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Basic Books A Theory of Everyone Who We Are, How We Got Here, and Where Were Going.
A blueprint for a better future that offers a unified theory of human behavior, culture, and society.
Playing on the phrase “a theory of everything” from physics, Michael Muthukrishna’s ambitious, original, and deeply hopeful book A Theory of Everyone draws on the most recent research from across the sciences, humanities, and the emerging field of cultural evolution to paint a panoramic picture of who we are and what exactly makes human beings different from all other forms of life on the planet.
Muthukrishna argues that it is our unique ability to create culture, a shared body of knowledge, skills, and experience passed on from generation to generation, that has enabled our current dominance. But it is only by understanding and applying the laws of life—the need for energy, innovation, cooperation, and evolution—that we can solve the practical and existential challenges we face as a species. A Theory of Everyone attempts to provide solutions for the most pressing problems of our collective future, such as polarization, inequality, the “great stagnation” in productivity, and the energy crisis.
Casting a bold and wide net, Muthukrishna’s book is a must-read for anyone interested in a better future for ourselves and for generations to come.
Playing on the phrase “a theory of everything” from physics, Michael Muthukrishna’s ambitious, original, and deeply hopeful book A Theory of Everyone draws on the most recent research from across the sciences, humanities, and the emerging field of cultural evolution to paint a panoramic picture of who we are and what exactly makes human beings different from all other forms of life on the planet.
Muthukrishna argues that it is our unique ability to create culture, a shared body of knowledge, skills, and experience passed on from generation to generation, that has enabled our current dominance. But it is only by understanding and applying the laws of life—the need for energy, innovation, cooperation, and evolution—that we can solve the practical and existential challenges we face as a species. A Theory of Everyone attempts to provide solutions for the most pressing problems of our collective future, such as polarization, inequality, the “great stagnation” in productivity, and the energy crisis.
Casting a bold and wide net, Muthukrishna’s book is a must-read for anyone interested in a better future for ourselves and for generations to come.
448 pages, Hardcover
Published September 28, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
December 18, 2023
The description of this book is that it "[Casts] a bold and wide net," which is definitely true. No one could ever accuse Muthukrishna of too few ideas, or not presenting them confidently. The problem is, there are few reasons in the book to be convinced by any of those ideas.
Things start well enough, and the author is at his most interesting when he's describing harnessing energy as a key driver of evolution and progress, and the collective intelligence of societies. However, even this isn't without problems, with the book undermining itself in a few key ways:
1. There are no citations. Bold, definitive claims - which Muthukrishna loves to make - are everywhere, but there's never a reference to research or any other authors. It's impossible to know what comes from Muthukrishna's own research as an economist, what comes from other vetted research, and what's just him free-styling.
2. Most sections are written in a breezy, conversational style. That can be good, but when your delivering claims about the future of humanity, racial/cultural intelligence differences, inequality, discrimination and free speech, something with more hard facts/numbers would be more convincing. The style really does make much of the book read like a series of loosely connected op-eds.
3. The graphs and illustrations range from pointless to laughable. There's a number of comic book style illustrations early on that just summarize some part of the text in an incredibly basic way - they add nothing, and would fit right at home in a junior high social studies text. Some of the graphs though are actively embarrassing, featuring unlabeled axes - there's one early on about the industrial revolution that has an unlabeled y-axis and seems to be comparing disparate things like GDP per capita, life expectancy, etc., and only exists so the author can have lines going up and to the left - totally pointless.
Keep in mind that the above complaints are all about the most convincing part of the book. By the second half, the book goes from stumbling to faceplanting and becomes a loose collection of opinions about free speech, bitcoin politics, why women are paid less then men, tax law, etc. I bought this book because Muthukrishna appeared as a guest on Sean Carrol's podcast, and seemed to have good ideas and be quite intelligent. However, I suspect that he's made the error a lot of very smart people make - assuming that because his intelligence has led him to be an expert in one area (e.g., economics), he has useful/correct opinions on areas he has no expertise in.
Overall, a book I started out really enjoying, but couldn't wait to put down by the end.
Things start well enough, and the author is at his most interesting when he's describing harnessing energy as a key driver of evolution and progress, and the collective intelligence of societies. However, even this isn't without problems, with the book undermining itself in a few key ways:
1. There are no citations. Bold, definitive claims - which Muthukrishna loves to make - are everywhere, but there's never a reference to research or any other authors. It's impossible to know what comes from Muthukrishna's own research as an economist, what comes from other vetted research, and what's just him free-styling.
2. Most sections are written in a breezy, conversational style. That can be good, but when your delivering claims about the future of humanity, racial/cultural intelligence differences, inequality, discrimination and free speech, something with more hard facts/numbers would be more convincing. The style really does make much of the book read like a series of loosely connected op-eds.
3. The graphs and illustrations range from pointless to laughable. There's a number of comic book style illustrations early on that just summarize some part of the text in an incredibly basic way - they add nothing, and would fit right at home in a junior high social studies text. Some of the graphs though are actively embarrassing, featuring unlabeled axes - there's one early on about the industrial revolution that has an unlabeled y-axis and seems to be comparing disparate things like GDP per capita, life expectancy, etc., and only exists so the author can have lines going up and to the left - totally pointless.
Keep in mind that the above complaints are all about the most convincing part of the book. By the second half, the book goes from stumbling to faceplanting and becomes a loose collection of opinions about free speech, bitcoin politics, why women are paid less then men, tax law, etc. I bought this book because Muthukrishna appeared as a guest on Sean Carrol's podcast, and seemed to have good ideas and be quite intelligent. However, I suspect that he's made the error a lot of very smart people make - assuming that because his intelligence has led him to be an expert in one area (e.g., economics), he has useful/correct opinions on areas he has no expertise in.
Overall, a book I started out really enjoying, but couldn't wait to put down by the end.
May 19, 2024
O livro “A Theory of Everyone: Who We Are, How We Got Here, and Where We’re Going” (2023) de Michael Muthukrishna é um sucessor de um conjunto de livros que usam a ciência para construir e apresentar uma visão global do ser humano neste planeta — tais como “Sapiens” (2011) de Y. N. Harari, “Guns, Germs and Steel” (1997) de Jared Diamond, e “Cosmos” (1980) de Carl Sagan —, indo mais longe, porque recorre ao conhecimento mais atual da ciência, mas mantendo as fragilidades naturais da generalização de sistemas complexos. Como tal, deve ser lido como uma narrativa em busca de uma visão agregadora de valor e significado, sabendo que a natureza não é planeada, mas improvisada. Ou seja, apesar da enorme credibilidade da argumentação apresentada por este autor, e pelos anteriores, é sempre necessário manter o véu da dúvida ativo.
Estas narrativas são imensamente atrativas para os nossos cérebros que estão desenhados para a construção de padrões e atribuição de significados. Tudo para nós tem de ter uma explicação, tudo tem de ter uma razão, tudo tem de ter um sentido. Pelo que estas grandes teorizações acabam não se distinguindo muito daquelas que originam as grandes religiões. Contudo, a realidade que habitamos não é fruto de planificação, antes pelo contrário, é fruto do acaso e do encontro entre milhões e milhões de microssistemas profundamente variáveis, o que torna a construção de teorias gerais uma impossibilidade prática. Mantendo este pressuposto, não posso deixar de dizer que a proposta de Michael Muthukrishna é amplamente sustentada com dados, argumentada de modo acessível, e por isso altamente recomendada.
