Divorceé Liz Kendall is devoted to her two kids, and most people who know her know that she wouldn't hurt a fly. But there's another side to Liz -- one that's dark and malicious. She will do anything to get her way, no matter how extreme. And when this alter ego takes control, the consequences are devastating. Teenager Fran is a survivor of childhood abduction; she's protected by her imaginary friend, a fox named Jinx who's a battle-ready vulpine...

"Seven-year-old Chula and her older sister Cassandra enjoy carefree lives thanks to their gated community in Bogotá, but the threats of kidnappings, car bombs, and assassinations hover just outside the neighborhood walls, where the godlike drug lord Pablo Escobar continues to elude authorities and capture the attention of the nation"--Dust jacket flap.

Today we may be living in the most peaceful time in human existence. The ceaseless news about war, crime, and terrorism makes it seem as if the world is getting bloodier. But in this book the author shows that violence has in fact declined over long stretches of history. How has this happened? Here the author examines the inner demons that incline us toward violence and the better angels that pull us away, and shows how changes in ideas and practices...