This book focuses on those special circumstances in which men (alone or in groups) are isolated or confi ned for periods of time long enough to affect the way in which they think and behave. Active research in these phenomena initially grew out of a concern about prisoners of war in Korea and the presumed effects of "brainwashing," but this interest has been augmented by the technological advances that have allowed men to enter into isolation situations previously unattainable-in outer space, under the sea, on the face of the moon, or in remote places on the earth's surface. For the scientist...

Pursuing a brighter future in the US, Lars Stavig leaves his family in Norway and journeys to the prairies of Dakota Territory. Though their paths never cross again, he and his brother write, sharing their experiences across the sea. Like the lives their authors lived, their letters reflect the challenges faced by families in both Norway and America.