A Magnum Opus in every sense!

For such a long book, it never gets boring. I was fascinated from start to finish. Pinker has certainly done his research, and the book is packed with references to current research. His analysis of human violence is comprehensive, covering history, philosophy, neuropsychology, evolutionary biology, genetics, social theory, religious beliefs, child rearing practices, theories on the origins of war, demographic correlates of violence and much more on the demons and angels of our nature.

Contrary to what we might think, he argues convincingly that we are getting more humane. No more do we burn cats (or heretics) alive for entertainment. No more do we torture people to death, or subject children to cruel and unusual punishments and even though our weapons of war are deadlier than ever, every life lost - even our enemies, becomes a source of regret.

The book holds several surprises: that literature may be a cause of our greater tolerance of others, that empathy has a dark side in favouritism, that "mirror neurones" do not necessarily make us more humane, that the Flynn effect (increasing IQ) may also be contributing to our capacity for compassion, that the era of "Flower Power" bucked the downward trend with a sharp increase in crime and violence.

We will never be without violence, but for anyone who despairs at the modern world, there is much hope to be found here. It would seem that the angels of empathy, reason, self-control, prudence, fairness, ethical norms, and human rights are slowly winning out against the demons of instrumental violence, sadism, revenge, rage and ideology.

This is such a great book!

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42 people found this helpful

Thorough and useful

The book goes over a lot of concepts to do with psychology and politics that link together in this comprehensive report on the growing theme of peace in our world.

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Highly recommended book about human nature

It's a long book, but detailed informative and easy to follow. I learned a lot of news theory and facts. Narrator was good!

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So much content

There is so much information contained in this book. The author has explored every angle to advance his theory and does so in an understandable way. It is a very long book so it was essential that the narration is good, it is excellent.

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Very entertaining

Eye opener, entertaining and sometimes mind blowing how much we have progressed this century.

How evil we humans can be to each other, has no limit.
When people say «the good old days» they usally forget how cruel the world was compared to today.

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This is an excellent book!

This is an excellent book. It is not for the faint hearted as it covers topics that some may find disturbing. However, in my opinion everyone should take the time to read/ listen to it as it's not only thought provoking but in a peculiar way life aferming.

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rethink what you know about violent conflict

this is long and technical, but well worth the time. it's a bit of a minefield of dry data interspersed with graphic descriptions of, for example, medieval torture practices. take care if listening with kids around. the mere fact I need to tell you this in a review of a book on violence tells you how much modern attitudes have shifted away from violence. this work takes you through how we got from the bad old days to the modern global village and leaves you with a real sense of hope.

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How can a theory so positive be so full of horror?

I've learnt probably more from this than from any other book. It's chock-full of well made arguments and the evidence to back them up. It's also significantly more interesting than many of the more academic books I've read or listened to.

But it's all held together by the word that started this sentence. But. It's natural for narrative conflict when dealing with something so thoroughly *big*, but whatever phrasing the author uses, it so liberally glues the narrative together that you can't help noting it. It's also immensely frustrating when some of the more compelling arguments are brushed aside with a "but I don't think so," where more immediately tenuous links are explored in great depth.

The Better Angels of our Nature is a refreshingly positive take on history, but Pinker describes great horrors in sometimes graphic detail to press the point that we've never had it so good, and that offers a welcome challenge to the reader. It also serves as a stark warning of the historic results of fierce nationalism and the breaking down of a leviathan such as the EU.

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The history of violence: a new perspective

This is a comprehensive , well argued and well delivered thesis. So full of logical, statistical and psychological support it oft requires a re-read or a follow up from the written text.
Thank you

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very good insight into history of violence

Steven pinker really digs deep into the history of violence and how humans tick. Very thorough analysis of the subject. I enjoyed how he uses everyday life examples to drive his point home. The insight of biblical era violence was well written. I bought into his thesis and subscribe to his views.

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