The Better Angels of Our Nature

Why Violence Has Declined

By: Steven Pinker

Narrated by: Arthur Morey

Length: 36 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

“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)

Selected by The New York Times Book Review as a Notable Book of the Year

The author of Enlightenment Now and The New York Times bestseller The Stuff of Thought offers a controversial history of violence.

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 millennia and we may be living in the most peaceful time in our species's 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.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2011 by Steven Pinker. (P)2011 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Well researched book

I read this book because Bill Gates said it was his favorite before Pinker’s most recent book, and it does not disappoint.

It’s very long so it can be a slog to get through the whole thing but this is an incredibly well-researched book that pulls from multiple disciplines: psychology, political science, philosophy, anthropology and sociology and probably others I missed. Yet he manages to cover all this research while still making it very understandable to the lay person. I study political science with a focus on international security—questions like why do people go to war? And so forth. His sections on those topics were accurate and brought up research I hadn’t even heard of.

I’d read Haidt’s Righteous Minds before this book and appreciate that he places it in the larger context of other theorists and philosophers that proceeded his work. I’ll definitely look into that more.

No moral history left unturned

Complete analysis of historical morals and possible reasons for our current direction of progress. Regardless of preconceived notions of moral decay, the author utilized tons of data and discussions based on that analysis to form conclusions. We are progressing greatly, and need to keep in mind why to avoid the decay we fear. Thought provoking beginning to end.

A Must Read for Current Times

This book offered perspective shifting concepts of peace in modern times. It is wonderfully performed (though I do wish Steven Pinker would have performed himself, I like his voice). I feel hope and renewed focus to help shift the needle slightly more away from violence and into our better angels.

This long book is worth the listen

Pinker is thorough, articulate, and nuanced in his handling of history. He rejects overly simplistic explanations and looks for exogenous causes (i. e. causes that are external to the effect) to avoid the circular reasoning of “violence declined because violence was declining”. Some of the depictions in this book may be triggering but they they demonstrate how far our sensibilities have come.

Enjoyed the historical more than the psychological

A massive, sweeping analysis of the general historical decline in violence. Thorough and persuasive. A big history. Some nice vignettes and examples — and little troublesome counter evidence to complicate the argument. I enjoyed the historical first half much more than the more psychological second half. Pinker welds two bars of evidence together rather than fully exhaust either. I would have enjoyed a more chronological march through and up to the present, rather than a history + mentality combo. Overall though, this is a masterpiece.

utterly awesome and mindblowing!! Thank you!!!

Thank you Dr. Pinker for an awesome and iconoclastic book whose time has come! Brother! I am grateful too! Brother of an individualistic sort...lol.

important book that everyone should read

Tremendously profound and insightful. I highly recommend to those who want to understand broad historical trends.

Dispels the government by fear platform

Excellent read that builds a solid case for why we are living in safer times than ever before. Pinker starts from the Old Testament stories of extreme carnage through the Middle Ages to modern times and builds on the dynamics he calls our better angels that have lead to a civil society throughout the world. Obviously we are not living in a utopian world bu far safer than the good old days.

Excellent!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, most definitely!

Any additional comments?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I feel as though I have a better understanding of how violence through out history was justified by aggressors and why we now have a much more civilized society that shows more respect to each other. I do think we have become more empathetic and appreciative of people who are not exactly like us but are worthy nonetheless.

Audacious attempt to fully support an assertion

I loved it. No fluff. Staggeringly researched. Long, but Justified in length. Will read again.