The American Way of Killing by Malcolm Gladwell review
Gladwell’s highly readable investigation into US gun culture fails to engage with the bigger questions
TL;DR
- The book questions why the US has such a different relationship with lethal violence compared to other countries.
- Gladwell's method blends readable style with analytical approach, but can be thin on social policy.
- The book offers discrete observations rather than a single argument, drawing from various disciplines.
- It highlights that drops in gun deaths are due to medical improvements, not fewer shootings.
- The reviewer criticizes the book for avoiding serious analysis of systemic inequalities related to gun violence.
- Gladwell's approach may offer insights into parts of the problem but fails to provide a comprehensive understanding of the whole issue.