What do you think?
Rate this book
Win a free print copy of this book!
9 days and 18:17:58
25 copies available
U.S. only
The American Way of Killing: The Invention of an Epidemic
Not yet published
Expected 29 Sep 26Win a free print copy of this book!
9 days and 18:17:58
25 copies available
U.S. only
Malcolm Gladwell’s most urgent book yet: a provocative investigation of America’s epidemic of gun violence.
The United States has far more homicides than any of its peers around the world. Why?
In this groundbreaking book, Malcolm Gladwell explores the American “peculiarity”—how the world’s wealthiest country came to suffer from a problem typically only seen in the world’s poorest countries.
Drawing on original interviews, archival and social science research, and his trademark insight, Gladwell approaches the American paradox through a series of stories. What can we learn from the miracle of a young gunshot victim in Washington, D.C.? How have the legal troubles of a seventeenth-century English knight influenced American attempts at gun control? Why would a European police chief be baffled by the graduation ceremony at any American police academy?
In a sweeping narrative, Gladwell travels from a shooting range in North Carolina, to the South Side of Chicago, to an old plantation house in Alabama, painting a picture of a country that does not understand its most pressing social problem, and as result, does not understand how to fix it.
The United States has far more homicides than any of its peers around the world. Why?
In this groundbreaking book, Malcolm Gladwell explores the American “peculiarity”—how the world’s wealthiest country came to suffer from a problem typically only seen in the world’s poorest countries.
Drawing on original interviews, archival and social science research, and his trademark insight, Gladwell approaches the American paradox through a series of stories. What can we learn from the miracle of a young gunshot victim in Washington, D.C.? How have the legal troubles of a seventeenth-century English knight influenced American attempts at gun control? Why would a European police chief be baffled by the graduation ceremony at any American police academy?
In a sweeping narrative, Gladwell travels from a shooting range in North Carolina, to the South Side of Chicago, to an old plantation house in Alabama, painting a picture of a country that does not understand its most pressing social problem, and as result, does not understand how to fix it.
304 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication September 29, 2026
About the author
Malcolm Gladwell
138 books40.5k followersMalcolm Timothy Gladwell is a Canadian journalist, author, and public speaker. He has been a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1996. He has published seven books. He is also the host of the podcast Revisionist History and co-founder of the podcast company Pushkin Industries.
Gladwell's writings often deal with the unexpected implications of research in the social sciences, such as sociology and psychology, and make frequent and extended use of academic work. Gladwell was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2011.
Gladwell's writings often deal with the unexpected implications of research in the social sciences, such as sociology and psychology, and make frequent and extended use of academic work. Gladwell was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2011.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 3, 2026
A big thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for letting me read an early copy of this book.
I’ve always enjoyed Malcolm Gladwell’s books. I finish each one feeling like I’ve learned something new about the world and gained a different perspective on how to understand its complexities.
In this book, Gladwell tackles one of the most controversial issues facing the United States today: the rise in gun violence. Drawing on examples from both the United States and around the world, he explores how this problem has grown over time and attempts to uncover some of the underlying factors contributing to it.
This is an issue I care deeply about. As an elementary school teacher, school safety is something that is always on my mind. Since the tragedy at Uvalde, I’ve followed efforts to reduce gun violence and make our schools and communities safer. The reality is that you never know what could happen in a public place, and that uncertainty weighs heavily on many educators.
Perhaps I missed something, but I found myself wishing the book spent more time discussing potential solutions. While Gladwell does an excellent job examining the problem and its possible causes, I would have appreciated more discussion about ways to combat the increase in gun violence. Of course, this is an incredibly complex issue that experts, policymakers, and communities continue to grapple with, and there are no easy answers. Still, I finished the book hoping to come away with a few ideas that might inspire meaningful change and help make the world a safer place.
I’ve always enjoyed Malcolm Gladwell’s books. I finish each one feeling like I’ve learned something new about the world and gained a different perspective on how to understand its complexities.
In this book, Gladwell tackles one of the most controversial issues facing the United States today: the rise in gun violence. Drawing on examples from both the United States and around the world, he explores how this problem has grown over time and attempts to uncover some of the underlying factors contributing to it.