Resenha completa no Narrativa X:
https://narrativax.blogspot.com/2024/...
4.5/5
Estas narrativas são imensamente atrativas para os nossos cérebros que estão desenhados para a construção de padrões e atribuição de significados. Tudo para nós tem de ter uma explicação, tudo tem de ter uma razão, tudo tem de ter um sentido. Pelo que estas grandes teorizações acabam não se distinguindo muito daquelas que originam as grandes religiões. Contudo, a realidade que habitamos não é fruto de planificação, antes pelo contrário, é fruto do acaso e do encontro entre milhões e milhões de microssistemas profundamente variáveis, o que torna a construção de teorias gerais uma impossibilidade prática. Mantendo este pressuposto, não posso deixar de dizer que a proposta de Michael Muthukrishna é amplamente sustentada com dados, argumentada de modo acessível, e por isso altamente recomendada.
Resenha completa no Narrativa X:
https://narrativax.blogspot.com/2024/...
4.5/5
December 1, 2023
My full collected commentary is at Holodoxa my Substack.
As the title suggests, this is a wide-ranging and bold work. Divided into two parts, Who We Are & How We Got Here and Where We're Going, A Theory of Everyone offers a broad view of the humanity; its history and future, focusing on the "links between energy, innovation, cooperation, and evolution." The central narrative follows our ancestors through to today, where two forms of selection, biological and cultural, drove civilizational development. This miraculous trajectory from animal to man to "collective brain" was dependent on the stable transmission of shared knowledge and technologies (culture) generation after generation. This increased the efficiency of energy capture and helped established stable and effective cooperation (governance) among non-kin. However, Muthukrishna warns that this positive trajectory is under serious threat of unraveling.
According to Muthukrishna, the most pressing issue threatening human civilization is the decline of the energy return on investment (EROI), which he argues is fundamental to escaping the ever-present Mathulsian trap by enabling economic growth (innovation) and shared prosperity (cooperation). As EROI declines, the shared pie of material resources grows at a slower rate, becoming almost fixed. When the pie is fixed, interactions move from positive-sum to zero-sum. It becomes harder for humans to innovate to solve problems (e.g. climate change or space exploration) and cooperate with one another to prevent political unrest or violence. The only viable solution, in Muthukrishna's view, is to hasten the process of cultural evolution.
How does Muthukrishna propose we do this? His main argument is that we should work on fleshing out more of the details of a comprehensive theory of everyone (the cultural brain hypothesis). This argument appears somewhat self-serving (great for future grant funding) and woefully incomplete (doesn't offer the reader anything tangible to invest in). However, he doesn't just stop there; he does go on to offer a few wonky prescriptions that go beyond what one usually finds in political discourse. He discusses some creative tweaks to immigration and tax policy that could be pursued. For instance, he is especially enthusiastic about a land-value tax, which would ideally ensure that "unproductive money" is put back into circulation. As alternative to political solutions, he offers a smaller scale heuristic for individuals or companies to optimize innovation: COMPASS. COMPASS in many ways is just an operationalization of Mertonian norms (communism, universalism, disinterestedness, and organized skepticism) with a little more specific insight on how actual innovation occurs (recombination and intellectual arbitrage). Unfortunately, I fear none of these solutions are particularly satisfying or viable for scaling.
Moreover, when taking a disinterested scientific perspective on everything presented, artificial prescriptions appear to contradict the nature of Muthukrishna's model of civilizational advancement. If much of what has made human's special arose organically in response to social and environmental pressures, then why wouldn't this be the model moving forward. How are humans to know exactly what innovations and types of cooperation will be necessary to solve future problems? Don't we just have to let the process play out and hope that we arrive at the right answers? If selection pressures drove gene-culture co-evolution in the past, this is what will be required again for future advancement. If not all advancements results from selection, how much power does dual-inheritance theory actually provide for society-level outcomes? Additionally, selection will mean that there will be winners and losers. Muthukrishna is admirably candid on sensitive subjects throughout the work (e.g. the paradox of diversity and group differences) but seems to think there are positive-sum solutions to these challenges, which seems pollyannish. I guess in some ways Muthukrishna's proposals still fit within the spirit of this since they're mostly marginal strategies of improvement. Additionally, Muthukrishna's perspective sometimes wavers between close knowledge of how societies are structured and blindness to these structures.
I agree that civilizational advancements depends on the preservation and accumulation of knowledge and technologies across generational time. I also agree that sometimes things that look like innate capabilities (human intelligence) have elements of cultural loading. These are straightforward, uncontroversial conclusions in my view. What I wanted to see though is the work that shows the mechanisms of selection and transmission on this cultural component and its interaction with genes. The book would have benefitted from this - to the extent such knowledge exists.
There are of course great examples of how human cultural practices can shape genetic selection (e.g. animal husbandry and lactase persistence), but it seems that the ultimate arbiter of fitness is still biology. There seems to only be handful of parameters that affect cultural advance: population size, network connectivity, economic and geographical resources, and institutionalized instruction. The only real outcome of cultural selection one can point to is how widespread a given culture is globally, but this still requires defining what a culture is. Regardless, one can see there is quite a bit left unanswered by theories of cultural evolution at this time despite their obvious appeal. It's unclear if it is the best model for understanding group and humanity-wide outcomes.
A Theory of Everyone is a daring yet incomplete work that sits within the extended evolutionary synthesis, the extension of the biological theoretical framework of evolution beyond genes to socially transmitted information and environments. This field, which relies on ideas like gene-culture co-evolution or dual-inheritance theory, is a recent development that aims to definitively merge the nature vs nurture divide into a single scientific framework that explain human outcomes. I hope this work continues and becomes increasingly formalized rather than just outlined qualitatively or defined by clear standout cases. Despite not meeting the grandiosity of its title, A Theory of Everyone is still an amazing book. It explores the details many important issues facing humanity from a unique angle and recombines ideas in ways that are tantalize to intellectuals. I think this is an important and engaging read.
*The caveat to some of my criticisms of the dual-inheritance framework is that some of the research publications do attempt more formal and quantitative approaches. I haven't evaluated all these papers closely nor do they get close coverage in this book. The closest we get to this is Muthukrishna's section on diversity which examines one of his papers on the cultural fixation index (CFst), a measure of cultural distance derived from the world value survey.
As the title suggests, this is a wide-ranging and bold work. Divided into two parts, Who We Are & How We Got Here and Where We're Going, A Theory of Everyone offers a broad view of the humanity; its history and future, focusing on the "links between energy, innovation, cooperation, and evolution." The central narrative follows our ancestors through to today, where two forms of selection, biological and cultural, drove civilizational development. This miraculous trajectory from animal to man to "collective brain" was dependent on the stable transmission of shared knowledge and technologies (culture) generation after generation. This increased the efficiency of energy capture and helped established stable and effective cooperation (governance) among non-kin. However, Muthukrishna warns that this positive trajectory is under serious threat of unraveling.
