The Better Angels of Our Nature
by Steven Pinker
Author's Description:
“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 millenia and we may be living in the most peaceful time in our species’ existence. For most of history, war, slavery, infanticide, child abuse, assassinations, programs, 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."
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."
My Review - Rating - 9.5/10
This isn’t an exciting or intriguing book, but it is one of my favorite nonfiction books. It is incredibly uplifting and inspiring, not because it gives you a pep talk or a feel-good message, but because it is an analytical, scientific look into human behavior and violence over time- a topic that sounds depressing, but actually will give you hope for our future and humanity. Pinker creates a persuasive, irrefutable argument that proves that violence of almost all kinds is decreasing in society, and has been for thousands of years, and explains why that is so. He explains in extreme detail what causes violence, how certain factors - the “better angels of our nature” - counteract these forces and our violent tendencies, and what major changes over the last five thousand years have allowed the “better angels of our nature” to gradually overcome our inclination towards violence. This book has seriously helped me in my life, as I’m both very anxious and keep up with current events, so when I hear about a horrible event on the news, I go back to this book and remind myself that life is nowhere near as bad as it once was and is getting better. Whether you find this book interesting or not, I’d highly recommend reading it.
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