The better angels of our nature : why violence has declined
(CD audio book)

Book Cover
Average Rating
Contributors
Morey, Arthur, narrator.
Published
[Grand Haven, MI] : Brilliance Audio, [2016].
Status
Main Library - Adult Audiobook
CD AUDIO 303.609 P6553b 2016
1 available

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LocationCall NumberStatus
Main Library - Adult AudiobookCD AUDIO 303.609 P6553b 2016On Shelf

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More Details

Published
[Grand Haven, MI] : Brilliance Audio, [2016].
Format
CD audio book
Physical Desc
29 audio discs (36 hr.) : CD audio, digital ; 4 3/4 in
Language
English

Notes

General Note
Compact discs.
Creation/Production Credits
Director, John Baker.
Participants/Performers
Read by Arthur Morey.
Description
We've all asked, "What is the world coming to?" But we seldom ask, "How bad was the world in the past?" In this startling new book, bestselling cognitive scientist Steven Pinker shows that the world of the past was much worse. In fact, we may be living in the most peaceable era yet. Evidence of a bloody history has always been around us: the genocides in the Old Testament and crucifixions in the New; the gory mutilations in Shakespeare and Grimm; the British monarchs who beheaded their relatives and the American founders who dueled with their rivals. Now the decline in these brutal practices can be quantified. Tribal warfare was nine times as deadly as war and genocide in the twenieth century. The murder rate in medieval Europe was more than thirty times what it is today. Slavery, sadistic punishments, and frivolous executions were unexceptionable features of life for millennia then were suddenly abolished. Wars between developed countries have vanished, and even in the developing world, wars kill a fraction of the numbers they did a few decades ago. Rape, hate crimes, deadly riots, child abuse--all substantially down. How could this have happened, if human nature has not changed? Pinker argues that the key to explaining the decline of violence is to understand the inner demons that incline us toward violence and the better angels that steer us away. Thanks to the spread of government, literacy, trade, and cosmopolitanism, we increasingly control our impulses, empathize with others, debunk toxic ideologies, and deploy our powers of reason to reduce the temptations of violence. Pinker will force you to rethink your deepest beliefs about progress, modernity, and human nature. This gripping book is sure to be among the most debated of the century so far.

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Citations

APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)

Pinker, S., & Morey, A. (2016). The better angels of our nature: why violence has declined (Unabridged.). Brilliance Audio.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Pinker, Steven, 1954- and Arthur, Morey. 2016. The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined. Brilliance Audio.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Pinker, Steven, 1954- and Arthur, Morey. The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined Brilliance Audio, 2016.

MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)

Pinker, Steven, and Arthur Morey. The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined Unabridged., Brilliance Audio, 2016.

Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.

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