According to Muthukrishna, the most pressing issue threatening human civilization is the decline of the energy return on investment (EROI), which he argues is fundamental to escaping the ever-present Mathulsian trap by enabling economic growth (innovation) and shared prosperity (cooperation). As EROI declines, the shared pie of material resources grows at a slower rate, becoming almost fixed. When the pie is fixed, interactions move from positive-sum to zero-sum. It becomes harder for humans to innovate to solve problems (e.g. climate change or space exploration) and cooperate with one another to prevent political unrest or violence. The only viable solution, in Muthukrishna's view, is to hasten the process of cultural evolution.
How does Muthukrishna propose we do this? His main argument is that we should work on fleshing out more of the details of a comprehensive theory of everyone (the cultural brain hypothesis). This argument appears somewhat self-serving (great for future grant funding) and woefully incomplete (doesn't offer the reader anything tangible to invest in). However, he doesn't just stop there; he does go on to offer a few wonky prescriptions that go beyond what one usually finds in political discourse. He discusses some creative tweaks to immigration and tax policy that could be pursued. For instance, he is especially enthusiastic about a land-value tax, which would ideally ensure that "unproductive money" is put back into circulation. As alternative to political solutions, he offers a smaller scale heuristic for individuals or companies to optimize innovation: COMPASS. COMPASS in many ways is just an operationalization of Mertonian norms (communism, universalism, disinterestedness, and organized skepticism) with a little more specific insight on how actual innovation occurs (recombination and intellectual arbitrage). Unfortunately, I fear none of these solutions are particularly satisfying or viable for scaling.
Moreover, when taking a disinterested scientific perspective on everything presented, artificial prescriptions appear to contradict the nature of Muthukrishna's model of civilizational advancement. If much of what has made human's special arose organically in response to social and environmental pressures, then why wouldn't this be the model moving forward. How are humans to know exactly what innovations and types of cooperation will be necessary to solve future problems? Don't we just have to let the process play out and hope that we arrive at the right answers? If selection pressures drove gene-culture co-evolution in the past, this is what will be required again for future advancement. If not all advancements results from selection, how much power does dual-inheritance theory actually provide for society-level outcomes? Additionally, selection will mean that there will be winners and losers. Muthukrishna is admirably candid on sensitive subjects throughout the work (e.g. the paradox of diversity and group differences) but seems to think there are positive-sum solutions to these challenges, which seems pollyannish. I guess in some ways Muthukrishna's proposals still fit within the spirit of this since they're mostly marginal strategies of improvement. Additionally, Muthukrishna's perspective sometimes wavers between close knowledge of how societies are structured and blindness to these structures.
I agree that civilizational advancements depends on the preservation and accumulation of knowledge and technologies across generational time. I also agree that sometimes things that look like innate capabilities (human intelligence) have elements of cultural loading. These are straightforward, uncontroversial conclusions in my view. What I wanted to see though is the work that shows the mechanisms of selection and transmission on this cultural component and its interaction with genes. The book would have benefitted from this - to the extent such knowledge exists.
There are of course great examples of how human cultural practices can shape genetic selection (e.g. animal husbandry and lactase persistence), but it seems that the ultimate arbiter of fitness is still biology. There seems to only be handful of parameters that affect cultural advance: population size, network connectivity, economic and geographical resources, and institutionalized instruction. The only real outcome of cultural selection one can point to is how widespread a given culture is globally, but this still requires defining what a culture is. Regardless, one can see there is quite a bit left unanswered by theories of cultural evolution at this time despite their obvious appeal. It's unclear if it is the best model for understanding group and humanity-wide outcomes.
A Theory of Everyone is a daring yet incomplete work that sits within the extended evolutionary synthesis, the extension of the biological theoretical framework of evolution beyond genes to socially transmitted information and environments. This field, which relies on ideas like gene-culture co-evolution or dual-inheritance theory, is a recent development that aims to definitively merge the nature vs nurture divide into a single scientific framework that explain human outcomes. I hope this work continues and becomes increasingly formalized rather than just outlined qualitatively or defined by clear standout cases. Despite not meeting the grandiosity of its title, A Theory of Everyone is still an amazing book. It explores the details many important issues facing humanity from a unique angle and recombines ideas in ways that are tantalize to intellectuals. I think this is an important and engaging read.
*The caveat to some of my criticisms of the dual-inheritance framework is that some of the research publications do attempt more formal and quantitative approaches. I haven't evaluated all these papers closely nor do they get close coverage in this book. The closest we get to this is Muthukrishna's section on diversity which examines one of his papers on the cultural fixation index (CFst), a measure of cultural distance derived from the world value survey.
May 27, 2024
For the most part, "A Theory of Everyone" lives up to its grand title. In it, Muthukrishna tackles education, democracy, IQ, business strategy, and the energy sector, among other aspects of society and culture. The book's wide scope kept me engaged, but its ambition sometimes felt overwhelming. Still, Muthukrishna strikes a nice balance between accessibility and depth, making it suitable for both general and academic audiences.
Cultural evolution, the overarching framework guiding the book, fascinates me, so I'm an easily satisfied audience, but those less familiar with cultural evolution may be left with more questions than answers. The book assumes some knowledge of cultural evolution, so pairing it with Joe Henrich's "The Secret of Our Success" would be beneficial. Henrich’s book offers a solid introduction to cultural evolution theory, while "A Theory of Everyone" applies these concepts to a smattering of societal issues.
Of the many issues facing society, Muthukrishna's main concern is energy abundance. He outlines four principles—energy, innovation, cooperation, and evolution—that shape history and will guide our future. These laws interact cyclically, starting with a new energy source that raises the energy ceiling (e.g., fire, the industrial revolution). This raises the energy ceiling, enabling more people to live off existing resources. Increased energy abundance leads to greater opportunities for cooperation, which in turn fosters innovation. This innovation makes energy use more efficient, reducing the number of people needed to utilize existing energy sources. Ideally, this surplus energy allows people more leisure and productivity. However, often small groups (e.g., dictatorships, aristocracies) monopolize resources, limiting opportunities and stifling innovation.
A central tenet of the book is that we are nearing the end of the current energy cycle. Fossil fuels, heavily relied upon for the past century, are becoming less efficient. The Tar Sands in Alberta are a prime example of this, with higher costs for oil extraction compared to the past. Muthukrishna is concerned with how we can move to the next energy ceiling and restart the cycle of cooperation, innovation, and abundance. He believes the next breakthrough will be nuclear, likely fusion, which could vastly increase our energy ceiling. To achieve this, we need to optimize our existing institutions, according to Muthukrishna. Western governments and education systems need work, and considerable ink in the book is spent on suggesting improvements to boost our collective brainpower and innovation. To optimize our existing institutions, we need to utilize the full capacity of humanity's collective brain, and so a related concern is how society can better enable brilliant minds
from low and middle-income countries to contribute on a global scale. He discusses immigration policies and cultural assimilation, emphasizing that many potential Einsteins are held back by lack of resources and education. He argues that diversity is one of humanity's greatest strengths, but it can also lead to conflict in times of energy scarcity. To deal with this negative potentiality, he offers suggestions for how to create cultural institutions that allow humanity to reap the benefits of its wonderful diversity without said diversity leading to chasms and splinters in society.
