In The Psychology of Political Violence, Goldman argues “the accumulated forces in our social and economic life, culminating in an act of violence, are similar to the terrors of the atmosphere, manifested in storm and lightning”. She discusses various examples of violent political acts that had taken place in Europe and the US since the 1890s.

Quotes from books like Beyond Human Power by Björnstjerne Björnson and Zola’s books Germinal and Paris are used to explain and contextualize the incidents.