light of Psychopathology ; Charles Darwin; Buddha; and many others. Sassoon explores the answers to key questions:

• What is society's role in helping individuals move toward self-actualization?
  
  • What benefits would society enjoy if more people achieved their potential?
    
  • What are the main characteristics of a humanist code?
    
  • What can we do to promote humanist values?

A third volume in this series will establish the conditions required to bring about a world federalism based on humanism. In a changing world with competing ideologies, it is more important than ever to establish the importance of humanist values. In this study, Sassoon describes a step-by-step social arrangement leading to self-actualization for the greatest number of people in society.