Fridell earned a Master's degree in radio, television, and film from Northwestern University. He taught English as a second language while a member of the Peace Corp in Bangkok, Thailand. He currently lives in Evanston, Illinois.
This book explains different tactics dictators often use to get into office and maintain power. It went through specific dictatorships, both current (at the release of the book), and ones in the past. The most interesting part to me was how the book explained the role the US often plays within these dictatorships. It also touched up on the topic of genocide, specifically ones that are tied to dictatorships.