On Killing
On Killing by Dave Grossmanby Dave Grossman
Shares rank 91 of 152 nonfiction books by recommenders
Recommended as a classic on the psychology of killing; the most common caveat is that it leans on S.L.A. Marshall's dubious work.
Recommended as a classic on the psychology of killing; the most common caveat is that it leans on S.L.A. Marshall's dubious work.
4 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 3
- criticize it
- 1
- approval share
- 75%
Recommended in 2 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 3 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 3 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 2 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Seen as a classic
“"On Killing" by Dave Grossman is a classic.”
Comment from 13 Apr 2026 in “The Rational Conclusion of Doomerism Is Violence” Concrete psychological model open to testing
“The psychological model it presents is concrete enough for anyone to present evidence against it.”
Comment from 25 Mar 2026 in “"Collaboration" Is Bullshit” Explains parades and ritual
“if you read "On Killing" by Grossman, parades etc are almost like an ancient Greek purification ritual.”
Comment from 5 Mar 2026 in “It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country (1921)”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Relies on dubious S.L.A. Marshall work
“it relies on SLA Marshall's dubious work, and several other examples it uses are difficult to take seriously”
Comment from 23 Mar 2026 in “"Collaboration" Is Bullshit” Some examples hard to take seriously
“it relies on SLA Marshall's dubious work, and several other examples it uses are difficult to take seriously”
Comment from 23 Mar 2026 in “"Collaboration" Is Bullshit”
Other nonfiction books people recommend
The four most recommended other nonfiction books, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Cuckoo's Eggby Cliff Stoll | 40 | 0 | 100% | 8 | — | Approved |
| Amusing Ourselves to Deathby Neil Postman | 36 | 0 | 100% | 9 | 1 yr3 owners | Approved |
| The Anxious Generationby Jonathan Haidt | 24 | 12 | 67% | 10 | — | Approved |
| Bullshit Jobsby David Graeber | 20 | 12 | 63% | 8 | — | — |
| On Killingby Dave GrossmanThis page | 3 | 1 | 75% | 2 | — | — |
What people said
All 4 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“"On Killing" by Dave Grossman is a classic.”
“The psychological model it presents is concrete enough for anyone to present evidence against it.”
“it relies on SLA Marshall's dubious work, and several other examples it uses are difficult to take seriously”
“if you read "On Killing" by Grossman, parades etc are almost like an ancient Greek purification ritual.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.