Book Review: 'The Future of the Gun'

An appalling majority of journalists—and, as a result, too much of the public—don’t understand what guns have to do with real freedom. So Frank Miniter saw a need for a reporter to honestly go inside America’s gun culture for answers about our relationship with the gun and what’s to come. He went inside America’s gun makers, he imbedded with police officers, he went to the gun ranges, he spent time with inner-city gangs, he went to gun competitions, he hung out with gun lobbyists and he found people who could give an insider’s view of mainstream newsrooms and so much more all to tell the real story about guns in America. What Miniter ends up with is a surprising, fast-paced and fact-based narrative every journalist should be compelled to read and that every American—gun owner or not—will get a lot out of. His investigation shows where our freedom is headed and what guns will soon look like as they are reshaped by modern technology—his groundbreaking research into what’s to come in gun design is alone worth the price of this book.

Along the way he says he found there are two wildly different gun cultures in America—the more than 100-million strong freedom-loving, gun-rights culture that upholds the responsible use of guns and the much smaller but more headline-grabbing criminal culture that thrives in spite of, or even because of, government attempts at restricting gun rights. Those two cultures are created by policy, laws that lead to two very different futures. The road we take will determine the future of the gun and the future of our freedom. To take the path toward freedom we have to understand what that freedom is all about. Understanding guns in America—what Miniter called “freedom’s tool”—is what this must-read is all about.

"The Future of the Gun" has received stellar reviews from our own J. Scott Olmsted, American Rifleman Editor in Chief Mark Keefe and NRA's Chief Lobbyist Chris W. Cox, among other. You can catch their thoughts below.

“Frank Miniter, one of the finest writers and investigative journalists I know, does a remarkable job describing the context and history of firearms in America, and then delves into their contemporary lawful and positive use. But it is in analyzing the criminal use of firearms and the effect the government restriction of gun rights has had on our society that this book makes its most dramatic impact on the national debate. Woven into his narrative is the history and big picture of firearm manufacturing in the United States (guns kick-started the Industrial Revolution) and what effect technological developments are having and will have on firearms in the near future.”—Mark A. Keefe IV, Editor in Chief, American Rifleman

“Americans who know their history and understand that all humanity is created equal know this: The Second Amendment defines a civil right. Chapter 5, "How Gun Rights Beat the Media," is alone worth the price of admission. Read it, and you'll never watch cable TV news the same way again. Read this book and you will be armed with the truth about your freedom and what`s to come.”—J. Scott Olmsted, author of “Make Every Shot Count” and Editor in Chief, American Hunter

“’The Future of the Gun’ is an insightful look into gun politics and policy, written with Frank’s trademark wit. An important read for every American.”—Chris W. Cox, chief lobbyist, National Rifle Association

"The Future of the Gun" is available on Amazon.com and wherever books are sold.