The Better Angels Of Our Nature Why Violence Has Declined [Paperback]

“If I could give each of you a graduation present, it would be this—the most inspiring book I've ever read.
—Bill Gates (May, 2017)

A provocative history of violence—from theNew York Timesbestselling author ofThe Stuff of Thought, The Blank Slate, andEnlightenment Now.

Believe it or not, today we may be living in the most peaceful moment in our species' existence. In his gripping and controversial new work,New York Timesbestselling author Steven Pinker shows that despite the ceaseless news about war, crime, and terrorism, violence has actually been in decline over long stretches of history. Exploding myths about humankind's inherent violence and the curse of modernity, this ambitious book continues Pinker's exploration of the essence of human nature, mixing psychology and history to provide a remarkable picture of an increasingly enlightened world.

“If I could give each of you a graduation present, it would be this—the most inspiring book I've ever read.
—Bill Gates (May, 2017)

A Mark Zuckerberg Year of Books Pick

My favorite book of the last decade is [Steven] Pinker'sBetter Angels of Our Nature. It is a long but profound look at the reduction in violence and discrimination over time. —Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft

For anyone interested in human nature, the material is engrossing, and when the going gets heavy, Pinker knows how to lighten it with ironic comments and a touch of humor. . . . A supremely important book. To have command of so much research, spread across so many different fields, is a masterly achievement. —The New York Times Book Review

An extraordinary range of research . . . a masterly effort. —The Wall Street Journal

Better Angelsis a monumental achievement. His book should make it much harder for pessimists to cling lcS