Throughout all of this, Muthukrishna uses cultural evolution theory and his four laws to offer systematic solutions as opposed to temporary band-aids. Whether you find his solutions promising will depend on your familiarity with the issues discussed, your political leanings, and how much you buy into the strength of cultural evolution theory. Even if you don't buy into his solutions, they are thought-provoking enough to make you rethink your stance on these issues. For instance, Muthukrishna advocates for experimental cities with increased political and economic autonomy. This concept allows countries to create a "portfolio" of cities testing various policies and frameworks, enabling an evolutionary process in governance. China has already experimented with this through special economic zones like Shenzhen, but I wasn’t aware of the intricacies until reading this book. Honestly, I’m still unsure how to feel about these suggestions; they sometimes border on "tech bro" ideology (which Muthukrishna readily admits), but they are almost always intriguingly provocative.
The book often feels like a collection of essays rather than a cohesive non-fiction book, but this isn't much an issue since the essays tend to stand well on their own. Some chapters, like his insights from consulting for Uber, felt better suited for a business management book you'd find in an airport, but most of them were very thought provoking. If you're looking for an ambitious book that might challenge your pre-conceptions, then I'd highly recommend it, especially if you're willing to pair it with "The Secret of Our Success" by Joe Henrich.
Cultural evolution, the overarching framework guiding the book, fascinates me, so I'm an easily satisfied audience, but those less familiar with cultural evolution may be left with more questions than answers. The book assumes some knowledge of cultural evolution, so pairing it with Joe Henrich's "The Secret of Our Success" would be beneficial. Henrich’s book offers a solid introduction to cultural evolution theory, while "A Theory of Everyone" applies these concepts to a smattering of societal issues.
Of the many issues facing society, Muthukrishna's main concern is energy abundance. He outlines four principles—energy, innovation, cooperation, and evolution—that shape history and will guide our future. These laws interact cyclically, starting with a new energy source that raises the energy ceiling (e.g., fire, the industrial revolution). This raises the energy ceiling, enabling more people to live off existing resources. Increased energy abundance leads to greater opportunities for cooperation, which in turn fosters innovation. This innovation makes energy use more efficient, reducing the number of people needed to utilize existing energy sources. Ideally, this surplus energy allows people more leisure and productivity. However, often small groups (e.g., dictatorships, aristocracies) monopolize resources, limiting opportunities and stifling innovation.
A central tenet of the book is that we are nearing the end of the current energy cycle. Fossil fuels, heavily relied upon for the past century, are becoming less efficient. The Tar Sands in Alberta are a prime example of this, with higher costs for oil extraction compared to the past. Muthukrishna is concerned with how we can move to the next energy ceiling and restart the cycle of cooperation, innovation, and abundance. He believes the next breakthrough will be nuclear, likely fusion, which could vastly increase our energy ceiling. To achieve this, we need to optimize our existing institutions, according to Muthukrishna. Western governments and education systems need work, and considerable ink in the book is spent on suggesting improvements to boost our collective brainpower and innovation. To optimize our existing institutions, we need to utilize the full capacity of humanity's collective brain, and so a related concern is how society can better enable brilliant minds
from low and middle-income countries to contribute on a global scale. He discusses immigration policies and cultural assimilation, emphasizing that many potential Einsteins are held back by lack of resources and education. He argues that diversity is one of humanity's greatest strengths, but it can also lead to conflict in times of energy scarcity. To deal with this negative potentiality, he offers suggestions for how to create cultural institutions that allow humanity to reap the benefits of its wonderful diversity without said diversity leading to chasms and splinters in society.
Throughout all of this, Muthukrishna uses cultural evolution theory and his four laws to offer systematic solutions as opposed to temporary band-aids. Whether you find his solutions promising will depend on your familiarity with the issues discussed, your political leanings, and how much you buy into the strength of cultural evolution theory. Even if you don't buy into his solutions, they are thought-provoking enough to make you rethink your stance on these issues. For instance, Muthukrishna advocates for experimental cities with increased political and economic autonomy. This concept allows countries to create a "portfolio" of cities testing various policies and frameworks, enabling an evolutionary process in governance. China has already experimented with this through special economic zones like Shenzhen, but I wasn’t aware of the intricacies until reading this book. Honestly, I’m still unsure how to feel about these suggestions; they sometimes border on "tech bro" ideology (which Muthukrishna readily admits), but they are almost always intriguingly provocative.
The book often feels like a collection of essays rather than a cohesive non-fiction book, but this isn't much an issue since the essays tend to stand well on their own. Some chapters, like his insights from consulting for Uber, felt better suited for a business management book you'd find in an airport, but most of them were very thought provoking. If you're looking for an ambitious book that might challenge your pre-conceptions, then I'd highly recommend it, especially if you're willing to pair it with "The Secret of Our Success" by Joe Henrich.
January 29, 2024
That's all well and good, but where is that promised theory?
The author often jumps around many presented issues. Some of them seem completely unnecessary. Personally, I would get rid of at least the chapters on IQ tests.
But overall, we are given a pretty thought-provoking list of nicely related topics. I will definitely be thinking about the book a little longer than usual, especially since I collected quite a lot of surprising facts and tidbits here! (I'm looking at you, Shakers! :))
3,5!
The author often jumps around many presented issues. Some of them seem completely unnecessary. Personally, I would get rid of at least the chapters on IQ tests.
But overall, we are given a pretty thought-provoking list of nicely related topics. I will definitely be thinking about the book a little longer than usual, especially since I collected quite a lot of surprising facts and tidbits here! (I'm looking at you, Shakers! :))
3,5!
May 20, 2024
I have now read two thirds of the book and I still have no idea what the author's point actually is. It is a complete mystery to me how this book got the endorsements it got. Time to spend my time on something less frustrating.
April 20, 2024
Should have been called A Theory From Everyone, because it just repeats ideas from better books - and they're the best bits.
December 3, 2024
Full of big ideas, but sometimes a victim of its own ambition.
December 19, 2024
this is the most inspirational book I read this year. it was thought provoking, well written and really nicely documented!
June 9, 2024
3.6/5
November 5, 2023
كتب سعيد الأندلسي، عالم الرياضيات والقاضي الشرعي في طليطلة في إسبانيا (التي كانت تحت الحكم الإسلامي آنذاك)، في عام 1068، أن العالم يمكن تقسيمه إلى قسم يشمل المتحضرين المهتمين بالمعرفة والتعليم العالي، وقسم يشمل باقي البشر. وشمل القسم الحضاري: العرب والكلدان والمصريين واليونانيين والهنود واليهود والفرس والرومان. واعتبر الباقي برابرة، مع الإشارة بشكل خاص إلى الصينيين والأتراك باعتبارهم «أبرز البربريين».
اليوم، أصبح مصطلحا "المتحضر" و"البربري" عتيقي الطراز، لكن المواقف نفسها لا تزال قائمة. يعتبر الأمريكيون في المدن الساحلية الشرقية والغربية أنفسهم نخبة حضرية متعلمة يمكن تمييزها عن الولايات الريفية غير المتعلمة في الغرب الأوسط. تعتبر المجتمعات الغربية المتعلمة والصناعية والغنية والديمقراطية نفسها متقدمة مقارنة بالدول التي لا تزال نامية في أفريقيا وأمريكا الجنوبية وآسيا ــ أغلبية دول العالم.
