Violence is often regarded as an unavoidable fact of life. The truth is far more hopeful: violence is a disease that can be cured.

'Gary Slutkin is one of the most important thinkers and activists in the vital effort to understand and reduce violence….an invaluable contribution.' Steven Pinker, author of The Better Angels of Our Nature


Drawing on decades spent fighting infectious disease before founding Cure Violence Global, Dr Gary Slutkin shows that violence behaves like any other epidemic – it spreads through exposure, but it can also be interrupted, contained and ultimately eliminated. By treating violence as a contagious illness rather than a moral failing, he reveals how communities around the world have begun to heal themselves, by following the basic epidemic playbook. These methods have dramatically reduced or eliminated violence in communities in the US, Latin America, and around the world.

With clear-sighted pragmatism, The End of Violence uncovers the invisible logic of violence – and how it works on our brains and bodies – offering an inspiring and time-tested roadmap for our recovery. Incisive, far-reaching and profoundly hopeful, it challenges the idea that violence is inevitable and shows us a concrete way to a more peaceful world.


'This book could not be more relevant or useful.' William Ury, bestselling author of Getting to Yes

'A visionary work. A must-read, not only for practitioners but also for everyday people who care about their families, their futures, and those around them.' Dr Susan L. Bissell, Founding Director, Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children

'Dr Slutkin is revolutionizing the field entirely... The world needs this book now to change the tide of violence and build a world of peace.' Rima Salah, former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations

Gary Slutkin is one of the most important thinkers and activists in the vital effort to understand and reduce violence . . . an invaluable contribution. -- Steven Pinker, Professor, Harvard University and author of The Better Angels of Our Nature
Violence is globally ubiquitous because like so many diseases, it doesn’t discriminate. With its evidence-based solutions that can reach hundreds of millions of people, The End of Violence can improve the health and lives of people all around the world. -- Chris Elias, President, Global Development, Gates Foundation
Epidemiologist Gary Slutkin brings 25 years of deep experience and knowledge to show us how we can use the paradigm of public health to cure the world of this deadly epidemic. This book could not be more relevant or useful. -- William Ury, author of Getting to Yes
Nothing short of a paradigm shift. Violence has been misdiagnosed and mismanaged for too long. The science and movement in this book will move us forward as a species. -- Dr Peter Piot, Founding Executive Director of UNAIDS, formerly Director, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, co-discoverer of the Ebola virus
Pay close attention to the work Slutkin has done to separate violence from politics, poverty and morality and you will never see it the same way again. -- Rafael Alvarez, former staff writer for The Wire
Our neighborhoods, our cities, and the world need this book now to change the tide of violence and build a world of peace. -- Rima Salah, Former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations

Dr Gary Slutkin is a physician and epidemiologist and innovator in violence reduction. As the Founder and former CEO of Cure Violence Global, he is widely recognized for pioneering the epidemic control approach to violence prevention. Formerly the Director of Interventions at the World Health Organization, Dr Slutkin guided efforts to combat epidemics of tuberculosis, cholera, and AIDS in over twenty countries in Africa and Asia. Dr Slutkin has presented his solution-oriented understanding of the violence epidemic to the World Bank, the World Economic Forum, the State Department, Harvard Law School, the Institute of Medicine, MIT, the United States Congress, and the National Intelligence Council. His work has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, The Economist, CNN, BBC, and in the award-winning film, The Interrupters.