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| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: The Better Angels of Our Nature Steven Pinker, 2012-09-25 Faced with the ceaseless stream of news about war, crime, and terrorism, one could easily think this is the most violent age ever seen. Yet as bestselling author Pinker shows in this startling and engaging new work, just the opposite is true. |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: An Analysis of Steven Pinker's The Better Angels of Our Nature Joulia Smortchkova, 2017-07-05 Reasoning is the critical thinking skill concerned with the production of arguments: making them coherent, consistent, and well-supported; and responding to opposing positions where necessary. The Better Angels of Our Nature offers a step-by-step class in precisely these skills. Author Steven Pinker's central thesis is simple: mankind has become increasingly less violent over the centuries, and will continue to do so. Pinker is aware, though, that many people instinctively believe the opposite, and Better Angels is devoted to marshalling data to support and illustrate this central argument, as well as a series of secondary arguments about how and why humanity has become less violent. Pinker's interpretative skills – understanding the meaning of the complex evidence from history – are also on display throughout, as he tackles the ambiguities of his data, the problems it presents, and the viable inferences one can draw from it. |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: The Darker Angels of Our Nature Philip Dwyer, Mark Micale, 2021-09-09 Preface -- List of Contributors -- List of Illustrations -- 1. Steven Pinker and the Nature of Violence in History Philip Dwyer and Mark Micale -- Part One: Interpretations -- 2. The Inner Demons of The Better Angels of Our Nature Dan Smail -- 3. The Use and Abuse of Statistics in Writing the History of Violence Dag Lindström -- 4. Progress and Its Contradictions: Human Rights, Inequality, and Violence Eric D. Weitz -- 5. Pinker's Technocratic Neoliberalism, and Why It Matters David Bell -- 6. Steven Pinker, Norbert Elias and the 'Civilizing Process' Philip Dwyer and Elizabeth Roberts-Pedersen -- Part Two: Periods -- 7. Steven Pinker's 'Prehistoric Anarchy': A Bioarchaeological Critique Linda Fibiger -- 8. Getting Medieval on Steven Pinker: Violence and Medieval England Sara M. Butler -- 9. History, Violence and the Enlightenment Philip Dwyer -- Part Three: Places -- 10. The Complexity of History: Russia and Steven Pinker's Thesis Nancy Kollmann -- 11. Necrology of Angels: Violence in Japanese History as a Lens of Critique Michael Wert -- 12. The 'Moral Effect' of Legalized Lawlessness: British Imperial Violence and the Middle East Caroline Elkins -- Part Four: Themes -- 13. A History of Violence and Indigeneity: Pinker and the Native Americas Matthew Restall -- 14. The Rise and Rise of Sexual Violence Joanna Bourke -- 15. The Better Angels of Which Nature? Violence and Environmental History in the Modern World Corey Ross -- 16. On Cool Reason and Hot-Blooded Impulses? Violence and the History of Emotion Susan K. Morrissey -- Part Five: Coda 17. Pinker and Contemporary Historical Consciousness Mark Micale -- Bibliography -- Index. |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: Enlightenment Now Steven Pinker, 2018-02-13 INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF 2018 ONE OF THE ECONOMIST'S BOOKS OF THE YEAR My new favorite book of all time. --Bill Gates If you think the world is coming to an end, think again: people are living longer, healthier, freer, and happier lives, and while our problems are formidable, the solutions lie in the Enlightenment ideal of using reason and science. By the author of the new book, Rationality. Is the world really falling apart? Is the ideal of progress obsolete? In this elegant assessment of the human condition in the third millennium, cognitive scientist and public intellectual Steven Pinker urges us to step back from the gory headlines and prophecies of doom, which play to our psychological biases. Instead, follow the data: In seventy-five jaw-dropping graphs, Pinker shows that life, health, prosperity, safety, peace, knowledge, and happiness are on the rise, not just in the West, but worldwide. This progress is not the result of some cosmic force. It is a gift of the Enlightenment: the conviction that reason and science can enhance human flourishing. Far from being a naïve hope, the Enlightenment, we now know, has worked. But more than ever, it needs a vigorous defense. The Enlightenment project swims against currents of human nature--tribalism, authoritarianism, demonization, magical thinking--which demagogues are all too willing to exploit. Many commentators, committed to political, religious, or romantic ideologies, fight a rearguard action against it. The result is a corrosive fatalism and a willingness to wreck the precious institutions of liberal democracy and global cooperation. With intellectual depth and literary flair, Enlightenment Now makes the case for reason, science, and humanism: the ideals we need to confront our problems and continue our progress. |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: The Blank Slate Steven Pinker, 2003-08-26 A brilliant inquiry into the origins of human nature from the author of Rationality, The Better Angels of Our Nature, and Enlightenment Now. Sweeping, erudite, sharply argued, and fun to read..also highly persuasive. --Time Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize Updated with a new afterword One of the world's leading experts on language and the mind explores the idea of human nature and its moral, emotional, and political colorings. With characteristic wit, lucidity, and insight, Pinker argues that the dogma that the mind has no innate traits-a doctrine held by many intellectuals during the past century-denies our common humanity and our individual preferences, replaces objective analyses of social problems with feel-good slogans, and distorts our understanding of politics, violence, parenting, and the arts. Injecting calm and rationality into debates that are notorious for ax-grinding and mud-slinging, Pinker shows the importance of an honest acknowledgment of human nature based on science and common sense. |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: The Stuff of Thought Steven Pinker, 2007-09-11 This New York Times bestseller is an exciting and fearless investigation of language from the author of Rationality, The Better