The objective of this book is to quantify the social costs of gun violence in order to help policy makers determine how many and which violence programmes to support. Drawing upon the most detailed and extensive economic study of the cost of gun violence, Cook and Ludwig provide detailed information about how the burden of gun violence is distributed in the US. Drawing upon this data, the book draws out the important implications for public policy. The burden of gun violence in America is valued at about $100 billion annually, and this heavy cost is distributed much more evenly over the population than the victimization statistics would suggest. Cook and Ludwig's examination of these costs lead them to propose a multifaceted policy agenda that includes both law enforcement and gun control measures.

"The first effort to make a comprehensive estimate of the price the nation pays for criminal shootings, gun accidents, and suicides committed with guns."--The New York Times "Marshalls new information and research to present a compelling picture of the true dimensions and extraordinary costs of gun violence in the United States. The book also debunks some of the key arguments of the NRA and its academic defenders....What makes Cook and Ludwig's book novel is their careful effort to calculate the total costs of gun violence."--The American Prospect "Offers not one but three significant new ideas about how to comprehend and reduce gun violence in America."--The Denver Post "Cook and Ludwig's approach is ambitious and pathbreaking. Theirs is the first attempt to document the many ways in which gun violence affects the United States, and they consider outcomes that are overlooked in most discussions. This important book will be a model for other research, and it should influence discussions of public policy.... Anyone with even a casual interest in the topic will profit from reading it."--New England Journal of Medicine "Progress begins on social problems when it becomes possible to measure them. In that spirit come Professors Cook and Ludwig with this exceptional contribution." --Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan "This book does two things, and it does them with thoroughness, skill, and honesty. It identifies what we should mean by 'the real costs,' and it offers responsible estimates. Readers looking only for ammunition to use on either side of the debate will be disappointed; readers who want the best guidance on how to think about the issue, and how to quantify their thinking, will find clarity, reason, and the best data available. There is no comparable work."--Thomas C. Schelling, Distinguished University Professor of Economics, University of Maryland; Past President of the American Economic Association "Gun violence diminishes the quality of all our lives, threatening hearts and pocketbooks. No one is immune. Cook and Ludwig document the $100 billion cost of the havoc wrought by firearms and provide compelling proof of the need to end the carnage."--Susan Baker, Professor of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health "A clear, well-written and balanced tour through a maze of competing statistical claims and economic arguments. The Real Costs of Gun Violence is a major contribution to our understanding of both gun violence and the costs of violent crime."--Franklin E. Zimring, William G. Simon Professor of Law; Director, Earl Warren Legal Institute, University of California at Berkeley "The first effort to make a comprehensive estimate of the price the nation pays for criminal shootings, gun accidents, and suicides committed with guns."--The New York Times "Offers not one but three significant new ideas about how to comprehend and reduce gun violence in America."--The Denver Post "Cook and Ludwig's approach is ambitious and pathbreaking. Theirs is the first attempt to document the many ways in which gun violence affects the United States, and they consider outcomes that are overlooked in most discussions. This important book will be a model for other research, and it should influence discussions of public policy.... Anyone with even a casual interest in the topic will profit from reading it."--New England Journal of Medicine "Marshalls new information and research to present a compelling picture of the true dimensions and extraordinary costs of gun violence in the United States. The book also debunks some of the key arguments of the NRA and its academic defenders....What makes Cook and Ludwig's book novel is their careful effort to calculate the total costs of gun violence."--The American Prospect "An innovative contribution to the growing literature on one of America's most intractable problems."--Publishers Weekly "[A new book on] the economics of gun violence. You won't believe the numbers."--The Milken Institute Review "Progress begins on social problems when it becomes possible to measure them. In that spirit come Professors Cook and Ludwig with this exceptional contribution."--Daniel Patrick Moynihan "A clear, well-written and balanced tour through a maze of competing statistical claims and economic arguments. The Real Costs of Gun Violence is a major contribution to our understanding of both gun violence and the costs of violent crime."--Franklin E. Zimring, University of California at Berkeley "This book does two things, and it does them with thoroughness, skill, and honesty. It identifies what we should mean by 'the real costs,' and it offers responsible estimates. Readers looking only for ammunition to use on either side of the debate will be disappointed; readers who want the best guidance on how to think about the issue, and how to quantify their thinking, will find clarity, reason, and the best data available. There is no comparable work."--Thomas C. Schelling, Distinguished University Professor of Economics, University of Maryland; past President of the American Economic Association. "Gun violence diminishes the quality of all our lives, threatening hearts and pocketbooks. No one is immune. Cook and Ludwig document the $100 billion cost of the havoc wrought by firearms and provide compelling proof of the need to end the carnage."--Susan Baker, Professor of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health

Philip J. Cook is the ITT/Sanford Professor of Public Policy at Duke University and Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research. He has been conducting research on firearms and violence for over 25 years, and has served as consultant to the Departments of Justice and the Treasury. He has written extensively on alcohol control, gambling, the economics of crime, and other topics, and is co-author of The Winner-Take-All Society (1995) and Selling Hope: State Lotteries in America (1989). Jens Ludwig is Assistant Professor of Public Policy at Georgetown University and Affiliated Expert of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research. He conducts research on public policies related to crime and education, and has provided testimony on gun policy to state legislatures and other groups in California, Kansas, and Minnesota.