by Prof. David Yamane of Wake Forest University has been sponsoring an online book club for about a year now. He calls it the Light Over Heat Book Club. I am one of a very diverse group of panelists who attend to discuss the book in question. Panelists include firearms trainers, gun rights activists, historians, a criminologist, a podcaster who works for Brady, and more.
The latest book we are reading is called Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence by Prof. Jens Ludwig. (#commission earned) He is an economist at the University of Chicago who runs the Crime Lab. In this book he is attempting to apply some of the key tenets of behavioral economics to why crime varies by neighborhood. Those tenets are derived from the work of Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman who held there were essentially two types of thinking. You have thinking fast or reaction based upon past experience (System 1) and thinking slow based upon more logical, considered thought (System 2).
We were fortunate enough to have been sent pre-publication proof editions of Ludwig’s book by the University of Chicago Press. We have had three meeting to discuss the book and tomorrow (Wednesday, May 14th at 6p, Eastern) we will have Ludwig himself join us to answer questions about his book.
You can listen in and watch by Zoom. You will be able to put comments in chat. However, to participate you must register.
Here is that info:
If you’re interested in attending the Light Over Heat Virtual Book Club as a viewer, please Register for the Zoom Webinar discussion here: https://wakeforest-university.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_V4NoGtyoSia-1utMlT1KPg
Only registered attendees can join the meeting.
I will say that while I disagree with much of what Ludwig has written it has been one of the more readable books that we discussed. If you have any interest in the topic and you should because Ludwig’s work is used extensively by the gun control industry, sign up and listen in.
Interesting… Thanks!