Angels of Our Nature and The Sense of Style and Enlightenment Now. Curious, inventive, fearless, naughty. --The New York Times Book Review Bestselling author Steven Pinker possesses that rare combination of scientific aptitude and verbal eloquence that enables him to provide lucid explanations of deep and powerful ideas. His previous books - including the Pulitzer Prize finalist The Blank Slate - have catapulted him into the limelight as one of today's most important popular science writers. In The Stuff of Thought, Pinker presents a fascinating look at how our words explain our nature. Considering scientific questions with examples from everyday life, The Stuff of Thought is a brilliantly crafted and highly readable work that will appeal to fans of everything from The Selfish Gene and Blink to Eats, Shoots & Leaves. |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: Rationality Steven Pinker, 2021-09-28 A TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021 'Punchy, funny and invigorating ... Pinker is the high priest of rationalism' Sunday Times 'If you've ever considered taking drugs to make yourself smarter, read Rationality instead. It's cheaper, more entertaining, and more effective' Jonathan Haidt, author of The Righteous Mind In the twenty-first century, humanity is reaching new heights of scientific understanding - and at the same time appears to be losing its mind. How can a species that discovered vaccines for Covid-19 in less than a year produce so much fake news, quack cures and conspiracy theorizing? In Rationality, Pinker rejects the cynical cliché that humans are simply an irrational species - cavemen out of time fatally cursed with biases, fallacies and illusions. After all, we discovered the laws of nature, lengthened and enriched our lives and set the benchmarks for rationality itself. Instead, he explains, we think in ways that suit the low-tech contexts in which we spend most of our lives, but fail to take advantage of the powerful tools of reasoning we have built up over millennia: logic, critical thinking, probability, causal inference, and decision-making under uncertainty. These tools are not a standard part of our educational curricula, and have never been presented clearly and entertainingly in a single book - until now. Rationality matters. It leads to better choices in our lives and in the public sphere, and is the ultimate driver of social justice and moral progress. Brimming with insight and humour, Rationality will enlighten, inspire and empower. 'A terrific book, much-needed for our time' Peter Singer |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: Caveman Logic Hank Davis, 2009-12-30 Davis laments a modern world in which more people believe in ESP, ghosts, and angels than in evolution. Superstition and religion get particularly critical treatment, although Davis argues that religion, itself, is not the problem. |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: How the Mind Works Steven Pinker, 2009-06-02 Explains what the mind is, how it evolved, and how it allows us to see, think, feel, laugh, interact, enjoy the arts, and ponder the mysteries of life. |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: Do Humankind’s Best Days Lie Ahead? Steven Pinker, Matt Ridley, Alain de Botton, Malcolm Gladwell, 2016-06-07 Progress. It is one of the animating concepts of the modern era. From the Enlightenment onwards, the West has had an enduring belief that through the evolution of institutions, innovations, and ideas, the human condition is improving. This process is supposedly accelerating as new technologies, individual freedoms, and the spread of global norms empower individuals and societies around the world. But is progress inevitable? Its critics argue that human civilization has become different, not better, over the last two and a half centuries. What is seen as a breakthrough or innovation in one period becomes a setback or limitation in another. In short, progress is an ideology not a fact; a way of thinking about the world as opposed to a description of reality. In the seventeenth semi-annual Munk Debates, which was held in Toronto on November 6, 2015, pioneering cognitive scientist Steven Pinker and bestselling author Matt Ridley squared off against noted philosopher Alain de Botton and bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell to debate whether humankind’s best days lie ahead. |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: The Sense of Style Steven Pinker, 2014-09-30 “Charming and erudite, from the author of Rationality and Enlightenment Now, The wit and insight and clarity he brings . . . is what makes this book such a gem.” —Time.com Why is so much writing so bad, and how can we make it better? Is the English language being corrupted by texting and social media? Do the kids today even care about good writing—and why should we care? From the author of The Better Angels of Our Nature and Enlightenment Now. In this entertaining and eminently practical book, the cognitive scientist, dictionary consultant, and New York Times–bestselling author Steven Pinker rethinks the usage guide for the twenty-first century. Using examples of great and gruesome modern prose while avoiding the scolding tone and Spartan tastes of the classic manuals, he shows how the art of writing can be a form of pleasurable mastery and a fascinating intellectual topic in its own right. The Sense of Style is for writers of all kinds, and for readers who are interested in letters and literature and are curious about the ways in which the sciences of mind can illuminate how language works at its best. |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: Life Lessons Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, David Kessler, 2014-08-12 A guide to living life in the moment uses lessons learned from the dying to help the living find the most enjoyment and happiness. |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: On Violence in History Philip Dwyer, Mark S. Micale, 2020-01-10 Is global violence on the decline? Scholars argue that Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker’s proposal that violence has declined dramatically over time is flawed. This highly-publicized argument that human violence across the world has been dramatically abating continues to influence discourse among academics and the general public alike. In this provocative volume, a cast of eminent historians interrogate Pinker’s thesis by exposing the realities of violence throughout human history. In doing so, they