This is an issue I care deeply about. As an elementary school teacher, school safety is something that is always on my mind. Since the tragedy at Uvalde, I’ve followed efforts to reduce gun violence and make our schools and communities safer. The reality is that you never know what could happen in a public place, and that uncertainty weighs heavily on many educators.
Perhaps I missed something, but I found myself wishing the book spent more time discussing potential solutions. While Gladwell does an excellent job examining the problem and its possible causes, I would have appreciated more discussion about ways to combat the increase in gun violence. Of course, this is an incredibly complex issue that experts, policymakers, and communities continue to grapple with, and there are no easy answers. Still, I finished the book hoping to come away with a few ideas that might inspire meaningful change and help make the world a safer place.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The American Way of Killing takes a dive into past and present, in search of a logic to "make it make sense" when considering the sheer volume of gun violence victims and the limited laws restricting firearm access or use. The gun lobby will likely have a few spicy takes on the book. It's not exactly about firearms though--it's about everything that precedes their statistical relevance and newsworthy expression (and what doesn't), turning its aftereffects into the titular epidemic of gun violence.
Writing from Canada, my understanding of gun violence is slightly different than the average American (wholly different, actually). There are certain parts of the book however, that should bear moral weight regardless of gun law variations across the continent. The narratives of people whose lives and careers intersect with gun violence--trauma surgeons and doctors, members of the police force, legal researchers and experts, lawyers, historians, and ordinary citizens--round out the raw data it shares. It is written in the same narrative vein as his other books, which make it very readable, if not urgently so. As a testament to this, I tore through it in one morning before work.
There were a few points in the book that shocked me, but I won't spoil the best bits and go all out in this review. I was astounded however, that a popular author like Malcolm Gladwell has a higher research standard when considering historical case law around gun access, than Supreme Court judges. He details the Sullivan case heard before the Supreme Court in 2021 and offers more rigorously researched an opinion than the judges hearing it who limited it to a 1600s era bigoted merchant, Sir John Knight. Judicial commentary from the case reveals the profoundly low bar that exists for a bench that is lionized as caring about and serving "the people". It makes you question whether the Supreme Court justices are really beholden to the impartiality they might claim is part of their job. I was also a bit shocked to learn that Texan and other state laws were stricter in the 1800s than they are today.
I also got a little bit of an education while reading, in that my understanding of policing was brought to bear with statistics in a way that challenged my prior knowledge. I started the book a prison abolitionist and still remain one. What has changed however, is questioning whether policing itself is the sickness when it is more of a symptom. When abolitionist advocates like myself talk about community safety, are we talking about addressing the symptom, or the sickness? Gladwell's book didn't set out to diagnose these things, but it's something I was left with after reading. How is it that European countries with fewer people than the United States (by a huge margin) but have more police officers on their forces (by an equally huge margin) but fewer (at least from what the media reports) violent acts of police brutality and corruption? Gladwell makes a compelling, and perhaps too brief an argument that America doesn't have too much policing but far too little. My want to know more per Gladwell's take is a bit selfish, I know, but how can you not want to be more informed with such great writing and research?
Abolitionists' rallying cry is that of community service, and programs that prevent violence rather than singularly address its outbreak (among other tenets). Gladwell demonstrates that police violence and brutality is in part, because availability of officers and training has prioritized the lowest common denominator of solving problems quickly: a breaking knees philosophy of addressing issues. Unsurprisingly, this causes more violence than it prevents. European policing seems comparable to a five star Michelin restaurant devoted to a high-quality experience, where American policing is like drive-thru fast food: fast, cheap, and easy because the goal isn't quality of experience, but quantity of time saved. But who decided that quantity of cost and time savings was the most effective metric of a safe world when it seems that quality is more successful elsewhere? What is policing forced to prioritize where these constraints shape the consciousness of what ought to be foregrounded in discussions of community safety and addressing criminality? The justifications of these metrics seem like they are part of the sickness, with policing as it is in America (and perhaps North America, where Canada's historical RCMP treatment of Indigenous communities is equally horrifying) being the symptom. It's a juxtaposition that is not easily overlooked. If we don't address problems at the root, the shoots will still emerge somewhere else but in another capacity. He doesn't offer a modern policing coup de grâce, but does lay the groundwork for some excellent mainstream questions of it. Now I want to know more about European policing beyond the anecdotes mentioned of Berlin policing, and German prisons. It has inspired me to do a little more research, so that my opinions on things like policing are better informed, even if my abolitionist and prevention sensibility remains unchanged.
