Mean Genes: From Sex to Money to Food: Taming Our Primal Instincts

by Terry Burnham, Jay Phelan

Short, sassy, and bold, Mean Genes uses a Darwinian lens to examine the issues that most deeply affect our body image, money, addiction, violence, and the endless search for happiness, love, and fidelity. But Burnham and Phelan don't simply describe the connections between our genes and our behavior; they also outline steps that we can take to tame our primal instincts and so improve the quality of our lives.Why do we want (and do) so many things that are bad for us? We vow to lose those extra five pounds, put more money in the bank, and mend neglected relationships, but our attempts often end in failure. Mean Genes reveals that struggles for self-improvement are, in fact, battles against our own genes--genes that helped our cavewoman and caveman ancestors flourish but that are selfish and out of place in the modern world. Why do we like junk food more than fruit? Why is the road to romance so rocky? Why is happiness so elusive? What drives us into debt? An investigation into the biological nature of temptation and the struggle for control, Mean Genes answers these and other fundamental questions about human nature while giving us an edge to lead more satisfying lives.

Genres: Science, Psychology, Nonfiction, Biology, Evolution, Self Help, Genetics

263 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2000

Reviews

[Alex Zakharov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute short book of heuristics to overcome human (mis)behaviors/drives that are somewhat surprising but expected outcomes of our evolutionary past. The authors main theme is that many of our sinful habits (e.g. overeating, gambling, over spending, cheating) are expected side-effects of survival strategies that worked very well in our ancestral past. In modern day many of these strategies are no longer necessary but we are still hard-wired for them from evolutionary perspective. Armed with this knowledge there are certain heuristics we can employ to avoid behaviors detrimental to us today.

As far as evolutionary psychology goes this is probably as good you are going to get – most (but not all) of book’s examples/theories/explanations are pretty well-supported by research and are relatively uncontroversial which is certainly not true about evolutionary psychology as a field in general. The field itself is controversial for a number of reasons, for example the theories it generates elude verification and/or falsification and as such abuse is rampant - practicing bad science in evolutionary psychology is way too easy. Also, even systematic and careful guys like Burnham and Phelan avoid getting into subjects such as epigenetics and neuroplasticity which can undermine main tenets/assumptions of ev psych.

Either way, even if explanations are specious, biological predisposition for many bad habits is clearly present and the heuristics to combat these habits are insightful, entertaining and valuable. As usual what matters more is that something works, not necessarily why it works.

[Eva · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've got to stop reading the same book--albeit with different titles--over and over. This book was solid but I think I knew almost everything in it. A few new nuggets, though:

"Fertility is modulated by weight changes. Even minor weight loss caused by short-term dieting or exercise dramatically decreases fertility....If a woman wants to get pregnant, she should eat normally and avoid losing weight. This is true for all women, regardless of their weight." - p7

"In a study of 1300 alcoholics in Japan, guess how many were fast-flushers [i.e., had the "Asian flush"]? Not one. Although half the Japanese are fast-flushers, there was not a single one among these alcoholics." - p74

"[Gambling] bets come disproportionately from those who can least afford the losses: lottery players with household incomes of less than $10,000 spend three times as much on tickets as those with incomes of more than $50,000." - p83

"In one study, 94% of men ranked themselves in the top half of male athletic ability." - p91

"Even at this early age [two and three], before the influence of socialization is too overwhelming, 90% of boys can throw farther than the average girl." - p134

[Nazimur Rashid Chowdhury · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would not call this an interesting book but it is readable nonetheless. It doesn't require any effort, you won't put it down and even if you do, you will not miss it. The authors look at Darwinian evolutionary pseudo-science (will explain later) instead of Freudian psychoanalysis to explain our self-destructive behaviors/instincts. They also try to give solutions on how to tame these behaviors.

Now, what is wrong with Darwinian evolutionary biology in case of explaining human behaviors/instincts? As Karl Popper argued, and called such sciences 'Pseudo-science', these bodies of knowledge are not falsifiable. Once you have put together a theory about why we do something, you will always be able find data to prove this theory. This is exactly what happens in this book. For each behavior/instinct discussed in the book, the authors look at many species including the primal 'humans', and our primal past. A general explanation of their approach is, they state a behavior, then they explain how our genes were transformed in such a way to conserve the stated behavior for existential purposes, namely, to help propagate our genes through time and space. And we are still hostages to these genes.

