More Guns, Less Crime

On its initial publication in 1998, John R. Lott, Jr.'s "More Guns, Less Crime" drew both lavish praise and heated criticism. More than a decade later, it continues to play a key role in ongoing arguments over gun-control laws: despite all the attacks by gun-control advocates, no one has ever been able to refute Lott's simple, startling conclusion that more guns mean less crime. Relying on the most rigorously comprehensive data analysis ever conducted on crime statistics and right-to-carry laws, the book directly challenges common perceptions about the relationship of guns, crime, and violence. For this third edition, Lott brings his data fully up to date, incorporating recent research and changes in the law and answering a range of critics.