Some might argue that the book is too short or that it tries to touch on too many aspects of the gun violence conversation. Other might say that it reads like an extended podcast episode (but that's what a lot of non-fiction books are in general). What I would encourage before accepting that kind of critique however, is seeing the book as a springboard for better questions about the systems that support the pillars of American consciousness that regard guns as indivisible from national identity. The best books never claim to be everything, and if you're looking for a lengthy treatise on policing or gun violence, this won't be your book. If your sense of citizenship is anchored in national symbols like guns, more than participatory democracy and its collective apparatus, you may also bristle against it. These are basic caveats to readers wondering about reading the book.
Whether you love the book, or want to rid shelves of it, it's impossible to ignore. The American Way of Killing is another solid offering from the Gladwell oeuvre!
Many thanks to the publisher and author for the eARC downloaded via NetGalley.
Writing from Canada, my understanding of gun violence is slightly different than the average American (wholly different, actually). There are certain parts of the book however, that should bear moral weight regardless of gun law variations across the continent. The narratives of people whose lives and careers intersect with gun violence--trauma surgeons and doctors, members of the police force, legal researchers and experts, lawyers, historians, and ordinary citizens--round out the raw data it shares. It is written in the same narrative vein as his other books, which make it very readable, if not urgently so. As a testament to this, I tore through it in one morning before work.
There were a few points in the book that shocked me, but I won't spoil the best bits and go all out in this review. I was astounded however, that a popular author like Malcolm Gladwell has a higher research standard when considering historical case law around gun access, than Supreme Court judges. He details the Sullivan case heard before the Supreme Court in 2021 and offers more rigorously researched an opinion than the judges hearing it who limited it to a 1600s era bigoted merchant, Sir John Knight. Judicial commentary from the case reveals the profoundly low bar that exists for a bench that is lionized as caring about and serving "the people". It makes you question whether the Supreme Court justices are really beholden to the impartiality they might claim is part of their job. I was also a bit shocked to learn that Texan and other state laws were stricter in the 1800s than they are today.
I also got a little bit of an education while reading, in that my understanding of policing was brought to bear with statistics in a way that challenged my prior knowledge. I started the book a prison abolitionist and still remain one. What has changed however, is questioning whether policing itself is the sickness when it is more of a symptom. When abolitionist advocates like myself talk about community safety, are we talking about addressing the symptom, or the sickness? Gladwell's book didn't set out to diagnose these things, but it's something I was left with after reading. How is it that European countries with fewer people than the United States (by a huge margin) but have more police officers on their forces (by an equally huge margin) but fewer (at least from what the media reports) violent acts of police brutality and corruption? Gladwell makes a compelling, and perhaps too brief an argument that America doesn't have too much policing but far too little. My want to know more per Gladwell's take is a bit selfish, I know, but how can you not want to be more informed with such great writing and research?
Abolitionists' rallying cry is that of community service, and programs that prevent violence rather than singularly address its outbreak (among other tenets). Gladwell demonstrates that police violence and brutality is in part, because availability of officers and training has prioritized the lowest common denominator of solving problems quickly: a breaking knees philosophy of addressing issues. Unsurprisingly, this causes more violence than it prevents. European policing seems comparable to a five star Michelin restaurant devoted to a high-quality experience, where American policing is like drive-thru fast food: fast, cheap, and easy because the goal isn't quality of experience, but quantity of time saved. But who decided that quantity of cost and time savings was the most effective metric of a safe world when it seems that quality is more successful elsewhere? What is policing forced to prioritize where these constraints shape the consciousness of what ought to be foregrounded in discussions of community safety and addressing criminality? The justifications of these metrics seem like they are part of the sickness, with policing as it is in America (and perhaps North America, where Canada's historical RCMP treatment of Indigenous communities is equally horrifying) being the symptom. It's a juxtaposition that is not easily overlooked. If we don't address problems at the root, the shoots will still emerge somewhere else but in another capacity. He doesn't offer a modern policing coup de grâce, but does lay the groundwork for some excellent mainstream questions of it. Now I want to know more about European policing beyond the anecdotes mentioned of Berlin policing, and German prisons. It has inspired me to do a little more research, so that my opinions on things like policing are better informed, even if my abolitionist and prevention sensibility remains unchanged.