They do suggest some ways to tame our gene-driven-uncontrollable-behaviors, but I found them kinda bland. And after the first few chapters, they didn't even bother to suggest much solutions other than regurgitating some 'common-sense' back to us common folks. So don't read this book because you want to stop smoking or cheating on your girlfriend. You will not get much help.

[Fedjablpula · Rating 1 out of 5]

Većinom sve poznate stvari.
N

[Woodge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this book’s subject is based on evolutionary biology and is written by a couple of Ph. D.s, it’s anything but dry and stuffy. This slim book is written with a chatty flair and is a quick and fascinating read. “Mean Genes reveals that our struggles for self-improvement are, in fact, battles against our own genes—genes that helped our distant ancestors flourish, but are selfish and out of place in the modern world.” Using countless quirky examples, the authors illustrate their point that we are genetically programmed to do things that are bad for us... over-eating, infidelity, gambling, etc. ... they are all influenced by our genes. They also offer some tips on how to successfully outsmart our own programming. This book was a lot of fun and filled with interesting trivia.

[Jaak Ennuste · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, since it is based on science, yet highly readable. Genetically, humans have not changed almost none at all for thousands of years, whereas life around us has. This had led us to numerous challenges in keeping fit, saving money, being faithful, not losing money while gambling, and so on. Most of the primal urges are very difficult to deny, to tame it we must use our mental power and various tricks to not fall prey to our instincts.

[Lorenzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of taking Jay Phelan's LS15 course, and this was one of the readings apart of it. Not only is the class top notch, but so is the book. It has such a digestible and humorous prose, and the authors do such an amazing job relaying information to readers. I love the scientific approach to self-help, and will definitely need to revisit this book many more times in the future.

[Kaela Lavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

As good as a bio book can be.

[Colton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting...

[NoScreenName · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like this book was major deja vu reading. Think shades of Malcolm Gladwell - if you like his books you will enjoy reading this. The title is catchy and no, it's not a book about people who are awful. 'Mean Genes' examines how our genes ensure certain behaviors (some seemingly irrational but with definite biological payoffs) and also down the path of addiction and self destruction.

I have come across a lot of the information in here before in various book). It's a quick easy read and it has nuggets of information you might find useful if not interesting.

One area covered that I really appreciated was about happpiness. Since we live in a culture that seems almost obsessed with happiness (the attainment of it, and it's elusive nature, how to keep it, etc) as evidenced by the growing multi million dollar self help industry. We've all wanted to make changes and thought that life would improve once those changes were made. Once we hit our goals we are happy until we plateau. Resting on our laurels would mean that we'd never compete with others. This is not the way to pass on our genes to the next generation. So the blatant consumerism of modern society really has a good explanation, Perhaps you can use this the next time you are shopping online when you should be paying the bills! Studies back this up, too: People who won the lottery (large sums) were interviewed post win and of course were elated and had a positive outlook. A year later they felt exactly the same about their life as they did before winning the jackpot. The novelty wears off and what we think makes us happy becomes normal. While this might seem somewhat bleak our innate capacity to normalize a dramatic event (such as winning millions) can have great benefits too. When a life changing trauma occurs we quickly recalibrate to stabilize ourselves. Numerous people were interviwed post accident/trauma and of course showed signs of despair and low morale. The same subjects were interviewed again a year later; across the board these people once again has the same level of optimism as they before their accidents. This includes people who lost limbs, mobility (paralyzed for life) and so on. Also of note: people actually appreciate smaller gestures/gifts. Expectation plays a part in this too; when we expect something we simply so not get as much of a charge out of receiving it. So those expensive birthday gifts you give people? They're not as well received as a little token given out of the blue. This is good news, save your money and take heed:) Lowering expectations can also help us socially or in business. This isn't synonympus with lowering standards; the authors suggested we simply promise less to others but DELIVER MORE. This will make people not only happier with the end result but also with us. Sneaky and just a little funny. Underpromise and over deliver is something I have heard before. If you look back at your experiences this does make sense. This has the added benefit of creating less stress and pressure for us; we simply do better in that sort of situation anyway.

Plenty more covered and it's worth a read. I would check it out of the library though it's not a book I would re read later on. Fairly straightforward too.

