The Violence Inside Us

Praise

“The Violence Inside Us offers a nuanced exploration of the history of violence in America, the driving forces behind the country’s fascination with firearms and why so many American citizens are impacted by gun violence.”—Time

“This superb book will enlighten any reader who has wondered why humans are violent and why Americans are so much more violent than the citizens of other affluent democracies. It combines extensive learning, fine writing, and a richness of experience that could come only from a dedicated public servant with a deep connection to the lives of his constituents. The Violence Inside Us is an excellent contribution to our understanding of human lethal aggression and how it can be reduced.”—Steven Pinker, Johnstone Family Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined

“An engrossing, moving, and utterly motivating account of the human stakes of gun violence in America . . . From his earliest days in the Senate, when he grieved with the families of the children of Sandy Hook Elementary, Chris Murphy has fearlessly challenged the fatalism of those who have resigned themselves to mass shootings. All the while he has exposed the cynicism of those in America who put profit over people. With a historian’s talent for narrative and a memoirist’s gift for introspection, Murphy shines a light on the men and women who will not rest until American laws are changed to protect our citizens, while offering an inspiring blueprint for how this struggle can—and will—be won.”—Samantha Power, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Education of an Idealist and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations

“The Violence Inside Us is not a book by a politician—it is a book by a father, a neighbor, a citizen—and it offers a comprehensive and deeply personal accounting of the entrenched role of guns in America, as well as a path forward to break this cycle of senseless violence and the toll it has taken on our society, especially our nation’s children.”—Darren Walker, president, the Ford Foundation

“This book is essential to understanding America’s gun violence epidemic, our history of gun ownership, and the nature of violence itself. It’s an essential primer for anyone who’s sick of thoughts and prayers in the wake of these tragedies and wants to be armed with the knowledge to ght for change.”—Tommy Vietor, co-host, Pod Save America

“In this important and necessary book, Senator Murphy adeptly uses science, history, and his own experiences to present an honest, thoughtful picture of violence in America. Even more critical, this book is a call to action that rings with eloquence and tremendous moral clarity.”—John King, Jr., former U.S. secretary of education