This team of international experts analyses the possibilities and limitations of preventing or reducing terrorism by addressing the factors that give rise to it and sustain it. The key questions raised include:

* what are the main circumstances that provide preconditions for the emergence of various types of terrorism?

* what are the typical precipitants that trigger terrorist campaigns?

* to what extent is it possible to reduce the problem of terrorism by influencing these causes and circumstances?

* should we address those factors that sustain terrorist campaigns rather than root causes?

This book is edited by Tore Bjørgo - Senior Research Fellow at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), Professor and Research Director at the Norwegian Police University College.

"This collection of papers is the product of an experts’ workshop (in which this reviewer participated) that was held in Oslo, Norway, in June 2003, under the auspices of the Norwegian government. It represented the first time that an academic meeting had been held to explore, in a systematic manner, the concepts and methodologies to conduct analysis on root causes of terrorism." - Joshua Sinai, ‘Terrorism Bookshelf: Top 150 Books on Terrorism and Counterterrorism’, Perspectives on Terrorism, Vol. 6, No. 2 (2012)