[Vikas Agarwal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why is it so hard to lose weight? What are our standards for beauty? Does it depend on culture or is it a universal norm? Why are we not satisfied with our current state and are perpetually greedy? Are there innate differences between girls and boys? The author seeks explanations to these questions (and more) through the lens of evolutionary biology by comparing human behavior across different culture as well as with other animals showing similar characteristics.

A very short and quick read, most of the things in this book have been a part of various other books if you are interested in evolutionary biology; the chapter on gender differences and it's implications and thrill seeking genes were something that were presented in new context and made the book worth it for me.

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really cool book. It discusses some of the behavior traits that have been 'bred' into us. For example, if you had ancestors who risked crossing the seas for a chance at a better life you are genetically programed to be a risk taker and may . The author applies this idea to eating habits, what we consider to be beauty, etc. I found it really interesting.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is fantastic. You would be amazed at the things going on in our bodies courtesy of our genes. They really are "mean". :)

Sandra

[Aaron Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

How does caffeine work its magic?

As long as we are awake, our brains are working hard. Our senses soak up data from the world around us… All of this information is reported to the brain by special cells called neurons.
With each bit of information we process, millions of neurons are active. The problem is, much as a running motor generates exhaust fumes, all of this neural activity leads to a serious buildup of cellular waste products. Eventually our cells need a nap. Neuron "exhaust" takes the form of molecules, including one called adenosine. Prompted by the adenosine buildup, our bodies nudge us into bed when our batteries need re-charging.
Anyone who has struggled to stay awake while driving knows the relentless pressure adenosine exerts on us to stop and sleep.
Adenosine itself doesn't cause the sleepiness; it's a messenger that simply signals the surrounding cells to settle down. Caffeine blocks this sleepy message. Here's how.
Our brain cells communicate by passing chemical messages like adenosine to one another. Messenger molecules are teamed up with specific listeners—called receptors—on other cells.
Adenosine and its receptors are exquisitely matched, like tiny locks that open only with the proper miniature key. When a cell releases adenosine, it fills adenosine receptors on nearby cells, passing along the message to sleep.
As the production of adenosine continues throughout our day, more and more receptors are filled. Increasingly our brain cells become sluggish, regardless of how strongly they are stimulated. We become tired. As we sleep, the night shift sweeps the adenosine away. When we wake, we feel better because we literally are more clear-headed.





Alcohol is the great impersonator, fooling at least four different receptor molecules. In a quick survey of the functions of these victims, we can see exactly how alcohol works its magic.

1. It slows us down, "relaxing" our neurons. By blocking receptors for our brains' chief excitatory neurotransmitters, alcohol coats the brain in a bit of molasses, slowing reaction times and slurring speech. We could probably do without this effect.
2. It gives us a pleasant buzz. Acting like cocaine — but much weaker — alcohol blocks dopamine reuptake, increasing the concentration of the happy neurotransmitter in the key parts of our brains.
3. It blocks pain. By stimulating the release of endorphins, alcohol lets us sample the "runner's high" without even putting on our running shoes. Resembling morphine and heroin in this respect, but again at a greatly reduced magnitude, alcohol spurs our body to produce a little opiate-like high.
4. Alcohol makes us happier, at least while if's in our system. Like a "do-it-yourself Prozac kit," alcohol modifies and increases the efficiency of our serotonin receptors.

[Shawna Hartley · Rating 4 out of 5]

From Sex to Money to Food: Taming our Primal Instincts

It’s refreshing when Academics are able to write for the general public. This book is so accessible and relatable as it puts our human instincts in such clear focus.

Specifically I enjoyed these passages.

‘In pursuit of happiness, we act very much like Charlie Brown (in Peanuts) repeatedly running toward moving targets. We constantly think, “if I can just get through this week, everything will be okay from now on.” Or, “once I pay these credit cards off, I’ll never get into this situation again.”
Lurking inside our hopes are genes that want us to work hard all the time. They prosper most when we run full tilt. Once we approach the point of promised bliss, the emotional football is moved again. In this manner, we are motivated to do our best at every minute.’

