Books 2022: Going Beyond 'Thoughts and Prayers' to Stop a Mass Shooting Epidemic

Book: The Violence Project: How to Stop a Mass Shooting Epidemic

Authors: Jillian Peterson & James Densley

Review by: Jorge Fernandez, consultant, Pendleton Group, and former vice president of global commerce at the Metro Atlanta Chamber and U.S. Air Force pilot

This book, rich with statistics and data points, should be considered the gold standard for research papers. The goal of any such work should be to create a story out of the data that is easy for the end user to understand.

The Violence Project reached this endgame. It does an astounding job connecting the dots between data points and actionable mitigation measures regarding the problem of violence plaguing the country. It is important to note that despite the title, the book does not center only on gun violence, but rather the root of violence and the consequences of it becoming a societal norm.

This research story translates data-based findings into relatable and understandable conclusions that help expose the history of mass shootings, some domestic and global lessons and missed measures that could reduce risk.

The authors, also the actual researchers, use first-hand accounts from perpetrators, people who knew them, victims’ families, survivors and first responders, among others.

The findings are then interpolated within a context of history, politics and policy. In the authors’ own words, “The Violence Project is a pragmatic retort to the proverbial ‘thoughts and prayers’ we often hear when these acts are committed.”

The Violence Project is not just the title of the book. It is also the title of a criminology project of a research organization that bears the same name. This organization is a nonprofit center funded by the National Institute of Justice and dedicated to public criminology and data-driven violence prevention.

It researches causation and behaviors that have led to social violence. The book is another step in providing an interdisciplinary understanding of the history of violence and putting forward a holistic, actionable approach to stopping this epidemic.

I held a related (in terms of the focus on data) read in reserve for honorable mention:

Book: Data Reimagined

By: Jody Daniels and Justin Daniels

I am delighted the authors opted to share their expert thoughts on security and privacy in our information age through this easy-to-digest book. Data Reimagined is a flight path toward build trusting and confidence in our ever-present digital life, now constantly being challenged by a wide array of threats. Understanding data, its storage and its vulnerability is critical for the entire C-suite. This is not just the job of the CIO. Of course, this has utmost relevance to our own private life as well, and the fact that Atlanta has such a powerhouse couple in the cybersecurity field is a boon to the city and beyond.