reveal the history of human violence to be richer, more thought-provoking, and considerably more complicated than Pinker claims. From the introduction: Not all of the scholars included in this volume agree on everything, but the overall verdict is that Pinker’s thesis, for all the stimulus it may have given to discussions around violence, is seriously, if not fatally, flawed.The problems that come up time and again are the failure to genuinely engage with historical methodologies; the unquestioning use of dubious sources; the tendency to exaggerate the violence of the past in order to contrast it with the supposed peacefulness of the modern era; the creation of a number of straw men, which Pinker then goes on to debunk; and its extraordinarily Western-centric, not to say Whiggish, view of the world. Complex historical questions, as the essays in this volume clearly demonstrate, cannot be answered with any degree of certainty, and certainly not in a simplistic way. Our goal here is not to offer a final, definitive verdict on Pinker’s work; it is, rather, to initiate an ongoing process of assessment that in the future will incorporate as much of the history profession as possible. |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: Big Ideas in Social Science David Edmonds, Nigel Warburton, 2015-11-16 Are human beings less violent than before? Why do we adopt certain moral and political judgements? Why is the gap between rich and poor getting bigger? How do we decide which criminal policies are effective? What is the Population Challenge for the 21st Century? What is social science? In Big Ideas in Social Science, David Edmonds and Nigel Warburton put these and more of our society’s burning questions to 18 of the world’s leading social scientists including Steven Pinker, Ann Oakley, Lawrence Sherman, Kate Pickett, Robert J. Shiller and Doreen Massey. The result is a collection of thought-provoking discussions that span the fields of sociology, politics, economics, criminology, geography and many more.From the people who brought us the Philosophy Bites series, Big Ideas in Social Science is a fascinating and accessible introduction to the key ideas and findings of the social sciences. The interviews for this book are based on a series of podcasts, Social Science Bites, sponsored by SAGE. Social Science Bites was inspired by the popular Philosophy Bites podcast (www.philosophybites.com), which was founded by David and Nigel in 2007 and has so far had 26 million downloads. Philosophy Bites has spawned three books, Philosophy Bites, Philosophy Bites Back and Philosophy Bites Again. |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: The Moral Equivalent of War William James, 2015-12-22 From one of nineteenth-century America’s leading philosophical thinkers, William James, this fascinating short essay is an engaging read exploring the reasons for war, and methods and resources to prevent conflict. The Moral Equivalent of War was written as part of an initiative to stir interest in international peace among US residents. First published in 1910, the Executive Committee of the Association for International Conciliation used this treatise to encourage civilians to support the movement promoting international peace. In this short essay, William James discusses the reasons for war in general and explores the various ways in which we can prevent it. |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: The Language Instinct Steven Pinker, 2010-12-14 A brilliant, witty, and altogether satisfying book. — New York Times Book Review The classic work on the development of human language by the world’s leading expert on language and the mind In The Language Instinct, the world's expert on language and mind lucidly explains everything you always wanted to know about language: how it works, how children learn it, how it changes, how the brain computes it, and how it evolved. With deft use of examples of humor and wordplay, Steven Pinker weaves our vast knowledge of language into a compelling story: language is a human instinct, wired into our brains by evolution. The Language Instinct received the William James Book Prize from the American Psychological Association and the Public Interest Award from the Linguistics Society of America. This edition includes an update on advances in the science of language since The Language Instinct was first published. |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: Low Vol. 4: Outer Aspects Of Inner Attitudes Rick Remender, 2017-10-11 Tajo returns to her family home on Salus, to find a city on the brink of devastation. There is no food, no air, no hope for mankind's last great dome city. Now, Tajo must band together with IO, a man carrying a secret millennia old, and Mertali, a brave mermaid from the gladiator pits of Poluma, to fight for a better future for everyone. But death stalks the desolate streets of Salus, a ruthless killer who will stop at nothing to see the city drown in its own blooda killer that Tajo created, and now must face again one final time. Collects LOW #16-19 |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: Extra Life Steven Johnson, 2021-05-11 “Offers a useful reminder of the role of modern science in fundamentally transforming all of our lives.” —President Barack Obama (on Twitter) “An important book.” —Steven Pinker, The New York Times Book Review The surprising and important story of how humans gained what amounts to an extra life, from the bestselling author of How We Got to Now and Where Good Ideas Come From In 1920, at the end of the last major pandemic, global life expectancy was just over forty years. Today, in many parts of the world, human beings can expect to live more than eighty years. As a species we have doubled our life expectancy in just one century. There are few measures of human progress more astonishing than this increased longevity. Extra Life is Steven Johnson’s attempt to understand where that progress came from, telling the epic story of one of humanity’s greatest achievements. How many of those extra years came from vaccines, or the decrease in famines, or seatbelts? What are the forces that now keep us alive longer? Behind each breakthrough lies an inspiring story of cooperative innovation, of brilliant thinkers bolstered by strong systems of public support and collaborative networks, and of dedicated activists fighting for meaningful reform. But for all its focus on positive change, this book is also a reminder that meaningful gaps in life expectancy still exist, and