Everything you always wanted to know about guns—and more

Reviews the book, Guns and contemporary society: The past, present, and future of firearms and firearm policy: Volume 1, Background to the current debate over firearms; Volume 2, Cultural issues related to firearms in the United States; Volume 3, Current controversies and policy recommendations (see record 2016-23770-000) edited by Glenn H. Utter. This three-volume set of essays is intended to “encourage consideration of policies that may gain common agreement among gun rights supporters and those advocating certain additional gun control measures” (p. ix). A three-prong focus embraces historical background, political and cultural issues, and policy recommendations. Although not suitable as a textbook and notwithstanding the academic substance being pitched at a cognitive level that would be “mentally challenging” for many everyday people who are interested, whether they are for or against, guns, any reader should be able to glean information that will be useful, whether in commonplace discussions, public speaking and writing, or scholarly contexts (e.g., lectures in a classroom in schools and higher education). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)