About the Author

Ian Ayres is the William K. Townsend Professor of Law and Professor of Management at Yale University. He is the author of many books, including the New York Times bestseller Super Crunchers. He is a contributor to Forbes, NPR's Marketplace, and the New York Times. Fredrick E. Vars is the Ira Drayton Pruitt, Sr., Professor of Law at the University of Alabama, where he specializes in mental health law. He works with numerous suicide-prevention organizations and is a member of the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Gun Violence.

Reviews

Five stars! A truly innovative book that does not simply advocate the same old litany of mandatory gun laws. Whatever your political persuasion, you will find that their ideas could help alleviate some of the public health problems caused by firearms that we all want to see reduced. -- David Hemenway, author of Private Guns, Public Health
Gun violence is one of America's most pressing problems. We have very few solutions, or even new ideas. This important book provides some genuinely new ideas that also, by respecting the deeply-held but conflicting values people have around guns, seem feasible and hence helpful for the widely-shared goal of saving lives. -- Jens Ludwig, coauthor of Gun Violence: The Real Costs
Gun violence remains a nationwide crisis, and comprehensive, innovative legislation is needed to save lives. Ayres and Vars are opening an important new discussion about how state government can take an active role in preventing gun violence. -- Gina Raimondo, Governor of Rhode Island
Ayres and Vars craft an innovative new legal tool people can use to defend themselves against gun violence-including self-harm. The book is packed with conceptual insights about the nature of freedom and self-restriction, as well as creative and promising new policy alternatives. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the gun debate. -- Joseph Blocher, coauthor of The Positive Second Amendment
This bold yet disarming prescription for new and promising gun policies seeks to empower and protect the citizenry while expanding and protecting individual rights. Ayres and Vars illustrate that government can reduce suicides and diminish the risk of gun violence without triggering the opposition of even the most ardent Second Amendment enthusiasts. -- John J. Donohue III, author of Law and Economics of Discrimination
While the authors tend to favor more regulation, they write with an understanding of and respect for the tens of millions of Americans who cherish the right to keep and bear arms guaranteed by the Second Amendment. This understanding and respect can foster the trust necessary to evaluate their proposals free from the rancor that makes critical analysis difficult in discussions about sound gun policy. -- Brannon P. Denning, coauthor of Guns and the Law