that new threats loom on the horizon, as the COVID-19 pandemic has made clear. How do we avoid decreases in life expectancy as our public health systems face unprecedented challenges? What current technologies or interventions that could reduce the impact of future crises are we somehow ignoring? A study in how meaningful change happens in society, Extra Life celebrates the enduring power of common goals and public resources, and the heroes of public health and medicine too often ignored in popular accounts of our history. This is the sweeping story of a revolution with immense public and personal consequences: the doubling of the human life span. |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: Eaarth Bill McKibben, 2010-04-13 Read it, please. Straight through to the end. Whatever else you were planning to do next, nothing could be more important. —Barbara Kingsolver Twenty years ago, with The End of Nature, Bill McKibben offered one of the earliest warnings about global warming. Those warnings went mostly unheeded; now, he insists, we need to acknowledge that we've waited too long, and that massive change is not only unavoidable but already under way. Our old familiar globe is suddenly melting, drying, acidifying, flooding, and burning in ways that no human has ever seen. We've created, in very short order, a new planet, still recognizable but fundamentally different. We may as well call it Eaarth. That new planet is filled with new binds and traps. A changing world costs large sums to defend—think of the money that went to repair New Orleans, or the trillions it will take to transform our energy systems. But the endless economic growth that could underwrite such largesse depends on the stable planet we've managed to damage and degrade. We can't rely on old habits any longer. Our hope depends, McKibben argues, on scaling back—on building the kind of societies and economies that can hunker down, concentrate on essentials, and create the type of community (in the neighborhood, but also on the Internet) that will allow us to weather trouble on an unprecedented scale. Change—fundamental change—is our best hope on a planet suddenly and violently out of balance. |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: The Compassionate Instinct: The Science of Human Goodness Dacher Keltner, Jason Marsh, Jeremy Adam Smith, 2010-01-04 Leading scientists and science writers reflect on the life-changing, perspective-changing, new science of human goodness. Where once science painted humans as self-seeking and warlike, today scientists of many disciplines are uncovering the deep roots of human goodness. At the forefront of this revolution in scientific understanding is the Greater Good Science Center, based at the University of California, Berkeley. The center fuses its cutting-edge research with inspiring stories of compassion in action in Greater Good magazine. The best of these writings are collected here, and contributions from Steven Pinker, Robert Sapolsky, Paul Ekman, Michael Pollan, and the Dalai Lama, among others, will make you think not only about what it means to be happy and fulfilled but also what it means to lead an ethical and compassionate life. |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: What Are You Optimistic About? John Brockman, 2009-10-13 The nightly news and conventional wisdom tell us that things are bad and getting worse. Yet despite dire predictions, scientists see many good things on the horizon. John Brockman, publisher of Edge (www.edge.org), the influential online salon, recently asked more than 150 high-powered scientific thinkers to answer a vital question for our frequently pessimistic times: What are you optimistic about? Spanning a wide range of topics—from string theory to education, from population growth to medicine, and even from global warming to the end of world—What Are You Optimistic About? is an impressive array of what world-class minds (including Nobel Laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, New York Times bestselling authors, and Harvard professors, among others) have weighed in to offer carefully considered optimistic visions of tomorrow. Their provocative and controversial ideas may rouse skepticism, but they might possibly change our perceptions of humanity's future. |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: Words and Rules Steven Pinker, 2015-07-14 If you are not already a Steven Pinker addict, this book will make you one. -- Jared Diamond In Words and Rules, Steven Pinker explores profound mysteries of language by picking a deceptively simple phenomenon -- regular and irregular verbs -- and examining it from every angle. With humor and verve, he covers an astonishing array of topics in the sciences and humanities, from the history of languages to how to simulate languages on computers to major ideas in the history of Western philosophy. Through it all, Pinker presents a single, powerful idea: that language comprises a mental dictionary of memorized words and a mental grammar of creative rules. The idea extends beyond language and offers insight into the very nature of the human mind. This is a sparkling, eye-opening, and utterly original book by one of the world's leading cognitive scientists. |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: The Soul in Nature Hans Christian Ørsted, 1852 |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: Factfulness Hans Rosling, Anna Rosling Rönnlund, Ola Rosling, 2018-04-03 INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “One of the most important books I’ve ever read—an indispensable guide to thinking clearly about the world.” – Bill Gates “Hans Rosling tells the story of ‘the secret silent miracle of human progress’ as only he can. But Factfulness does much more than that. It also explains why progress is so often secret and silent and teaches readers how to see it clearly.” —Melinda Gates Factfulness by Hans Rosling, an outstanding international public health expert, is a hopeful book about the potential for human progress when we work off facts rather than our inherent biases. - Former U.S. President Barack Obama Factfulness: The stress-reducing habit of only carrying opinions for which you have strong supporting facts. When asked simple questions about global trends—what percentage of the world’s population live in poverty; why the world’s population is increasing; how many girls finish school—we systematically get the answers wrong. So wrong that a chimpanzee choosing answers at random will consistently outguess