Confronted with an endless stream of news about wars, crime, and terrorism, it’s easy to believe that we’re living in the most terrible period in human history. But Steven Pinker shows in his astonishing and engrossing book that it’s actually the opposite: for thousands of years, violence has been declining, and we are most likely living in the most peaceful time in the entire history of our species. In the past, wars, slavery, infanticide, brutal treatment of children, murders, pogroms, mutilating punishments, bloody clashes, and manifestations of genocide were the norm. But in our reality, Pinker demonstrates—among other things, with more than a hundred charts and maps—that these types of violence have significantly decreased and are increasingly condemned by society everywhere. How did it happen? In this groundbreaking work, Pinker explores the depths of human nature and, combining history with psychology, paints a surprising picture of a world that more and more often refuses violence. The author helps us understand our tangled motives—inner devils that incline us toward violence—and also the kindly angels who point to the opposite path, and traces how changes in living conditions helped our good angels gain the upper hand. By debunking fatalistic myths that violence is an inherent trait of human civilization and that the time we live in is cursed, this bold and deeply moving book will undoubtedly spark heated debate both in the offices of politicians and scientists and in the homes of ordinary readers, because it challenges and changes our views of society.