كما اختلف البشر في المجتمعات الأكثر تعقيدًا ثقافيًا وتقنيًا في مواقفهم بشأن ما إذا كان من الممكن أن يكون "الأشخاص البدائيون" متحضرين. اعتبر الرومان الغال أكثر حضارة من الألمان. اعتبر البريطانيون الهنود أكثر حضارة من الأفارقة. شجع كتاب "عبء الرجل الأبيض" لروديارد كيبلينج الأمريكيين على ضم الفلبين وتمدين هؤلاء الكائنات المتشكلة من "نصف شيطان ونصف طفل"، بحسب تعبيرهم. في المقابل، قال السيناتور بنجامين تيلمان من ولاية كارولينا الجنوبية، الذي كان ضد تولي هذه المهمة الحضارية، إن شعب الفلبين «غير مناسب لمؤسساتنا». ولكن بينما كان هناك جدل حول كيفية تدخل المتحضرين في حياة غير المتحضرين، فإن ما تم الاتفاق عليه هو أن بعض الناس كانوا "بدائيين".
.
Michael Muthukrishna
A Theory Of Everyone
Translated By #Maher_Razouk
اليوم، أصبح مصطلحا "المتحضر" و"البربري" عتيقي الطراز، لكن المواقف نفسها لا تزال قائمة. يعتبر الأمريكيون في المدن الساحلية الشرقية والغربية أنفسهم نخبة حضرية متعلمة يمكن تمييزها عن الولايات الريفية غير المتعلمة في الغرب الأوسط. تعتبر المجتمعات الغربية المتعلمة والصناعية والغنية والديمقراطية نفسها متقدمة مقارنة بالدول التي لا تزال نامية في أفريقيا وأمريكا الجنوبية وآسيا ــ أغلبية دول العالم.
كما اختلف البشر في المجتمعات الأكثر تعقيدًا ثقافيًا وتقنيًا في مواقفهم بشأن ما إذا كان من الممكن أن يكون "الأشخاص البدائيون" متحضرين. اعتبر الرومان الغال أكثر حضارة من الألمان. اعتبر البريطانيون الهنود أكثر حضارة من الأفارقة. شجع كتاب "عبء الرجل الأبيض" لروديارد كيبلينج الأمريكيين على ضم الفلبين وتمدين هؤلاء الكائنات المتشكلة من "نصف شيطان ونصف طفل"، بحسب تعبيرهم. في المقابل، قال السيناتور بنجامين تيلمان من ولاية كارولينا الجنوبية، الذي كان ضد تولي هذه المهمة الحضارية، إن شعب الفلبين «غير مناسب لمؤسساتنا». ولكن بينما كان هناك جدل حول كيفية تدخل المتحضرين في حياة غير المتحضرين، فإن ما تم الاتفاق عليه هو أن بعض الناس كانوا "بدائيين".
.
Michael Muthukrishna
A Theory Of Everyone
Translated By #Maher_Razouk
January 18, 2024
I found this book disappointing. An important part of that is because Muthukrishna set my expectations too high.
I had previously blogged about a paper that he co-authored with Henrich on cultural influences on IQ. If those ideas were new in the book, I'd be eagerly writing about them. But I've already written enough about those ideas in that blog post.
Another source of disappointment was that the book's title is misleading. To the limited extent that the book focuses on a theory, it's the theory that's more clearly described in Henrich's The Secret of our Success. A Theory of Everyone feels more like a collection of blog posts than like a well-organized book.
The final source of disappointment was the book's first blog post, about energy, and how we need a more abundant supply of it. I agree with his basic ideas about the benefits of abundant energy. Alas, his argument in favor of nuclear energy is somewhat misleading. He focuses on the goal of maximizing energy return on investment. I.e. energy output divided by energy input. If that were the appropriate standard by which to compare investment in new energy sources, nuclear would be dramatically better than solar. But there's no good reason to single out energy costs as more important than other costs. By the normal method of comparing new investments, namely return on investment, solar looks probably a bit better than nuclear, at least for next decade.
I advise readers to ignore Muthukrishna's analysis on this topic, and instead read the rants against ergophobia in Where Is My Flying Car?.
Futurist Tidbits
Muthukrishna suggests that nations might become obsolete due to blockchains / DAOs. He doesn't examine this in enough depth to impress me.
There's significant room for improving how math is taught in US schools - just adopt the curricula used in Singapore and Shanghai.
More speculatively, schools could teach formal logic and reasoning at a much younger age, possibly generating some Flynn-like effects.
Immigration Policy
Muthukrishna's experience with living in countries as different as Sri Lanka, Papua New Guinea, Botwsana, and Britain gives him maybe enough wisdom to lecture us a bit on how it should be done.
He suggests four models of how a country might reasonably handle immigration:
* The No Hyphen Model: France exemplifies the strategy of pressuring immigrants to identify as French, and to suppress their culture of origin.
* The Mosaic Model: Canada exemplifies the strategy of peacefully accepting large cultural differences within the nation.
* The Melting Pot Model: The US aims for a middle ground between the French and Canadian strategies.
* The Umbrella Model is an ideal in which the nation mimics a successful company: selective admissions combined with substantial support for assimilation. Australia comes somewhat close to this ideal.
Select Quotes
Conclusion
Muthukrishna tried to do what Henrich did in The Secret of our Success. But he didn't want to repeat what Henrich had already published, and didn't have a book worth of new ideas above and beyond what Henrich has published. So he ended up with something that would have been moderately good if published 10 years ago, but doesn't seem like much today. Read his 2016 paper instead.
I had previously blogged about a paper that he co-authored with Henrich on cultural influences on IQ. If those ideas were new in the book, I'd be eagerly writing about them. But I've already written enough about those ideas in that blog post.
Another source of disappointment was that the book's title is misleading. To the limited extent that the book focuses on a theory, it's the theory that's more clearly described in Henrich's The Secret of our Success. A Theory of Everyone feels more like a collection of blog posts than like a well-organized book.
The final source of disappointment was the book's first blog post, about energy, and how we need a more abundant supply of it. I agree with his basic ideas about the benefits of abundant energy. Alas, his argument in favor of nuclear energy is somewhat misleading. He focuses on the goal of maximizing energy return on investment. I.e. energy output divided by energy input. If that were the appropriate standard by which to compare investment in new energy sources, nuclear would be dramatically better than solar. But there's no good reason to single out energy costs as more important than other costs. By the normal method of comparing new investments, namely return on investment, solar looks probably a bit better than nuclear, at least for next decade.
I advise readers to ignore Muthukrishna's analysis on this topic, and instead read the rants against ergophobia in Where Is My Flying Car?.
Futurist Tidbits
Muthukrishna suggests that nations might become obsolete due to blockchains / DAOs. He doesn't examine this in enough depth to impress me.
There's significant room for improving how math is taught in US schools - just adopt the curricula used in Singapore and Shanghai.