teachers, journalists, Nobel laureates, and investment bankers. In Factfulness, Professor of International Health and global TED phenomenon Hans Rosling, together with his two long-time collaborators, Anna and Ola, offers a radical new explanation of why this happens. They reveal the ten instincts that distort our perspective—from our tendency to divide the world into two camps (usually some version of us and them) to the way we consume media (where fear rules) to how we perceive progress (believing that most things are getting worse). Our problem is that we don’t know what we don’t know, and even our guesses are informed by unconscious and predictable biases. It turns out that the world, for all its imperfections, is in a much better state than we might think. That doesn’t mean there aren’t real concerns. But when we worry about everything all the time instead of embracing a worldview based on facts, we can lose our ability to focus on the things that threaten us most. Inspiring and revelatory, filled with lively anecdotes and moving stories, Factfulness is an urgent and essential book that will change the way you see the world and empower you to respond to the crises and opportunities of the future. --- “This book is my last battle in my life-long mission to fight devastating ignorance...Previously I armed myself with huge data sets, eye-opening software, an energetic learning style and a Swedish bayonet for sword-swallowing. It wasn’t enough. But I hope this book will be.” Hans Rosling, February 2017. |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: Bake Sale Sara Varon, 2011-08-30 Cupcake runs a successful bakery with his best friend, Eggplant, but dreams of going abroad to meet his idol, Turkish Delight, who is the most famous pastry chef in the world. |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: Lady Windermere's Lover Miranda Neville, 2014-06-24 Hell hath no fury . . . Damian, Earl of Windermere, rues the day he drunkenly gambled away his family's estate and was forced into marriage to reclaim it. Now, after hiding out from his new bride for a year, Damian is finally called home, only to discover that his modest bride has become an alluring beauty—and rumor has it that she's taken a lover. Damian vows to keep his wife from straying again, but to do so he must seduce her—and protect his heart from falling for the wife he never knew he wanted. Lady Cynthia never aspired to be the subject of scandal. Lady Cynthia never aspired to be the subject of scandal. But with her husband off gallivanting across Persia, what was a lady to do? Flirting shamelessly with his former best friend seemed like the perfect revenge . . . except no matter how little Damian deserves her loyalty, Cynthia can't bring herself to be unfaithful. But now that the scoundrel has returned home, Cynthia isn't about to forgive his absence so easily—even if his presence stirs something in her she'd long thought dead and buried. He might win her heart . . . if he can earn her forgiveness! |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: For Us, The Living Robert A. Heinlein, 2004-01-06 From Grandmaster Robert A. Heinlein comes a long-lost first novel, written in 1939 and never before published, introducing ideas and themes that would shape his career and define the genre that is synonymous with his name. July 12, 1939: Perry Nelson is driving along the palisades when suddenly another vehicle swerves into his lane, a tire blows out, and his car careens off the road and over a bluff. The last thing he sees before his head connects with the boulders below is a girl in a green bathing suit, prancing along the shore.... When he wakes, the girl in green is a woman dressed in furs and the sun-drenched shore has transformed into snowcapped mountains. The woman, Diana, rescues Perry from the bitter cold and takes him inside her home to rest and recuperate. Later they debate the cause of the accident, for Diana is unfamiliar with the concept of a tire blowout and Perry cannot comprehend snowfall in mid-July. Then Diana shares with him a vital piece of information: The date is now January 7. The year...2086. When his shock subsides, Perry begins an exhaustive study of global evolution over the past 150 years. He learns, among other things, that a United Europe was formed and led by Edward, Duke of Windsor; former New York City mayor LaGuardia served two terms as president of the United States; the military draft was completely reconceived; banks became publicly owned and operated; and in the year 2003, two helicopters destroyed the island of Manhattan in a galvanizing act of war. This education in the ways of the modern world emboldens Perry to assimilate to life in the twenty-first century. But education brings with it inescapable truths—the economic and legal systems, the government, and even the dynamic between men and women remain alien to Perry, the customs of the new day continually testing his mental and emotional resolve. Yet it is precisely his knowledge of a bygone era that will serve Perry best, as the man from 1939 seems destined to lead his newfound peers even further into the future than they could have imagined. A classic example of the future history that Robert Heinlein popularized during his career, For Us, The Living marks both the beginning and the end of an extraordinary arc of political, social, and literary crusading that comprises his legacy. Heinlein could not have known in 1939 how the world would change over the course of one and a half centuries, but we have our own true world history to compare with his brilliant imaginings, rendering For Us, The Living not merely a novel, but a time capsule view into our past, our present, and perhaps our future. The novel is presented here with an introduction by acclaimed science fiction writer Spider Robinson and an afterword by Professor Robert James of the Heinlein Society. |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: The Better Angels of Our Nature Michael A. Halleran, 2010-03-11 The first in-depth study of the Freemasons during the Civil War From first-person accounts culled from regimental histories, diaries, and letters, Michael A. Halleran has constructed an overview of 19th-century American freemasonry. The author examines carefully the major Masonic stories from the Civil War, in particular the myth that Confederate Lewis A. Armistead made the Masonic sign of distress as he lay dying at the high-water mark of Pickett's charge at Gettysburg. |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: Whistle: A New Gotham City Hero E. Lockhart, 2021-09-07 From New York Times bestselling author E. Lockhart (Genuine Fraud, We Were Liars) and artist Manuel Preitano (The Oracle Code) comes a new Gotham City superhero in this exciting YA graphic novel. Seventeen-year-old Willow Zimmerman has something to say. When she’s not on the streets advocating for her community, she’s volunteering at the local pet shelter. She seeks to help all those in need, even the stray dog she’s named Lebowitz that follows her around. But as much as she does for the world around her, she struggles closer to home-taking care of her mother, recently diagnosed with cancer. In desperation, she reconnects with her estranged “uncle” Edward, and he opens the door to an easier life. Through simple jobs, such as hosting his private poker nights with Gotham City’s elites, she is able to keep her family afloat-and afford critical medical treatments for her mother. Then one night, Willow and Lebowitz collide with the monstrous Killer Croc and get injured, waking up able to understand each other. But when Willow discovers that Edward and his friends are actually some of Gotham’s most corrupt criminals, she must make a choice: remain loyal to the man who kept her family together, or use her new powers to be a voice for her community. |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: Doing Good Better William MacAskill, 2015-07-28 Most of us want to make a difference. We donate our time and money to charities and causes we deem worthy, choose careers we consider meaningful, and patronize businesses and buy products we believe make the world a better place. Unfortunately, we often base these decisions on assumptions and emotions rather than facts. As a result, even our best intentions often lead to ineffective—and sometimes downright harmful—outcomes. How can we do better? While a researcher at Oxford, trying to figure out which career would allow him to have the greatest impact, William MacAskill confronted this problem head on. He discovered that much of the potential for change was being squandered by lack of information, bad data, and our own prejudice. As an antidote, he and his colleagues developed effective altruism, a practical, data-driven approach that allows each of us to make a tremendous difference regardless of our resources. Effective altruists believe that it’s not enough to simply do good; we must do good better. At the core of this philosophy are five key questions that help guide our altruistic decisions: How many people benefit, and by how much? Is this the most effective thing I can do? Is this area neglected? What would have happened otherwise? What are the chances of success, and how good would success be? By applying these questions to real-life scenarios, MacAskill shows how many of our assumptions about doing good are misguided. For instance, he argues one can potentially save more lives by becoming a plastic surgeon rather than a heart surgeon; measuring overhead costs is an inaccurate gauge of a charity’s effectiveness; and, it generally doesn’t make sense for individuals to donate to disaster relief. MacAskill urges us to think differently, set aside biases, and use evidence and careful reasoning rather than act on impulse. When we do this—when we apply the head and the heart to each of our altruistic endeavors—we find that each of us has the power to do an astonishing amount of good. |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: Behave Robert M. Sapolsky, 2018-05-01 New York Times bestseller • Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize • One of the Washington Post's 10 Best Books of the Year “It’s no exaggeration to say that Behave is one of the best nonfiction books I’ve ever read.” —David P. Barash, The Wall Street Journal It has my vote for science book of the year.” —Parul Sehgal, The New York Times Immensely readable, often hilarious...Hands-down one of the best books I’ve read in years. I loved it. —Dina Temple-Raston, The Washington Post From the bestselling author of A Primate's Memoir and the forthcoming Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will comes a landmark, genre-defining examination of human behavior and an answer to the question: Why do we do the things we do? Behave is one of the most dazzling tours d’horizon of the science of human behavior ever attempted. Moving across a range of disciplines, Sapolsky—a neuroscientist and primatologist—uncovers the hidden story of our actions. Undertaking some of our thorniest questions relating to tribalism and xenophobia, hierarchy and competition, and war and peace, Behave is a towering achievement—a majestic synthesis of cutting-edge research and a heroic exploration of why we ultimately do the things we do . . . for good and for ill. |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: The Seven Words You Can't Say on Television Steven Pinker, 2008-09-04 Why do so many swear words involve sex, bodily functions and religion? Why are some words rude and others aren't? Why can launching into expletives be so shocking - and sometimes so amusing? Steven Pinker takes us on a fascinating and funny journey through the world of profanities, taken from his bestselling The Stuff of Thought, to show us why we swear (whatever our language or culture), how taboos change and how we use obscenities in different ways. You'll discover that in Québecois French the expression 'Tabernacle' is outrageous, that the Middle Ages were littered with four-letter words, that 'scumbag' has a very unsavoury origin and that in a certain Aboriginal language every word is filthy when spoken in front of your mother-in-law. Covering everything from free speech to Tourette's, from pottymouthed celebrities to poetry, this book reveals what swearing tells us about how our minds work. (It's also a bloody good read). |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: Anything We Love Can Be Saved Alice Walker, 2012-04-04 In Anything We Love Can Be Saved, Alice Walker writes about her life as an activist, in a book rich in the belief that the world is saveable, if only we will act. Speaking from her heart on a wide range of topics--religion and the spirit, feminism and race, families and identity, politics and social change--Walker begins with a moving autobiographical essay in which she describes her own spiritual growth and roots in activism. She goes on to explore many important private and public issues: being a daughter and raising one, dreadlocks, banned books, civil rights, and gender