The Better Angels of Our Nature

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

A provocative history of violence--from the New York Times bestselling author of The Stuff of Thought and The Blank Slate and the forthcoming Enlightenment Now (February 2018)

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 Times bestselling 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 humankinds inherent violence and the curse of modernity, this ambitious book continues Pinkers exploration of the essence of human nature, mixing psychology and history to provide a remarkable picture of an increasingly enlightened world.