More speculatively, schools could teach formal logic and reasoning at a much younger age, possibly generating some Flynn-like effects.
Immigration Policy
Muthukrishna's experience with living in countries as different as Sri Lanka, Papua New Guinea, Botwsana, and Britain gives him maybe enough wisdom to lecture us a bit on how it should be done.
He suggests four models of how a country might reasonably handle immigration:
* The No Hyphen Model: France exemplifies the strategy of pressuring immigrants to identify as French, and to suppress their culture of origin.
* The Mosaic Model: Canada exemplifies the strategy of peacefully accepting large cultural differences within the nation.
* The Melting Pot Model: The US aims for a middle ground between the French and Canadian strategies.
* The Umbrella Model is an ideal in which the nation mimics a successful company: selective admissions combined with substantial support for assimilation. Australia comes somewhat close to this ideal.
Select Quotes
The most innovative teams are more diverse, but so too are the least innovative teams. This seeming paradox of diversity occurs because diversity offers recombinatorial fuel for innovation, but is also, by definition, divisive.
Race is socially constructed in the same way color is. ... Different societies have different perceptions of where blue stops and where green begins ...
We now know that the nature versus nurture debate for human behavior makes about as much sense as a right leg versus left leg debate for human walking. We have a dual inheritance, inextricably entwined.
[The] 1924 US Immigration Act ... created immigrant ethnic quotas based on national origin. ... Recent analyses suggest that the 1924 Act led to a massive 68% baseline decline in indicators of innovation, such as patents, in industries where these migrants, such as Italians and Jews, worked.
Conclusion
Muthukrishna tried to do what Henrich did in The Secret of our Success. But he didn't want to repeat what Henrich had already published, and didn't have a book worth of new ideas above and beyond what Henrich has published. So he ended up with something that would have been moderately good if published 10 years ago, but doesn't seem like much today. Read his 2016 paper instead.
March 13, 2025
I first heard Michael Muthukrishna on Sean Carroll’s excellent Mindscape podcast, and he was one of the best interviewees I had ever heard – he spoke clearly and amazingly fluently across a wide range of topics, and seemed to have lots of original, clear and well-argued insights.
So I am disappointed to report that the book is nowhere near as good, in fact it is a bit of a mess. From the start, it claims to have a central idea, namely that everything about the make-up of both people and societies can be boiled down to four concepts: energy sourcing, evolution, cooperation and innovation. But this turns out to be a very loose framework, and to have no structure to it; it’s just an unorganised bag of catchwords, well short of a theory, let alone a “theory of everyone”. Actually, the author sometimes appears to forget about it for stretches of the book. Instead, he introduces other loose jumbles of catchwords, sometimes veering close to corporate / management consultant gobbledegook. There are lots of remarkably unnecessary illustrations that just repeat keywords from the text in cartoon form, another gimmick familiar to me from corporate seminars, adding nothing at all to the arguments or to the comprehension of the concepts. None of this sheds any particular light on any of the many disparate subjects he brings up, even though his treatment of these subjects is often both readable and reasonable. As the saying goes, there are many original ideas in the book, and many useful ideas, but the ideas that are useful are not original, and the ones that are original are not useful.
Nevertheless, if you ignore the lack of structure and clear plan, there are several good arguments made in the book. I appreciate and share the author’s view that having a humane and progressive outlook does not compel or even entitle us to ignore statistical information that does not immediately tell us what we would prefer to hear. His discussion of the genetic vs cultural influences on intelligence and levels of achievement of individuals, and how that relates to equality of chances in society, is careful and dispels some common misunderstandings.
But I have the book in front of me as I type this, and the cover reads: A Theory of Everyone: Who We Are, How We Got Here, and Where We’re Going. And that, right there, is the problem. The contents of the book make no attempt to live up to this ridiculously ambitious billing. I wonder if the author was planning a simple book on a few Sociology topics for general nonfiction readers, and his publisher told him “Books like that are a dime a dozen on airport bookshop tables. To be noticed, you must at least claim to have solved humanity”.
So I am disappointed to report that the book is nowhere near as good, in fact it is a bit of a mess. From the start, it claims to have a central idea, namely that everything about the make-up of both people and societies can be boiled down to four concepts: energy sourcing, evolution, cooperation and innovation. But this turns out to be a very loose framework, and to have no structure to it; it’s just an unorganised bag of catchwords, well short of a theory, let alone a “theory of everyone”. Actually, the author sometimes appears to forget about it for stretches of the book. Instead, he introduces other loose jumbles of catchwords, sometimes veering close to corporate / management consultant gobbledegook. There are lots of remarkably unnecessary illustrations that just repeat keywords from the text in cartoon form, another gimmick familiar to me from corporate seminars, adding nothing at all to the arguments or to the comprehension of the concepts. None of this sheds any particular light on any of the many disparate subjects he brings up, even though his treatment of these subjects is often both readable and reasonable. As the saying goes, there are many original ideas in the book, and many useful ideas, but the ideas that are useful are not original, and the ones that are original are not useful.
Nevertheless, if you ignore the lack of structure and clear plan, there are several good arguments made in the book. I appreciate and share the author’s view that having a humane and progressive outlook does not compel or even entitle us to ignore statistical information that does not immediately tell us what we would prefer to hear. His discussion of the genetic vs cultural influences on intelligence and levels of achievement of individuals, and how that relates to equality of chances in society, is careful and dispels some common misunderstandings.
But I have the book in front of me as I type this, and the cover reads: A Theory of Everyone: Who We Are, How We Got Here, and Where We’re Going. And that, right there, is the problem. The contents of the book make no attempt to live up to this ridiculously ambitious billing. I wonder if the author was planning a simple book on a few Sociology topics for general nonfiction readers, and his publisher told him “Books like that are a dime a dozen on airport bookshop tables. To be noticed, you must at least claim to have solved humanity”.
December 27, 2024
Muthukrishna's A Theory of Everyone develops an overarching theoretical framework from which to view and explain human behavior and their interactions that would lead our species to improved adaptive choice making for our future. He lays out the patterns and directions of the main forces that shape our thinking, our economies and our societies that have, in large part, remained mostly invisible to us. By becoming aware of these patterns and forces, viewed within a scientific worldview, the answers to many of our human problems, like conflict, war, and greed, have the potential to be resolved. As he says, "We desperately need a culture of science." p 7
"...by deepening our understanding of human behavior, we will develop original insights about how to more effectively exploit energy in ways that help increase our prosperity and reduce the risk of conflict, both within and between societies. By the end we will have a theory that encompasses both; a unified theory of human affairs. A theory of everyone." p 3
Muthukrishna has a rich, multidisciplinary background which has allowed him to assemble the Theory of Everyone, pulling on strands within various disciplines, such as psychology, economics, biology, anthropology, and physics, and finds consilience within the underlying laws.
In Part I, he starts with what is basic to all life on the planet - Energy. How energy transfers, as viewed within a biological and social evolutionary theoretical framework has enabled us to innovate, cooperate and now direct our own socio-cultural and biological evolution in more adaptive ways.
In Part II, he discusses more of how and why the world is rapidly changing, what we are to consider, and what we must do resolve major problems so we can all thrive.