‘In a memorable Twilight Zone episode, the main character starts in a hospital bed, then awakes to find himself in a hotel room. Whenever he wishes for something, a bellhop appears instantly to provide the object of his desire. After some days of this, the man tiers of his effortless existence and says to the bellhop, “I sort of wish I’d gone to the other place.” “What place?” asks the bellhop. “Well I assume I’ve died and gone to heaven, but I’m so bored, perhaps hell would be better.” The bellhop responds, “This is hell.”’

‘Estrogen, too , is a powerful force that can induce typical gender-specific behaviours. This was humorously – and perhaps a bit cruelly – demonstrated in experiments with rats.
First, some males were castrated at birth. Then, at puberty, they were injected with a little dose of estrogen. How did they respond? The confused male rodents immediately assumed the female mating position. In this stereotypical behaviour – called lordosis – the male’s front paws are lowered and his hind legs are raised, his back is arched, and his tail is moved to one side.’

[Omri Flicker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I read all year!

The book is a fascinating exploration of how our biology and genetics push us to certain actions and behaviors. This is not a treatise promoting determinism and that we have no free will. Rather, the book sets out to uncover many basic inclinations resting in our biology.

The idea of the book is 'forewarned is forearmed". If we know how our biology works, we can choose to create an environment that will lead us to success.

Two simple examples that illustrate this point. Our ancestors faced a scarcity of food. Their genes learned, whenever there is food eat as much of it as possible. We haven't unlearned this genetic predisposition. So, if you want to make good choices about the food you eat, set yourself up for success. For example, eat healthy food before you go to a party, so that you're full or get rid of junk food in the house, so you can't binge at midnight.

Another example. Returning to Greece after the fall of Troy, Odysseus and his crew knew about the Sirens. Odysseus' crew followed his advice and put wax in their ears so they wouldn't hear the Siren's song. Odysseus however, wanted to experience the beauty of the Siren's song. Therefore, he set himself up for success by giving clear instructions to his crew and tying himself to the mast of the ship.

If only life were so simple.

[Bryan Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only has this been the most interesting book on genetics that I've read out of a dozen or so, but the author manages to properly elucidate a variety of topics that pertain to the nature/nurture argument, as well as suggest behavioral changes to overcome our genetic dispositions.

From self-control, debt and money issues, nutrition and health, a breakdown of drugs and why they have such control over many people, adrenaline junkies, greed, happiness, gender differences, beauty and attractiveness, relationships and fidelity (Christopher Ryan's famed novel 'Sex at Dawn' is basically that single chapter broken down a bit further), and family dynamics (the only chapter that didn't do much for me) - the author identifies the genetic reasons why we developed certain traits, illustrates examples, and explains the problems why our genetic instincts developed millions of years ago lead us greatly astray in today's modern world. The veil of ignorance into our own behaviors is lifted, with gentle suggestions about how to influence that behavior and not be a victim to it - and in the process live a better life. Amazing read, I highlighted an easy 10% of the book.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a competently-written, entertaining book for a lay audience. It asserts that humans are now living under radically different conditions than our ancestral environment for which most of our evolutionary history has adapted us. Our genes have wired us to eat large amounts of food whenever it is available, reproduce abundantly, attack and kill our fellow humans to take their territory, and carry out other behaviors that are not optimally suited to present-day conditions. This book is enjoyable to read, if we keep in mind that it was published in 2000. The information in such a topical book chases a quickly-moving target in a field such as human evolution in which important new discoveries are frequently made. We should view the information presented in this book with a questioning eye, as it may not be thoroughly up to date.

[Jay Cresva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nobody will believe in evolutionary biology fully, and that genes have their own cutthroat agenda. Among us humans - the notion that biology dictates most our behaviour in the world is unthinkable. Author tries to convince the readers that we're just like the animals, and like then our genes are selfish, only we have the willpower and discipline to choose where our genes take us.
It's a fascinating read. Did you know that there are worms that will inject sperm into another worm and the sperm travel to its reproductive organ where it is then passed down to his female? Or did you know that babies release hormones that dilates blood vessels so more food would be carried to it..while the mother releases her own hormones to constrict them because she doesn't want to share nutrients? If not, and you find these facts fascinating - you might enjoy the book.

[Tom Schulte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like You Are Not So Smart: Why You Have Too Many Friends on Facebook, Why Your Memory Is Mostly Fiction, and 46 Other Ways You're Deluding Yourself and Hide and Seek: The Psychology of Self-Deception this is an entertaining and enlightening exporation backed by studies and science of the peculiarities of human reasoning and action.