communication. She writes about Zora Neale Hurston and Salman Rushdie and offers advice to Bill Clinton. Here is a wise woman's thoughts as she interacts with the world today, and an important portrait of an activist writer's life. NOTE: This edition does not include photographs. |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: The Progress Paradox Gregg Easterbrook, 2004-11-09 In The Progress Paradox, Gregg Easterbrook draws upon three decades of wide-ranging research and thinking to make the persuasive assertion that almost all aspects of Western life have vastly improved in the past century–and yet today, most men and women feel less happy than in previous generations. Detailing the emerging science of “positive psychology,” which seeks to understand what causes a person’s sense of well-being, Easterbrook offers an alternative to our culture of crisis and complaint. He makes a compelling case that optimism, gratitude, and acts of forgiveness not only make modern life more fulfilling but are actually in our self-interest. An affirming and constructive way of seeing life anew, The Progress Paradox will change the way you think about your place in the world–and about our collective ability to make it better. |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: The Rape of Troy Jonathan Gottschall, 2008-03-20 Homer's epics reflect an eighth-century BCE world of warrior tribes that were fractured by constant strife; aside from its fantastic scale, nothing is exceptional about Troy's conquest by the Greeks. Using a fascinating and innovative approach, Professor Gottschall analyses Homeric conflict from the perspective of modern evolutionary biology, attributing its intensity to a shortage of available young women. The warrior practice of taking enemy women as slaves and concubines meant that women were concentrated in the households of powerful men. In turn, this shortage drove men to compete fiercely over women: almost all the main conflicts of the Iliad and Odyssey can be traced back to disputes over women. The Rape of Troy integrates biological and humanistic understanding - biological theory is used to explore the ultimate sources of pitched Homeric conflict, and Homeric society is the subject of a bio-anthropological case study of why men fight. |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: Batman Sam Hamm, 1992 When Bruce Wayne refuses to allow illegal mindcontrol experiments to continue at Wayne Technology, he finds himself charged with being a traitor. During the police investigation, Wayne is forced to confront memories of the various people who trained him to become the feared Dark KnightBatman. Wayne not only must clear himself, but also protect his secret and save his company from ruin. Batman screenwriter Sam Hamm makes his comic-book debut with BATMAN: BLIND JUSTICE, introducing new elements to the Batman legend including the character of Henri Ducard, played by Liam Neeson in 2005s smash film Batman Begins. |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: The Best American Science and Nature Writing, 2004 Steven Pinker, Tim Folger, 2004 Vols. for - edited by Elizabeth Kolbert. |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: War Before Civilization Lawrence H. Keeley, 1997-12-18 The myth of the peace-loving noble savage is persistent and pernicious. Indeed, for the last fifty years, most popular and scholarly works have agreed that prehistoric warfare was rare, harmless, unimportant, and, like smallpox, a disease of civilized societies alone. Prehistoric warfare, according to this view, was little more than a ritualized game, where casualties were limited and the effects of aggression relatively mild. Lawrence Keeley's groundbreaking War Before Civilization offers a devastating rebuttal to such comfortable myths and debunks the notion that warfare was introduced to primitive societies through contact with civilization (an idea he denounces as the pacification of the past). Building on much fascinating archeological and historical research and offering an astute comparison of warfare in civilized and prehistoric societies, from modern European states to the Plains Indians of North America, War Before Civilization convincingly demonstrates that prehistoric warfare was in fact more deadly, more frequent, and more ruthless than modern war. To support this point, Keeley provides a wide-ranging look at warfare and brutality in the prehistoric world. He reveals, for instance, that prehistorical tactics favoring raids and ambushes, as opposed to formal battles, often yielded a high death-rate; that adult males falling into the hands of their enemies were almost universally killed; and that surprise raids seldom spared even women and children. Keeley cites evidence of ancient massacres in many areas of the world, including the discovery in South Dakota of a prehistoric mass grave containing the remains of over 500 scalped and mutilated men, women, and children (a slaughter that took place a century and a half before the arrival of Columbus). In addition, Keeley surveys the prevalence of looting, destruction, and trophy-taking in all kinds of warfare and again finds little moral distinction between ancient warriors and civilized armies. Finally, and perhaps most controversially, he examines the evidence of cannibalism among some preliterate peoples. Keeley is a seasoned writer and his book is packed with vivid, eye-opening details (for instance, that the homicide rate of prehistoric Illinois villagers may have exceeded that of the modern United States by some 70 times). But he also goes beyond grisly facts to address the larger moral and philosophical issues raised by his work. What are the causes of war? Are human beings inherently violent? How can we ensure peace in our own time? Challenging some of our most dearly held beliefs, Keeley's conclusions are bound to stir controversy. |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: Sanctified Violence Alfred J. Andrea, Andrew Holt, 2021-03-24 This rich and engaging book looks at instances of sanctified violence, the holy wars related to religion. It covers it all, from ancient to present day, including examples of warfare among Sikhs, Hindus and Buddhists, as well as Christians, Jews and Muslims. It is a comprehensive and readable overview that provides a lively introduction to the subject of holy war in its broadest sense—as ‘sanctified violence’ in the service of a god or ideology. It is certain to be a useful companion in the classroom, and a boon to anyone fascinated by the dark attraction of religion and violence. —Mark Juergensmeyer, University of California, Santa Barbara Contents: Introduction: What Is Holy War? Chapter 1: Holy Wars in Mythic Time, Holy Wars as Metaphor, Holy Wars as RitualChapter 2: Holy Wars of Conquest in the Name of a DeityChapter 3: Holy Wars in Defense of the SacredChapter 4: Holy Wars in Anticipation of the Millennium Epilogue: Holy Wars Today and Tomorrow Also included are a description of the Critical Themes in World History series, Preface, index, and suggestions for further reading. |
