The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has DeclinedThe Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined
Score Modern
What it's about
Steven Pinker argues that, despite the daily news, violence has declined dramatically over human history: from tribal warfare and medieval torture to the decline of murder rates, the end of slavery, the 'long peace' after 1945 and falling violence against women, children and animals. He looks at what changed, from states and trade to empathy and reason.
Why it's worth reading
It was a finalist for the Samuel Johnson Prize (now the Baillie Gifford Prize). It's a huge, provocative book that reshaped how many people see progress.
You'll love it if you liked
Nexus
Darwin's Dangerous Idea
A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th CenturyGood to know
It's around 800 pages, full of charts. Its statistics and conclusions are hotly debated, and its descriptions of historical cruelty are graphic.
By the numbers
- Readers71 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics24 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller44 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz1 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #125 of the 198 history books we rank
- #469 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #904 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Thought-provoking, Dark
More by Steven Pinker
The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature
How the Mind WorksIf you like this, read next
The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History
The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine
BarrayarExplore the best-of lists
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Quick answers
Is The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined worth reading?
Yes. It was a finalist for the Samuel Johnson Prize (now the Baillie Gifford Prize). It ranks #904 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 74.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined about?
Steven Pinker argues that, despite the daily news, violence has declined dramatically over human history: from tribal warfare and medieval torture to the decline of murder rates, the end of slavery, the 'long peace' after 1945 and falling violence against women, children and animals. He looks at what changed, from states and trade to empathy and reason.
How long does it take to read The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined?
About 20 hours (802 pages), or about 6 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined?
If you liked it, try Nexus by Yuval Noah Harari, Darwin's Dangerous Idea by Daniel Dennett or A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century by Barbara W. Tuchman.