The Spiral Notebook by Stephen and Joyce Singular

The Spiral Notebook: The Aurora Theater Shooter and the Epidemic of Mass Violence Committed by American Youth looks at the scope of mass shootings through the lens of the Aurora tragedy of July 2012 when James Holmes walked into a theater full of spectators watching the newest Batman movie and opened fire.  By interviewing their own son alongside other millenials, the authors take an in depth look at what is being called an "epidemic" among this generation and try to understand where the violence comes from.  From violence in our media such as video games and movies to the over prescribing of medications, American culture comes under fire as the cause of this phenomena.  The authors believe that after 9/11, more post-apocalyptic games and movies came out from ever before, contributing to the hopelessness millenials grew up with.  They also contend that we as a nation have spent a good portion of this generation's time on earth at war with other countries, not to mention the invisible terror threat.  In addition, they state, kids are prescribed legal drugs for their problems instead of learning coping skills.  These are three of the major factors that contribute to the state of today's youth.  The book is a very interesting study of mass shootings and their causes while using the framework of the story of one of the mass shooters who survived his shooting and whose information could potentially teach us a lot about why this keeps happening and how to prevent it.  At the center of the book is the famous spiral notebook in which Holmes allegedly outlined his plans and his thoughts prior to the shooting, the same notebook he sent to his former psychiatrist moments before walking into the theater.  The media and some psychological professionals believe this notebook should be made public to a certain degree in order to learn from Holmes.  However, the courts have kept the document sealed and few people have seen it.  This also brings up the discussion in the book about criminal insanity and how our justice system determines and handles it.  Excellent read for all adults who have asked themselves why this keeps happening.  304 pages.