| better angels of our nature steven pinker 2: The End of Power Moises Naim, 2014-03-11 The provocative bestseller explaining the decline of power in the twenty-first century -- in government, business, and beyond. br> Power is shifting -- from large, stable armies to loose bands of insurgents, from corporate leviathans to nimble start-ups, and from presidential palaces to public squares. But power is also changing, becoming harder to use and easier to lose. In The End of Power, award-winning columnist and former Foreign Policy editor MoiséNaíilluminates the struggle between once-dominant megaplayers and the new micropowers challenging them in every field of human endeavor. Drawing on provocative, original research and a lifetime of experience in global affairs, Naíexplains how the end of power is reconfiguring our world. The End of Power will . . . change the way you look at the world. -- Bill Clinton Extraordinary. -- George Soros Compelling and original. -- Arianna Huffington A fascinating new perspective . . . Naímakes eye-opening connections. -- Francis Fukuyama |
Monster Hunter World or Rise? : r/ShouldIbuythisgame - Reddit
World has better graphics, a better story, hunts are more involved as you have to put more effort into tracking down the monster. Rise is fast paced and aerial. The majority of the weapons feel …
Copilot vs ChatGPT: which is better? : r/ChatGPTCoding - Reddit
Feb 15, 2023 · But when you're coming up with ideas and exploring different possible implementation or architectures, ChatGPT is a much better interface that emulates the kind of …
BetterHelp - honest thoughts? : r/TalkTherapy - Reddit
I think my better help therapist is a robot. I’ll send her legit paragraphs (and I get she might not have the time) and she replies things so vague and random like “well done!” After a …
modrinth vs Curseforge : r/feedthebeast - Reddit
Feb 3, 2023 · Modrinth is actually way Better then Curse. It has some nice more detailed search then Curse, got Better stabilized site and connection quality. But I have to admit there's some …
Why should I buy on Steam rather than Epic? : r/pcgaming - Reddit
Steam's backend/API works much better out of the box than Epic's. Which means, multiplayer games on Steam are often more stable/less buggy compared to Epic. For example, Chivalry 2 …
Bedrock V.S Java: Final Verdict (Unbiased) : r/Minecraft - Reddit
Feb 17, 2021 · However, Minecraft Bedrock was coded in C++, a much faster language than Java. What this means in simple terms, is *Java edition was never made to support many players*, …
Better End Forge? : r/feedthebeast - Reddit
Jun 28, 2023 · Maybe instead of updating better end for 1.19.2, let's backport 1.19.2 to the 1.16.5, easier and 1.16.5 is golden age of mods like 1.7.10 or the biggest 1.12.2, soo you'll find a lot of …
Pro's & cons of steam vs gamepass on PC? : r/XboxGamePass
Oct 29, 2021 · Ultimate includes cloud gaming which is streaming from the cloud. You don’t own the games via game pass or xcloud so if you cancel the subscription you no longer can play …
Enchantment Guide For The Best Enchants On All Items
Oct 19, 2020 · It won't make a big difference for items which can only get a few enchantments, but something like swords or boots will become too expensive to max out if you add each …
Honest comparision: Oblivion vs Skyrim : r/skyrim - Reddit
Feb 26, 2013 · Overall, I much prefer Oblivion and think it's a better game as far as story and world building, but there are a lot of things I love about Skyrim. I know I shit on it a lot in this …
Monster Hunter World or Rise? : r/ShouldIbuythisgame - Reddit
World has better graphics, a better story, hunts are more involved as you have to put more effort into tracking down the monster. Rise is fast paced and aerial. The majority of the weapons feel …
Copilot vs ChatGPT: which is better? : r/ChatGPTCoding - Reddit
Feb 15, 2023 · But when you're coming up with ideas and exploring different possible implementation or architectures, ChatGPT is a much better interface that emulates the kind of …
BetterHelp - honest thoughts? : r/TalkTherapy - Reddit
I think my better help therapist is a robot. I’ll send her legit paragraphs (and I get she might not have the time) and she replies things so vague and random like “well done!” After a …
modrinth vs Curseforge : r/feedthebeast - Reddit
Feb 3, 2023 · Modrinth is actually way Better then Curse. It has some nice more detailed search then Curse, got Better stabilized site and connection quality. But I have to admit there's some …
Why should I buy on Steam rather than Epic? : r/pcgaming - Reddit
Steam's backend/API works much better out of the box than Epic's. Which means, multiplayer games on Steam are often more stable/less buggy compared to Epic. For example, Chivalry 2 …
Bedrock V.S Java: Final Verdict (Unbiased) : r/Minecraft - Reddit
Feb 17, 2021 · However, Minecraft Bedrock was coded in C++, a much faster language than Java. What this means in simple terms, is *Java edition was never made to support many …
Better End Forge? : r/feedthebeast - Reddit
Jun 28, 2023 · Maybe instead of updating better end for 1.19.2, let's backport 1.19.2 to the 1.16.5, easier and 1.16.5 is golden age of mods like 1.7.10 or the biggest 1.12.2, soo you'll find a lot …
Pro's & cons of steam vs gamepass on PC? : r/XboxGamePass
Oct 29, 2021 · Ultimate includes cloud gaming which is streaming from the cloud. You don’t own the games via game pass or xcloud so if you cancel the subscription you no longer can play …
Enchantment Guide For The Best Enchants On All Items
Oct 19, 2020 · It won't make a big difference for items which can only get a few enchantments, but something like swords or boots will become too expensive to max out if you add each …
Honest comparision: Oblivion vs Skyrim : r/skyrim - Reddit
Feb 26, 2013 · Overall, I much prefer Oblivion and think it's a better game as far as story and world building, but there are a lot of things I love about Skyrim. I know I shit on it a lot in this …