Some might argue that the book is too short or that it tries to touch on too many aspects of the gun violence conversation. Other might say that it reads like an extended podcast episode (but that's what a lot of non-fiction books are in general). What I would encourage before accepting that kind of critique however, is seeing the book as a springboard for better questions about the systems that support the pillars of American consciousness that regard guns as indivisible from national identity. The best books never claim to be everything, and if you're looking for a lengthy treatise on policing or gun violence, this won't be your book. If your sense of citizenship is anchored in national symbols like guns, more than participatory democracy and its collective apparatus, you may also bristle against it. These are basic caveats to readers wondering about reading the book.
Whether you love the book, or want to rid shelves of it, it's impossible to ignore. The American Way of Killing is another solid offering from the Gladwell oeuvre!
Many thanks to the publisher and author for the eARC downloaded via NetGalley.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Malcolm Gladwell has done it again. He has a way of telling stories by talking to the right people and asking the right questions. He comes at popular subjects from angles that often others leave undisturbed. For instance, I came into this book as an advocate of “defund the police”; not a staunch advocate mind you, but one that definitely feels reshuffling of police resources needs to be explored. But Malcolm Gladwell has challenged me to the point, where I’m rethinking my advocacy. Damnit Mr. Gladwell!! This of course speaks to the power of his prose. And it’s not like he is making a strong argument for increasing police numbers, but through his conversations and nuanced angles his case becomes clearer, if not compelling. That policing discourse is part of the larger discussion around gun violence and how America has an inability to have honest dialogue.
“A conversation becomes dishonest when either side pretends that something is consequential when it is not, avoids the right conclusion just because it is difficult, or through laziness or indifference blinds itself to the truth. This is a dishonest conversation.”
He divides the book into three parts, Dishonest Conversations, where the gun violence issue in America is addressed, along with an eye opening and honest discussion about the 2nd Amendment, the Constitutional critique is worth the price of the book alone. The other two parts are Misdiagnoses and Moral Absurdity. In each of these sections, the chapters are filled with Gladwell anecdotes and effective questions built around interesting stories that is classic Malcolm Gladwell.
“The American Way of Killing is the story of a country that has lost its way.” I endorse that sentiment 100%. This book reads quickly and you lament its end. As I was hungry for more stories more subjects more analysis. Just more.
“……..and if there’s a theme that runs through all the stories I’ve told, it’s that Americans don’t see their problem clearly. They think they have a problem with crime. They don’t.
They have a problem with violence. They think they are overpoliced. They aren’t. They are underpoliced. They think murderers behave as deliberately as they do in murder mysteries and on Law & Order. They don’t. Homicide is mostly just young men getting into arguments and losing their heads. They think their Constitution enshrines a basic right to own guns. It doesn’t. The founding fathers were just trying to cut a deal with slave owners. They think their violent crime is coming down. But is it? Or are people like Eddie Cornwell just making it invisible?”
This is one you’ll want to read and discuss. A big thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown & Co. for an advanced DRC. Book will explode into stores and onto bestsellers lists 09.29.26
“A conversation becomes dishonest when either side pretends that something is consequential when it is not, avoids the right conclusion just because it is difficult, or through laziness or indifference blinds itself to the truth. This is a dishonest conversation.”
He divides the book into three parts, Dishonest Conversations, where the gun violence issue in America is addressed, along with an eye opening and honest discussion about the 2nd Amendment, the Constitutional critique is worth the price of the book alone. The other two parts are Misdiagnoses and Moral Absurdity. In each of these sections, the chapters are filled with Gladwell anecdotes and effective questions built around interesting stories that is classic Malcolm Gladwell.
