Bonta began to take an interest in peacefulness in about 1980 when he started reading works of anthropology about nonviolent societies. They were fascinating because they contradicted the general notion that humanity is intrinsically violent and that only overwhelming state power can ensure peace. Those works prompted many questions: Does conflict always need to be controlled by the possibility of police force? Is international peace best maintained through threats of war? The evidence suggests there may be better ways than threats of force, violence, and warfare.