Summary of Mark P. Donnelly & Daniel Diehl's Big Book of Pain

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 The word torture is used so often and so inappropriately that it is necessary to define what it means before entering into any serious discussion of its uses. Torture is defined as the infliction of intense pain to punish, coerce, or provide sadistic pleasure. #2 The use of torture, and the reasoning behind it, is always the same.
The earliest use of torture was to punish wrongdoers, but over time it evolved into the need to extract information. The process was described in detail so that the victim would understand what was happening. #3 The fact that torture is often counterproductive does not change the fact that it can be used to extract confessions or other information. The object of torture is not to discover the truth but to secure a conviction, which is its greatest limitation. #4 In the sixteenth century, England was as guilty of torturing its subjects as any other country in Europe.
However, torture was only allowed when the reigning monarch approved of it, and since monarchs were technically above the law, their word superseded any written laws.