Major Accomplishments of the Altruistic Personality and Prosocial Behavior Institute
1988 - 2008

Saving the Foresaken: Religious culture and the rescue of Jews in Nazi Europe

Pearl M. Oliner (with the assistance of Jeanne Wielqus and Mary B. Gruber)
•Yale University Press 2004

Based on data collected by the Altruistic Personality and Prosocial Behavior Institute, and using both quantitative and qualitative analyses, the book examines the cultural contexts in which the very religious, irreligious and moderately religious, as well as Protestants and Catholics, made their decisions to rescue or not to rescue. Although focusing on a particular historical event, a major purpose of the book is to suggest implications for enhancing the possibilities of our group altruism among diverse cultures.

Do Unto Others: Extrodinary Acts of Ordinary People

Samuel Oliner
•Westview Press, Boulder, Colorado, 2003

This book explores what gives an individual a sense of responsibility, what leads to the development of care and compassion, and what it means to put the welfare of others ahead of one's own. Having been saved from the Nazis at age 12 as the result of one non-Jewish family's altruism, Oliner has made a lifelong study of the nature of altruism. Weaving together moving personal testimony and years of observation, Oliner makes sense of the factors that elicit altruistic behavior-exceptional acts by ordinary people in ordinary times.

Who Shall Live: The Wilhelm Bachner Story

Samuel Oliner and Kathleen Lee
• Academy Publishers, Chicago, 1996

This is the story of an ordinary man who became extraordinary during the Holocaust; the authors have done a marvelous reconstruction of a life. The full story of the Holocaust cannot be told through history books or by mere statistics, awesome as such accounts may be. The "Shoah" is an event about individual people, their suffering and their heroism. This book is about just that and beautifully tells of lives that make us at once sad and proud.

"This fascinating story must be read for it proves that it was possible for humanity to triumph over powerful evil" - Harry James Cargas, Webster University

"The riveting true account of how the "Jewish Schindler" saved the lives of dozens of Polish Jews..." - Elie Wiesel

Samuel Oliner and Kathleen Lee
• Bleicher Verlag (The German version of the book above).

• The Hebrew Version of the book.

Toward a Caring Society: Ideas into Action

Pearl M. Oliner and Samuel P. Oliner
• Praeger Publishers, London, 1995

Arguing that a caring society can only emerge from caring institutions, this book proposes eight social processes to promote caring relationships in the family, the workplace, schools and religious institutions. Four of the processes (bonding, empathizing, learning caring norms, and practicing caring behavior) relate to promoting care among participants within social institutions. The remaining four (diversifying, networking, resolving conflicts, and global connectedness) deal with promoting caring relationships toward the broader society. Each concept is elaborated and illustrated by examples taken from existing practices in multiple settings.

Embracing the Other: Philosophical, Psychological and Historical Perspectives on Altruism

Pearl M. Oliner (Editor) Co-editors: Samuel P. Oliner, Lawrence Blum, Dennis Krebs, and Zuzanna Smolenska
• New York University Press, 1993, 1995.

"Embracing the Other" is a collection of original papers presented at a conference in Warsaw, Poland in June 1989, which was jointly sponsored by the Altruistic Personality and Prosocial Behavior Institute, the Polish Academy of Sciences of Warsaw, and the Institute of Noetic Sciences. This volume has a multidisciplinary approach addressing altruism, its causes and consequences, and its implications for humanity and a better world.

Restless Memories: Recollections of the Holocaust Years

Samuel P. Oliner
• Judah L. Magnes Museum, Berkeley, California, 1979.

"Words fail me to adequately express my reaction to what is perhaps the most engrossing book I have ever read on this painful subject." - William B. Helmreich, Professor of Sociology, City University of New York

"I read it in one sitting. It is an extremely moving drama." - Harry James Cargas, Department of Literature and Language, Webster College

The Altruistic Personality: Rescuers of Jews in Nazi Europe

Samuel P. Oliner and Pearl M. Oliner
• The Free Press, Macmillan, 1988, 1992.

The result of six years of study, "The Altruistic Personality" explores the experiences and motivations of those uncommon individuals who aided Jews at a time of extreme danger. By comparing and contrasting rescuers and bystanders, it was discovered that those who intervened were distinguished by characteristics such as empathy and a sense of connection to others. A major review called "The Altruistic Personality" the definitive study of rescuers. Stories from the book have been dramatized by playwright Wilfried Harrison in Rescuers Speaking, which has been performed both in the U.S. and abroad, as well as produced by the BBC. Published by Harword.

Race and Gender Relations in the 21st Century: A Global Perspective

Editors: Samuel P. Oliner and Phillip T. Gay
• Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

This volume deals with race and ethic relations in a global setting. It includes chapters dealing with race and minority issues in all the five continents.

Narrow Escapes: Childhood Memories of the Holocaust and Their Legacy

Samuel P. Oliner
• Paragon Press, St. Paul, MN, 2000

"Sam 'Schmulek' Oliner was one of the fortunate Polish Jews who found refuge in the home of Polish peasants... His well-written memoir reminds us that the Holocaust sometimes brought out the best, as well as the worst, in people." - Lawrence Baron, Abraham Nasatir Professor of Modern Jewish History. San Diego State University

"Narrow Escapes defines Samuel Oliner's life in more ways than one.Not only is he a Holocaust survivor who barely eluded the genocidal 'Final Solution'... he is also a groundbreaking Holocaust scholar who has focused attention on the rescuers... who risked their lives to give Jews life-saving narrow escapes during those dark times. Oliner's significant epilogue in this new edition both updates his story and helps to show how his narrow escapes lead to a remarkable career." - John K. Roth, Pitzer Professor of Philosophy, Claremont McKenna College

Racism and Anti-Semitism in Rural America: A Survey Interview of a Sample consisting of African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Jewish Americans and white European Americans.

Samuel P. Oliner and Jerry Krause
• Published by HJ&R Vol. 26 #1 & 2, 2002

Abstract: This research reviewed literature on intergroup attitudes and reports research based on a sample of 220 adults from six different ethnic groups: European Americans, African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Latino Americans and Jewish Americans. The purpose of the study was to examine the feelings, attitudes, perceptions and opinions that each of the six groups have of the others, as well as to what extent the minority groups feel accepted in this rural community and the degree of tolerance they have experienced. The sample, consisting of adults, including students from Humboldt State University, was drawn from the rural communities in Humboldt County (population 128.000), located in Northern California.

Monograph available from:
The Altruistic Personality and Prosocial Behavior Institute
Department of Sociology
Humboldt State University
Arcata, CA 95521