PM. NEW DUTCH  VERSION, WITH NEW CASES ABOUT TRUMP AND JOHNSON, PUBLISHED AUTUMN 2021. SOON AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIOBOOK.

The psychology of power - Temptations at the top. English (London: Palgrave MacMillan. ISBN 978-1-137-45402-7), and Dutch (below). The book investigates the so-called ‘Bathsheba syndrome’ affecting overconfident leaders.

As the same self-reinforcing testosterone loop that produces a ‘winner effect’ in highly competitive people may ultimately turn into a ‘loser effect’ once they approach the top. They get overly used to taking risks, which often results in crisis or scandal. Usually hushed up by a professional communication staff, and often remaining hidden to the outside world – even to this very day.

            The study takes a closer look at the 16 best-known top politicians of the largest western G-6 nations over the last half century: Andreotti, Berlusconi, Blair, Brandt, Bush Jr., Clinton, Craxi, Kennedy, Kohl, Mitterrand, Moro, Nixon, Pompidou, Reagan, Trudeau, and finally Thatcher – the only female at the time.

It turns out they all fell for one of the seven mortal sins, slightly amended here: sexual obsession, hidden addiction, secret corruption, power abuse, (denial of) mental disease or fatal illness, or just plain hubris.

Abbreviated Dutch version: Verleidingen aan de top – De psychologie van de macht (Amsterdam: Business Contact 2013,  253 p. w. Notes, Lit., Register. ISBN 978-90-470-0642-8).

Tv Bk. Itw. Janneke Willemse, WNL op Zondag, Ned. 1 (14'44):  https://www.youtube.com/