Steven Pinker's latest book begins with the boldest statement: "This book is about what may be the most important thing that has ever happened in human history". The Better Angels of our Nature describes how violence has declined consistently and considerably from the time of the earliest humans, and that now "we may be living in the most peaceable era in our species' existence".
Starting with a quick-fire review of violence from human prehistory to the 20th century and beyond, Pinker shows that despite the oft-heard grumblings about an international slide into a violent abyss, we are actually becoming more and more peaceful. Murder rates worldwide have dropped to record lows, the number of large wars has fallen away, and the number of deaths in battle has shrunk. And there are plenty of facts, graphs and tables to back up those claims.
It's refreshing and hopeful stuff, and important work, too. The only issue Better Angels may have, however, is its readership. At 800 dense pages, this is a daunting book, and those who are sure of man's descent into chaos may prefer to give it a miss, while those who think we are improving may not need to be convinced by Pinker's argument.
The Better Angels of Our Nature: the Decline of Violence in History and its Causes
by Steven Pinker, Allen Lane, $40
