Former Knoxville Chief of Police Sterling Owen remarks on the history of violence as he discusses The better angels of our nature : why violence has declined by Steven Pinker. (Recorded February 20, 2013)

Pinker, a New York Times bestselling author, shows that despite the ceaseless news about war, crime, and terrorism, violence has actually been in decline over long stretches of history. Exploding myths about humankind's inherent violence and the curse of modernity, this ambitious book continues Pinker's exploration of the essence of human nature, mixing psychology and history to provide a remarkable picture of an increasingly enlightened world.