"The problem is not that we don't notice the warning signs, it's that we don't know what to do about it." p 373
So long as our abundance of required energy along with our return on investment for energy expended (EROI) remains high, we remain in a comfortable surplus, keeping our overall anxieties, fears and conflicts at a low. However, this state is necessarily temporary as the energy flows change over time. When these do fall to precipitous levels, we quickly lose the excess energy required to overcome the dangers we find ourselves in, such as global climate change and rising autocracy. "...every major civilization has been crushed by a falling energy ceiling." p 373
"The quest for energy is at the heart of the laws of life and the theory of everyone. It is the ultimate driver of all we do and the ultimate constraint on what we can achieve. It's scarcity...drive competition and conflict; it's availability allows for compassion and cooperation." p374
Muthukrishna states that to create a more aware and prosocial society would require a major shift in our thinking and a willingness to challenge the status quo. We have the power then to nudge collective human behavior on a global scale to evolve better governance structures to create the conditions for higher levels of cooperation and innovation within a shared ethos that would lead to increased wellness and adaptability.
Muthukrishna lays out this theory of everyone clearly and effectively throughout the book with real-world and relevant examples of what has happened or is currently happening in our world.
Highly recommended book.
"...by deepening our understanding of human behavior, we will develop original insights about how to more effectively exploit energy in ways that help increase our prosperity and reduce the risk of conflict, both within and between societies. By the end we will have a theory that encompasses both; a unified theory of human affairs. A theory of everyone." p 3
Muthukrishna has a rich, multidisciplinary background which has allowed him to assemble the Theory of Everyone, pulling on strands within various disciplines, such as psychology, economics, biology, anthropology, and physics, and finds consilience within the underlying laws.
In Part I, he starts with what is basic to all life on the planet - Energy. How energy transfers, as viewed within a biological and social evolutionary theoretical framework has enabled us to innovate, cooperate and now direct our own socio-cultural and biological evolution in more adaptive ways.
In Part II, he discusses more of how and why the world is rapidly changing, what we are to consider, and what we must do resolve major problems so we can all thrive.
"The problem is not that we don't notice the warning signs, it's that we don't know what to do about it." p 373
So long as our abundance of required energy along with our return on investment for energy expended (EROI) remains high, we remain in a comfortable surplus, keeping our overall anxieties, fears and conflicts at a low. However, this state is necessarily temporary as the energy flows change over time. When these do fall to precipitous levels, we quickly lose the excess energy required to overcome the dangers we find ourselves in, such as global climate change and rising autocracy. "...every major civilization has been crushed by a falling energy ceiling." p 373
"The quest for energy is at the heart of the laws of life and the theory of everyone. It is the ultimate driver of all we do and the ultimate constraint on what we can achieve. It's scarcity...drive competition and conflict; it's availability allows for compassion and cooperation." p374
Muthukrishna states that to create a more aware and prosocial society would require a major shift in our thinking and a willingness to challenge the status quo. We have the power then to nudge collective human behavior on a global scale to evolve better governance structures to create the conditions for higher levels of cooperation and innovation within a shared ethos that would lead to increased wellness and adaptability.
Muthukrishna lays out this theory of everyone clearly and effectively throughout the book with real-world and relevant examples of what has happened or is currently happening in our world.
Highly recommended book.
September 30, 2023
This is one of the most enlightening books I've read in my life. It pulls together research from many disciplines - psychology, technology, history, economics, data science, religion - and brings them together to paint a picture of what makes humans unique, and how to use that information to solve our uniquely human problems.
There are SO MANY facets of human behaviour/psychology that you've probably thought about - sensing that today's political polarisation fails to capture any real nuance - that this book takes on. It adopts a scientific approach, drawing upon a dizzying amount of academic research, whilst keeping it accessible for most readers.
One of the most fundamental questions that we might ask - what actually makes humans unique? - is revisited on several occasions in part 1, peeling back the layers of genetic inheritance and cultural transmission, while telling the story of human evolution, from bipedal movement to language and beyond.
One of the most surprising insights is that it is not innate intelligence per se that sets us apart, but rather our ability to imitate and replicate the successful practices of others in a social context - and to innovate on those practices whether we truly understand what's come before us or not (typically not). Examples abound, from the toilet to the light bulb, and the story of human development as told in this book spans every continent and time period of our history.
Reading this book really is a revelation - it's like finally understanding where you've come from. And best of all, on top of all the science, it just rings true.
There are SO MANY facets of human behaviour/psychology that you've probably thought about - sensing that today's political polarisation fails to capture any real nuance - that this book takes on. It adopts a scientific approach, drawing upon a dizzying amount of academic research, whilst keeping it accessible for most readers.
One of the most fundamental questions that we might ask - what actually makes humans unique? - is revisited on several occasions in part 1, peeling back the layers of genetic inheritance and cultural transmission, while telling the story of human evolution, from bipedal movement to language and beyond.
One of the most surprising insights is that it is not innate intelligence per se that sets us apart, but rather our ability to imitate and replicate the successful practices of others in a social context - and to innovate on those practices whether we truly understand what's come before us or not (typically not). Examples abound, from the toilet to the light bulb, and the story of human development as told in this book spans every continent and time period of our history.
Reading this book really is a revelation - it's like finally understanding where you've come from. And best of all, on top of all the science, it just rings true.
June 12, 2024
(read 3/4 only) this book is full of large-scale, daring ideas. As such, some ideas might strike far out, but the main crux of the book seems to be this: energy is what defines all of human history. Energy governs and restrains the developments of human societies and civilizations. Each time there is an expansion in our energy usage capabilities, such as agriculture or pastoral herding or the Industrial revolution, we are able to add more complexity to our civilizations. The next stage for us would be planetary cooperation to reach the space-faring age. Prof. Muthukrishna muses that human history has also shown stages of cooperation, from family-based or kinship-based cooperation among blood-related humans, to reputation-based cooperation among small circles of societies, to state-level cooperation through the mechanisms of intervening institutions that encode rules of cooperation and punishment through impartial law. In times of energy scarcity, goodwill between large-scale societies, as well as within large-scale societies, can break down. People are usually nice and generous when there is plenty, Prof. Muthukrishna says, but perceptions of scarcity or perceptions of the lack of a level playing field of opportunity can strike down on people's generosity and tighten their radius of care and concern for others down to smaller circles, back out of institutions and into kinship or family levels. Thus, what is needed? What is needed is our breakthrough of the current energy barrier into finding sources of renewable energy. Thus, in the author's opinion.. we need nuclear fusion now. We need something that will get us out of the fossil fuel mess that mires human civilizations into a climate-destroying emergency as well as an unfolding tragedy of incoming shortage and scarcity. Prof. Muthukrishna also suggests that we need a common creed of shared norms that allow us to develop trust with strangers in society-- these norms are cooperation and devotion to institutions.
March 31, 2024
At its core this claims that excess energy of energy return on investment is essential for society and that all major recessions and civilizational collapses have downturns on this at their core. I’m not completely sure about that but scarcity, perceived or real, leads to more selfish and zero sum behavior that is corrosive to cooperation (and patriotism).
