“Right after the Columbine shooting, which occurred only a few miles from my own high school, I spent several years researching the daunting challenges that had faced gun policy reformers throughout the 20th century. Goss, also director of the Duke in DC program, has published three books about gun policy, including, “The Gun Debate: What Everyone Needs to Know” (co-authored with fellow Duke professor Philip Cook). Philip Cook, a professor emeritus of public policy, economics and sociology, has spent more than 40 years researching the costs and consequences of the widespread availability of guns.