Joel Birman analyzes new forms of violence and aggression in *Notebooks on Evil*. Using psychoanalysis, a field of knowledge that has long addressed the topic of cruelty, the author offers a fresh perspective on the diverse manifestations of this facet of human nature. Birman consulted leading figures in global intellectual circles: Sigmund Freud, Adorno, Walter Benjamin, Lacan, Machiavelli, and many others who have addressed the topic of violence-cruelty, contributing to the book's theoretical construction. Today, large Brazilian cities live in a permanent state of alert due to the escalation of episodes of extreme violence. Considering this scenario, Birman asserts that persecution and paranoia are, without a doubt, the most widespread psychic formations among us. The book presents paths to a better understanding of this phenomenon and, thus, help with the burden of living in a besieged and ostensibly segregated society. The author emphasizes that the publication's objective is to transcend the academic sphere and undertake an extra-disciplinary effort to address this topic. In his analysis, Joel Birman demonstrates that there are various forms of aggression and violence and draws a parallel between them: delinquency among the less affluent classes is matched by corruption and white-collar crime among the middle and upper classes. The author warns that the problem of violence is not restricted to Brazil and is present throughout the international scene. However, he emphasizes that the inconsistency of Brazilian institutions, combined with social inequality within the country, is causing this problem to reach "almost apocalyptic" proportions.