[Sumedh Sapre · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 stars for the content, one star for the simple language. This book points out a lot of well known weaknesses in human nature like our difficulty in saving, tendency to over eat, our propensity to cheat in relationships, etc. These weaknesses are linked to our genetic make up and the evolution of our genes that make such weaknesses profitable for our survival. While there are plenty of examples describing similar behaviour in other animals, the book fails to keep a finger sharply on the "why" of things. The reasons for our indiscretions are touched upon the surface, without delving into the depths. The authors seem to have preferred exploring quantity over quality. This is a good, light, entertaining read, don't expect it to prod you into much thinking.

[Kevin Doherty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is fine. Frankly I think I was too late to the party on it. I suspect I’ve read a few books that were inspired by Mean Genes, and am not giving it its due credit as being a trailblazer. Instead, though I consistently found myself enjoying the read, there were very few new insights or aha moments.

The book’s premise is simple and fascinating one: We face a modern world and seek to solve modern problems with brains that evolved for our ancestors’ world and to solve our ancestors’ problems. If this seems like a novel concept to you, this book is likely a great read. If you’ve read one of the many pop psychology books that has addressed this premise in one way or another, you may find it to be a tad redundant.

[Mr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, we humans have evolutionary traits that were helpful thousands of years ago, but may not be helpful now. For example, when we were hunter-gatherers, food were scarce and we did not have means/tools of storing them. So, overconsumption and getting fat made sense. In rich countries, there is an obesity epidemic because these genes that were helpful when we were hunter-gathers, are still there in this society of abundance. There are many more other examples of how our evolutionary predispositions can be counterproductive in our modern society. The main idea of the book is that we sometimes have to fight our genes to be successful in the modern world.

[Lingyuxiu Zhong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read about how evolution shaped our preferences and behaviors. A few particularly interesting facts:
- People who maintain ideal weight over the long run tend to pay attention to what they eat, instead of how much they eat
- Gratification doesn't last - our evolutional past pushes us to contantly work for the next accomplishment, so a good way to become happy is to create an upward trajectory
- A woman spends about 8000 calories (equivalent to a 800 mile run) throughout pregnancy - ONS is less appealing for a reason

[Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Richard Wrangham described this book perfectly so no sense in me reinventing his wheel.

“In Mean Genes, Charles Darwin meets Dear Abby”

I do think the authors needed to spend more time analyzing our relationship with food. Suggesting there are no fat animals outside of zoos is overly simplistic and there are actually lots of animals both wild and domesticated that don’t eat to excess when large quantities of food are available to them.

[Gabriel Rhenals]

"Our temptations are powerful and persistent, but we are not destined to succumb. Ancient and selfish, our mean genes influence us every day in almost every way. But because we can predict their influence, self-knowledge plus discipline can provide a winning strategy in the battle to lead satisfying and moral lives." -Dr. Burnham and Dr. Phelan, authors of 'Mean Genes'

Wrestle for control of the most capable being in your stead!

[Yaniv Bar-Lev · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written nearly 25 years ago, "Mean Genes" once offered a fresh perspective on how genes shape our behaviors. Today, its revelations feel somewhat trivial. While the book is easy and fun to read, its advice—like "resist", "find a better alternative", and "preemptively avoid"—comes off as oversimplified. What might have been revolutionary then now seems somewhat outdated. Still, for a nostalgic dive into genes and behavior, it remains an entertaining read. Just don't expect contemporary depth.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

With short and entertaining observations from Science and History, the authors show the confluence of nature and nurture over time and how our genetic history is partially to fault for some of our weaker impulses as modern humans. This forms the basis of their belief that we can control some of those non-essential primal instincts that once were so important to our survival.
Really was quite the fun read!

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall, a really good book. Read for college course taught by one of the authors, Jay Phelan. Great at explaining key biological concepts and phenomenons in an easy to understand way. Gives advice on how to outsmart our genes & natural instincts; many applications to real life. Fun and also informative read.

[Filip Konrad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yet again book that should be at least 1/3 shorter :) Despite that fact it is a good read with facts from human evolution which explain puzzling situations of today. eg. why we tend to over-eat: because of genetic programming from past when the scarcity of food was quite common and our predecessors needed to have a buffer for future.