“The American Way of Killing is the story of a country that has lost its way.” I endorse that sentiment 100%. This book reads quickly and you lament its end. As I was hungry for more stories more subjects more analysis. Just more.
“……..and if there’s a theme that runs through all the stories I’ve told, it’s that Americans don’t see their problem clearly. They think they have a problem with crime. They don’t.
They have a problem with violence. They think they are overpoliced. They aren’t. They are underpoliced. They think murderers behave as deliberately as they do in murder mysteries and on Law & Order. They don’t. Homicide is mostly just young men getting into arguments and losing their heads. They think their Constitution enshrines a basic right to own guns. It doesn’t. The founding fathers were just trying to cut a deal with slave owners. They think their violent crime is coming down. But is it? Or are people like Eddie Cornwell just making it invisible?”
This is one you’ll want to read and discuss. A big thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown & Co. for an advanced DRC. Book will explode into stores and onto bestsellers lists 09.29.26
Review of advance copy received from Storygraph
Writing from Canada, my understanding of gun violence is slightly different than the average American (wholly different, actually). There are certain parts of the book however, that should bear moral weight regardless of gun law variations across the continent. The narratives of people whose lives and careers intersect with gun violence--trauma surgeons and doctors, members of the police force, legal researchers and experts, lawyers, historians, and ordinary citizens--round out the raw data it shares. It is written in the same narrative vein as his other books, which make it very readable, if not urgently so. As a testament to this, I tore through it in one morning before work.
There were a few points in the book that shocked me, but I won't spoil the best bits and go all out in this review. I was astounded however, that a popular author like Malcolm Gladwell has a higher research standard when considering historical case law around gun access, than Supreme Court judges. He details the Sullivan case heard before the Supreme Court in 2021 and offers more rigorously researched an opinion than the judges hearing it who limited it to a 1600s era bigoted merchant, Sir John Knight. Judicial commentary from the case reveals the profoundly low bar that exists for a bench that is lionized as caring about and serving "the people". It makes you question whether the Supreme Court justices are really beholden to the impartiality they might claim is part of their job. I was also a bit shocked to learn that Texan and other state laws were stricter in the 1800s than they are today.
There were a few points in the book that shocked me, but I won't spoil the best bits and go all out in this review. I was astounded however, that a popular author like Malcolm Gladwell has a higher research standard when considering historical case law around gun access, than Supreme Court judges. He details the Sullivan case heard before the Supreme Court in 2021 and offers more rigorously researched an opinion than the judges hearing it who limited it to a 1600s era bigoted merchant, Sir John Knight. Judicial commentary from the case reveals the profoundly low bar that exists for a bench that is lionized as caring about and serving "the people". It makes you question whether the Supreme Court justices are really beholden to the impartiality they might claim is part of their job. I was also a bit shocked to learn that Texan and other state laws were stricter in the 1800s than they are today.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Malcolm Gladwell never fails to engage and provoke. This short read is well worth the time.
Gladwell posits that Americans don't have the real story when it comes to violence in our country. Almost everything we know is filtered through the media and through the politicians and most of it is either flat out wrong or simplified. It's hard to solve the real problem is you don't even know what it is. Defining the problem is the first step toward solving it.
(As an aside, I can't imagine this is the only issue in which our viewpoints lack nuance for the same exact reasons; it's frightening).
Gladwell divides violence in America into two categories: 1) that which is carefully planned in the furtherance of personal gain and 2) that which arises out of disagreements that escalate.
Guess which is more? Hint: It's not #1.
Gladwell's goes on to analyze how the U.S. could really do a much better job with handling the most common episodes of violence, and he uses fascinating data comparisons with other countries to illuminate his points.
Very worthwhile, and I hope the country reads it widely. What's extra refreshing is the fact that the politics are not clearly right leaning nor clearly left leaning because both sides have it SO wrong.
Gladwell posits that Americans don't have the real story when it comes to violence in our country. Almost everything we know is filtered through the media and through the politicians and most of it is either flat out wrong or simplified. It's hard to solve the real problem is you don't even know what it is. Defining the problem is the first step toward solving it.
