The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined (Playaway Adult Nonfiction Ser.)

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Synopsis
Faced with the ceaseless stream of news about war, crime, and terrorism, one could easily think we live in the most violent age ever seen. Yet as New York Times bestselling author Steven Pinker shows in this startling and engaging new work, just the opposite is true: violence has been diminishing for millennia and we may be living in the most peaceful time in our species's existence. For most of history, war, slavery, infanticide, child abuse, assassinations, pogroms, gruesome punishments, deadly quarrels, and genocide were ordinary features of life. But today, Pinker shows (with the help of more than a hundred graphs and maps) all these forms of violence have dwindled and are widely condemned. How has this happened?

This groundbreaking book continues Pinker's exploration of the essence of human nature, mixing psychology and history to provide a remarkable picture of an increasingly nonviolent world. The key, he explains, is to understand our intrinsic motives- the inner demons that incline us toward violence and the better angels that steer us away-and how changing circumstances have allowed our better angels to prevail. Exploding fatalist myths about humankind's inherent violence and the curse of modernity, this ambitious and provocative book is sure to be hotly debated in living rooms and the Pentagon alike, and will challenge and change the way we think about our society.

Chosen for Mark Zuckerberg's "A Year of Books"

A New York Times Bestseller

Copyright:
2011

Book Details

Book Quality:
Publisher Quality
Book Size:
832 Pages
ISBN-13:
9781101544648
Related ISBNs:
9780670022953
Publisher:
Penguin Group US
Date of Addition:
Copyrighted By:
Steven Pinker, 2
Adult content:
No
Language:
English
Has Image Descriptions:
No
Categories:
Nonfiction, Science, Psychology, Philosophy, Sociology
Grade Levels:
Twelfth grade
Submitted By:
Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:
This is a copyrighted book.

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