A review by bobbo49
The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined by Steven Pinker

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

4.0

 Well, this tome only took me a month to read - but the challenge, and the insights and analysis that Pinker provides, were well worth the time, as he substantiates the theory that modern societies - and their inhabitants - are less prone to internal and external violence. He starts out by carefully and statistically establishing the historical decline in violence/wars/killings over the centuries, even considering the two 20th Century global wars that briefly skewed numbers in the other direction. Pinker then systematically analyzes the underlying roots of this decline.

Yes, Pinker acknowledges the possibilities of contrary future trends, but he also clearly establishes the greater likelihood of continued evolution toward reductions in local and global violence.

All in all, a very well documented and carefully written analysis of why violence has, and should continue to, decline.