(As an aside, I can't imagine this is the only issue in which our viewpoints lack nuance for the same exact reasons; it's frightening).
Gladwell divides violence in America into two categories: 1) that which is carefully planned in the furtherance of personal gain and 2) that which arises out of disagreements that escalate.
Guess which is more? Hint: It's not #1.
Gladwell's goes on to analyze how the U.S. could really do a much better job with handling the most common episodes of violence, and he uses fascinating data comparisons with other countries to illuminate his points.
Very worthwhile, and I hope the country reads it widely. What's extra refreshing is the fact that the politics are not clearly right leaning nor clearly left leaning because both sides have it SO wrong.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book is classic Gladwell -- full of interviews with a wide range of people, and facts that upset what we think we know. Gladwell breaks up the reading experience with lots of quotes, typeset to break up the visual experience. People with short attention spans can keep going!
Gladwell traces our national love of guns back to the days when small numbers of people enslaved large numbers of other people, and managed their fear with guns and militias. Gladwell contends that we're having a dishonest conversation about guns in the US, and we should be talking about different kinds of violence, and how to interrupt those patterns of violence. Also, homicide rates are down because trauma surgeons are so good that they can save people who would have died in 1940, or 1970, or even 1990.
Interestingly, he says the US has fewer police officers than comparable cities in other countries. We think we're overpoliced because small police forces are more violent, as a way of keeping order. European cities of similar size have more police officers, who them have time for community relationships and interrupting violence. (Thanks to Net Galley for the advance copy.)
Gladwell traces our national love of guns back to the days when small numbers of people enslaved large numbers of other people, and managed their fear with guns and militias. Gladwell contends that we're having a dishonest conversation about guns in the US, and we should be talking about different kinds of violence, and how to interrupt those patterns of violence. Also, homicide rates are down because trauma surgeons are so good that they can save people who would have died in 1940, or 1970, or even 1990.
Interestingly, he says the US has fewer police officers than comparable cities in other countries. We think we're overpoliced because small police forces are more violent, as a way of keeping order. European cities of similar size have more police officers, who them have time for community relationships and interrupting violence. (Thanks to Net Galley for the advance copy.)
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A quick and thought-provoking read on the epidemic of gun violence in America.
As usual, Gladwell provides a number of intriguing anecdotes and persuasive statistics in discussing why the United States is such an outlier when it comes to the possession and use of guns among the general populace. I was particularly taken with his perspective on the Second Amendment as relating to the desire of plantation owners to maintain posses patrolling for escaped slaves and safeguard against possible revolts.
However, I did wonder upon finishing the book how much cherry picking of data might have been incorporated. In particular, the link between improvements in modern trauma care and changes in gun death statistics felt a bit speculative.
With thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown & Company who provided a digital ARC in return for an honest review.
As usual, Gladwell provides a number of intriguing anecdotes and persuasive statistics in discussing why the United States is such an outlier when it comes to the possession and use of guns among the general populace. I was particularly taken with his perspective on the Second Amendment as relating to the desire of plantation owners to maintain posses patrolling for escaped slaves and safeguard against possible revolts.
However, I did wonder upon finishing the book how much cherry picking of data might have been incorporated. In particular, the link between improvements in modern trauma care and changes in gun death statistics felt a bit speculative.
With thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown & Company who provided a digital ARC in return for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
always like anything written by Malcolm Gladwell. this book about shooting and death by gunshot in America was an interesting read. it is said the Americans have a "total weakness for pedantry." instead of addressing this problem head on, instead they revert back to historical stuff that has no importance in this time in history. Americans are compared to other countries of trouble and violance like Yemen and Nigeria based on the certainty of punishment. there is an emotional component lost in dealing this anger and exaggerated moral injury, feeling compelled to take the law in their own hands and deal with it with a gun. also there is a great lack of number of police employed in cities. this author makes a case that if there were more police, then there could be early society intervention stopping the less emotional gun welding person
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received a digital ARC from NetGalley in exchange for this review. I have been a fan of Malcolm Gladwell for several years but this is by far my favorite book he has written on the history of gun violence in America and he has some very interesting conclusions: the 2nd Amendment of the US Constitution right to bear arms clause has more to do with appeasing slave owners who wanted to quell slave rebellions. Also, the fight to get assault weapons off the street does not address the number of shootings and suicides attached to handguns. He examines how emergency room treatment has lessened the number of gun shot deaths, and that local gun laws from communities, Dodge City, Kansas is cited, during the late 1800s in the western United States were more rigorous and successful than current gun laws today. A must read by all Americans who are concerned with epidemic of gun violence.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Malcolm Gladwell is one of a kind. He writes sociology about real life cultural issues and— every time— he has a way of making me see something in a completely different way. This book is compelling and important. While most of us agree that gun violence is tragic and a huge problem in America, often no one has any solutions for it. And while he isn’t a policymaker, Gladwell is going to challenge all of your assumptions and show you big correlations that you have been missing. My mouth just dropped open, several times. And this is a problem I feel very strongly about. I don’t want to spoil any of his data for you, because I truly want you to have the same jaw dropping moments as you read. I have to say, this book changed my worldview.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
incredibly provocative and well-researched, gladwell shines a floodlight on gun control in america — how the 2nd amendment is highly misinterpreted and far from its original intent, that there’s a difference between cities with a greater percentage of crime vs. greater percentage of violence, why our entire criminal system is both ineffective and expensive, and why most gun-related deaths are more likely to be accidental, not premeditated… the arguments are so compelling and the conclusion lead me to what i basically already knew, but now understand in a more data-driven way. it’s the guns… that’s always been the problem. full stop.
thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The American Way of Killing: The Invention of an Epidemic is an informative and short read about gun violence.
The author manages to navigate a heavy subject with balanced investigative research and grace. It was an insightful read with fascinating data and profound discussions. I just wish it could have been longer and provided a broad scope of the issue along with potential solutions.
Overall, it’s an enlightening read that explores guns and violence in America. I highly recommend it.
Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown, and Company for the ARC(advanced reader copy) in return for an honest review.
The author manages to navigate a heavy subject with balanced investigative research and grace. It was an insightful read with fascinating data and profound discussions. I just wish it could have been longer and provided a broad scope of the issue along with potential solutions.
Overall, it’s an enlightening read that explores guns and violence in America. I highly recommend it.
Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown, and Company for the ARC(advanced reader copy) in return for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Great look into the epidemic that is so pervasive throughout America. I won't get into all my personal thoughts on the subject but I do think this is a book everyone should check out. I'll admit that I learned a thing or two and feel like I have a better understanding on the deeper root problems revolving around the gun debate in this country. Maybe I'll add to this review in the future but, for now, go read this book!
Great look into the epidemic that is so pervasive throughout America. I won't get into all my personal thoughts on the subject but I do think this is a book everyone should check out. I'll admit that I learned a thing or two and feel like I have a better understanding on the deeper root problems revolving around the gun debate in this country. Maybe I'll add to this review in the future but, for now, go read this book!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Malcolm Gladwell has a gift of dissecting complex issues through storytelling, and in this small book, he manages to deconstruct one of the most difficult social issues in the US-- gun violence. Each short chapter explodes a myth and points to a solution, all the while, infusing compassion for those affected. Every American legislator should read this book.
Thank you, Little Brown & Company and Netgalley for the arc.
Thank you, Little Brown & Company and Netgalley for the arc.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Malcolm Gladwell does a great job presenting the facts of gun violence in the USA. He brings facts and explains things in a way that is easy to understand, but does make one think and analyze what we have been told. Gladwell discusses the second amendment, how advances in medicine have helped more people survive causing a shift in homicide vs assault rates, and how we have a violence problem, not a crime problem. Fascinating read. Highly recommend.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was an expansion of the latest season of Gladwell’s Revisionist History Podcast. It read well and is something I would turn to again for talking points. I look forward to his next endeavor.
Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for an ARC of this book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for an ARC of this book.
September 3, 2026
Loved the information, particularly the history of the Second Amendment (would be nice if our Supreme Court and Congress understood history better), and the tie ins with today’s America and its addiction to violence. For me, I did want more depth, more length, more of a deep dive than the podcast version he did on this topic. But as always, Gladwell informs and educates.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews