There have always been wars and always will be but let me assure you if what could truly be called WWIII had started, you and I would be dead and not talking on the puter about it.

IMO the definition of what constitutes war has changed. We’re a technology based society more than ever before.  WW3 probably is going on, but it’s not anything with visuals that make good news stories. I’d guess it’s mostly clandestine and “cyber” based.

Just a side note, Jack, but I think Pinker did an excellent job providing the evidence to show that violence has been declining. It’s only when he tried to explain why it was declining I found his book unsatisfactory.

Actually, it seems to have been the patern in many books I have read this year, where the authors do a great job at identifying a certain problem and then fail to explain its cause. I saw it in Pagel’s “Wired for Culture,” in Murray’s “Coming Apart,” and the biggest disappointment was Haidt’s “The Righteous Mind.”

I read the review on Pagel’s book; could these be used by researchers as an intro on each topic and not the last word on the subject? I wonder. I’m not at all familiar with the other two you mentioned but may read their reviews as well. Also, I know we’ve hashed and rehashed “Better Angels…” but did you find his research inconclusive or sloppy? Just asking, as this was the first Pinker book I read and I felt that he explained the decline in depth by using easily read graphs and charts. His historical references were right on the mark too.

Cap’t Jack

I think his book was rushed. I believe he said it took him less than a year to research all the relevant data and write the book.

I think his book was rushed. I believe he said it took him less than a year to research all the relevant data and write the book.

Ok, if you see him again ask him to write a sequel! That’s really not enough time to complete the research unless he had tons of data already stored and ready to use. Personally, I don’t know how they do it so quickly. It took me three years to research and write my thesis.

Cap’t Jack

I’ve wanted to buy Better Angels, but George and Doug advised me against it awhile back; I do generally like Pinker as a writer, though.

mid atlantic - 29 September 2012 03:49 AM

I’ve wanted to buy Better Angels, but George and Doug advised me against it awhile back; I do generally like Pinker as a writer, though.

I don’t think I advised anyone against it. I thought it was a very interesting book and worth reading. It was just slow going.

I still don’t think you need to read it, Mike. Just read one of the essays Pinker wrote on the topic before he published the book or even watching his TED talk is enough to learn that violence is indeed declining.