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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
This book took me two tries to get through—I stalled out somewhere in the 300s for a couple of months—but I'm so glad I gave it a second go. The ideas and research in here are game-changing, affecting so many different pieces of life, from politics to fiction to personal relationships. I'm pretty sure most of my friends are now thoroughly sick of me starting conversations with "so in this book I'm reading about violence..."
Just read it. There will be stuff you argue with no matter who you are, but arguing is ok. These are ideas worth thinking about.
Just read it. There will be stuff you argue with no matter who you are, but arguing is ok. These are ideas worth thinking about.
I marked this as read just to get it off my list. I gave up at page 116, after the author had summarized the history of violence up through the 1960s in the US without so much as a *mention* of the untold native people who were slaughtered by colonizing Europeans, nor of all the Black people who were murdered, first in slavery and later in post-slavery lynchings. Nope, the author is more interested in the history of one-off duels and bar brawls by whites people. And then he got to the 60s and started musing about how “uncivilized” Americans suddenly became, and especially Black men, and refers to the Moynihan report, suggesting that it’s about Black children being born out of wedlock. Lazy, tiresome, racist, done.
An extensively researched and well argued book making the case that violence has declined. The book begins with supporting evidence across six trends labeled: Pacification Process (reduction in raiding and feuding), Civilizing Process (rise of central authority), Humanitarian Revolution (abolishing socially sanctioned violence), Long Peace (lack of major wars post WWII), New Peace (reduction in number of organized conflicts), and Rights Revolutions (revulsion against aggression towards anyone). The book then uses two chapters to examine the psychology of violence. The final chapter summarizes the book's argument and it worth reading twice. As the preface pointed out there are many skeptics to convince which contributed to the books' length which for me made the book a chore to read.
Monumental, sí, e interesante: ofrece datos y un posicionamiento para el debate.
Pero los intereses del autor por defender sus conclusiones a capa y espada, cayendo en la ideologia, ha ocasionado que existan ya numerosos estudios (vease Douglas Fry) que demuestran los grandes sesgos en los que incurre Pinker, así como sus fallas metodológicas y su falta de conocimientos antropológicos.
Por cierto Sapolsky, en "Comportate" ofrece una síntesis correcta y brevisima acerca de la embarrada base de la que parte Pinker (sin negarle su interés ni negar que muchos puntos de la argumentación sean utiles).
Pero los intereses del autor por defender sus conclusiones a capa y espada, cayendo en la ideologia, ha ocasionado que existan ya numerosos estudios (vease Douglas Fry) que demuestran los grandes sesgos en los que incurre Pinker, así como sus fallas metodológicas y su falta de conocimientos antropológicos.
Por cierto Sapolsky, en "Comportate" ofrece una síntesis correcta y brevisima acerca de la embarrada base de la que parte Pinker (sin negarle su interés ni negar que muchos puntos de la argumentación sean utiles).
Finally finished. I'm not going to write a whole review, but suffice it to say, I loved this book. It was so consistently interesting. I almost didn't mind how long it was. Pinker writes superbly and its a freaking pleasure to read this.
That was one long book. Is it worth reading ? I am not sure, the title says it all, Pinker showcases how violence has declined recently. The book is filled with statistics and graphs as evidence. It felt like reading an extremely elongated scientific review. I found it informative but too long.
Relentlessly detailed and well argued, this was rather too intricate a tracing of human history and psychology; if I were a more interested reader of history it might have suited me down to the ground.
The author is meticulous in his data analysis and survey, producing some absolutely fascinating graphs and facts and figures of the types and motivations of violence through different types of political systems and societies.
I didn't really need all the proving of our violent past, so skimmed a lot, looking at the amazing metadata graphs, until I got to the end arguments, which were compelling, enduring and cautiously optimistic.
The author is meticulous in his data analysis and survey, producing some absolutely fascinating graphs and facts and figures of the types and motivations of violence through different types of political systems and societies.
I didn't really need all the proving of our violent past, so skimmed a lot, looking at the amazing metadata graphs, until I got to the end arguments, which were compelling, enduring and cautiously optimistic.
One of the most important books I have read recently. Based on some of the reviews here, for the readers with a weaker constituency I recommend speed reading the PTSD inducing graphic descriptions of the common types of violence in centuries past and for the attention span challenged it is best to skim the detailed statistical analysis and just read the summary of each numbers driven point. The overall message is well worth it!
Prose/Readability: 5
Author’s Commitment to Objective Truth: 5
Interesting Content: 5
Perspective Shift: 5
Comments:
Probably my favourite non-fiction book I’ve ever read
Author’s Commitment to Objective Truth: 5
Interesting Content: 5
Perspective Shift: 5
Comments:
Probably my favourite non-fiction book I’ve ever read
A comprehensive read and well worth the time. The historical and psychological evidence presented still rings true over 10 years later.