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If you loved
Books like The better angels of our nature
A sweeping, data-driven journey through the darkest chapters of human history that ultimately builds a profound case for optimism. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with The better angels of our nature.
- intellectually rigorous
- expansive
- hopeful
- sobering
- 01
Enlightenment now
Steven Pinker
A sweeping, data-driven antidote to cultural pessimism that argues the world is actually getting better.
- 02
The Righteous Mind
Jonathan Haidt
A paradigm-shifting journey into the human brain that completely changes how you view the people you disagree with.
- 03
The anatomy of violence
Adrian Raine
A chilling, scientifically grounded exploration of the biological roots of human evil that will fundamentally alter how you view free will.
- 04
Evil
Julia Shaw
A provocative, science-backed exploration that dismantles our cultural assumptions about what makes a person truly monstrous.
- 05
The Stuff of Thought
Steven Pinker
A witty, mind-expanding deep dive into the hidden cognitive machinery behind the words we use every day.
- 06
The End of Faith
Sam Harris
An uncompromising, razor-sharp intellectual wake-up call that dismantles the societal taboo against criticizing religious dogma.
- 07
Our Inner Ape
Frans de Waal · 2005
A hopeful, scientifically grounded exploration of the primate heritage that shapes both our darkest impulses and our highest moral capacities.
- 08
The secret of our success
Joseph Patrick Henrich
A paradigm-shifting exploration that dismantles the myth of the lone genius to reveal the true superpower of our species: our collective brain.
- 09
Chasing the Scream
Johann Hari
An urgent, globe-trotting investigation that dismantles everything you thought you knew about addiction and the war on drugs.
- 10
The Bonobo and the Atheist
Henry Cabot Lodge (Jr.)
A warm, scientifically grounded exploration that finds the roots of human goodness not in the heavens, but in the earth and our primate cousins.
- 11
The evolution of God
Wright, Robert
A sweeping, intellectually rigorous journey through human history that seeks the hidden evolutionary logic behind our search for the divine.
- 12
The power paradox
Dacher Keltner
A paradigm-shifting exploration of influence that proves empathy, not ruthlessness, is the true source of enduring power.
