![]() Pinker is at his best when he analyzes historic trends and uses data to put the past into context. I’m all for more reason, science, and humanism, but what I found most interesting were the 15 chapters exploring each measure of progress. It opens with an argument in favor of returning to the ideals of the Enlightenment-an era when reason, science, and humanism were touted as the highest virtues. He manages to share a ton of information in a way that’s compelling, memorable, and easy to digest. ![]() ![]() I read the book slowly since I loved it so much, but I think most people will find it a quick and accessible read. The result is a holistic picture of how and why the world is getting better. His new book, Enlightenment Now, is even better.Įnlightenment Now takes the approach he uses in Better Angels to track violence throughout history and applies it to 15 different measures of progress (like quality of life, knowledge, and safety). I’m going to stop talking up Better Angels so much, because Pinker has managed to top himself. I’d never seen such a clear explanation of progress. Pinker uses meticulous research to argue that we are living in the most peaceful time in human history. If I could recommend just one book for anyone to pick up, that was it. ![]() For years, I’ve been saying Steven Pinker’s The Better Angels of Our Nature was the best book I’d read in a decade. ![]()
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