It goes on to delve into how cooperation is more powerful than intelligence as a group with good collaboration beats individual intelligence, and moreover, the vast majority of what you know comes handed down from culture rather than individual learning through your own intelligence. So as a cohort, human intelligence relies upon genetic as well as cultural inheritance, and the ability to do anything with it relies upon cooperation and energy return on investment.
The author tries to show how all of these issues are tied into our feelings and beliefs about equality and fairness among various groups. I wish he had used the term participative economics because I found works related to that very satisfying for explaining improving economic, social, and political equality.
Definitely didn’t agree with everything that was said, or some of the digressions from the main point, but it gave me a lot to think about.
It goes on to delve into how cooperation is more powerful than intelligence as a group with good collaboration beats individual intelligence, and moreover, the vast majority of what you know comes handed down from culture rather than individual learning through your own intelligence. So as a cohort, human intelligence relies upon genetic as well as cultural inheritance, and the ability to do anything with it relies upon cooperation and energy return on investment.
The author tries to show how all of these issues are tied into our feelings and beliefs about equality and fairness among various groups. I wish he had used the term participative economics because I found works related to that very satisfying for explaining improving economic, social, and political equality.
Definitely didn’t agree with everything that was said, or some of the digressions from the main point, but it gave me a lot to think about.
September 28, 2024
Is anyone else tired of random social scientists popping up with a book that tells you a bit about a topic the author has direct expertise on, and then a whole hell of a lot on topics where the author has no more expertise than anyone else on Goodreads who reads a lot?
The author studies cultural evolution, and half the book is a decent summary of that (though less compelling than Henrich's Secret of Our Success, or Richardson and Boyd's Not By Genes Alone).
The second half of the book reads like a random collection of blog posts about Topics Where The Author Has Confused His Opinions For Facts. We hear how governments will be replaced by the blockchain. Seems to flirt with seasteading. This section of the book sounds like a psychologist auditioning to be some sort of "radical centrist" thinktank consultant. The ideas will appeal to those in seats of wealth and power, but seem to have very little to do with the theoretical work in the first half of the book.
Social science authors: it's okay to stay in your lane! I bought your book for your expertise in what you study, not your (self-)grandiose thoughts on a bunch of random global policy topics. Have some intellectual humility here!
The author studies cultural evolution, and half the book is a decent summary of that (though less compelling than Henrich's Secret of Our Success, or Richardson and Boyd's Not By Genes Alone).
The second half of the book reads like a random collection of blog posts about Topics Where The Author Has Confused His Opinions For Facts. We hear how governments will be replaced by the blockchain. Seems to flirt with seasteading. This section of the book sounds like a psychologist auditioning to be some sort of "radical centrist" thinktank consultant. The ideas will appeal to those in seats of wealth and power, but seem to have very little to do with the theoretical work in the first half of the book.
Social science authors: it's okay to stay in your lane! I bought your book for your expertise in what you study, not your (self-)grandiose thoughts on a bunch of random global policy topics. Have some intellectual humility here!
October 12, 2023
This book is a rollercoaster ride through the mysteries of our existence.
Muthukrishna delves into the complex tapestry of human history, genetics, and behaviour with an unrivalled passion and clarity. Each chapter is a revelation, connecting the dots between various scientific disciplines: politics, economics, anthropology, religion, history, behavioural science and psychology. What sets this book apart is the way it humanises science, making it approachable for readers of all backgrounds. The book doesn't stop at unravelling our past; it propels you into the future. It's like a roadmap for humanity, showing us where we could be heading and the choices we need to make. Muthukrishna inspires you to think beyond yourself by explaining complex scientific concepts with elegance and simplicity, ensuring that everyone can grasps the intricate ideas presented whilst also offering deep insights that will engage and challenge you.
It's beautifully written, thought-provoking, and leaves you with a profound sense of awe for our human journey. If you're curious about the intricacies of our existence and our potential as a species, this book is a must-read!
Muthukrishna delves into the complex tapestry of human history, genetics, and behaviour with an unrivalled passion and clarity. Each chapter is a revelation, connecting the dots between various scientific disciplines: politics, economics, anthropology, religion, history, behavioural science and psychology. What sets this book apart is the way it humanises science, making it approachable for readers of all backgrounds. The book doesn't stop at unravelling our past; it propels you into the future. It's like a roadmap for humanity, showing us where we could be heading and the choices we need to make. Muthukrishna inspires you to think beyond yourself by explaining complex scientific concepts with elegance and simplicity, ensuring that everyone can grasps the intricate ideas presented whilst also offering deep insights that will engage and challenge you.
It's beautifully written, thought-provoking, and leaves you with a profound sense of awe for our human journey. If you're curious about the intricacies of our existence and our potential as a species, this book is a must-read!
January 9, 2024
At the beginning of his conclusion, Michael Muthukrishna writes “At the peak of the Roman Empire, it would have been hard to imagine that it would fall. At the height of the British Empire it would have been hard to imagine Britain’s current state. Today’s America is starting to show signs of the same future.” Having read 370+ pages explaining how a different outcome might be possible, I was a bit dismayed to read that statement. But I also share that sense of pessimism.
A Theory of Everyone proposes a number of paradigm shifts in the way Western — Muthukrishna refers to them using the acronym WIERD — democracies, the United States in particular, operate. If executed properly, these paradigm shifts would bring about a sustainable, equitable, peaceful future for us and will contribute to the well-being of other democracies around the world. I hope the right people, people who can act on a larger stage than I can, will read and apply some of his principles.
A Theory of Everyone proposes a number of paradigm shifts in the way Western — Muthukrishna refers to them using the acronym WIERD — democracies, the United States in particular, operate. If executed properly, these paradigm shifts would bring about a sustainable, equitable, peaceful future for us and will contribute to the well-being of other democracies around the world. I hope the right people, people who can act on a larger stage than I can, will read and apply some of his principles.
April 2, 2024
This book discusses a vast number of subjects, and although it is thought-provoking and fun to read, it is also simultaneously frustrating. All too rarely does it go into sufficient depth with the ideas, theories or suggestions it presents. The book covers too much.
That said, its discussion of the vital importance of cooperation, collaboration and culture for humans is good. The thesis that intelligence in humans is fundamentally a culturally based trait is well argued. Another interesting part is the discussion about the constraints for human society given by the availability of useful energy sources.
An example of a provocative point that is less successfully presented is the idea of using block-chain technology for smart social contracts as a means of updating governance and democracy. The discussion here is fundamentally naive, simply stating repeatedly that smart contracts are self-enforcing. Sorry, but the social contract cannot be reduced to a matter of software code.
All in all, an interesting, but not very satisfactory read.
That said, its discussion of the vital importance of cooperation, collaboration and culture for humans is good. The thesis that intelligence in humans is fundamentally a culturally based trait is well argued. Another interesting part is the discussion about the constraints for human society given by the availability of useful energy sources.
An example of a provocative point that is less successfully presented is the idea of using block-chain technology for smart social contracts as a means of updating governance and democracy. The discussion here is fundamentally naive, simply stating repeatedly that smart contracts are self-enforcing. Sorry, but the social contract cannot be reduced to a matter of software code.
All in all, an interesting, but not very satisfactory read.
January 26, 2025
This was hit or miss for me. I do like these sort of pop-science/social science/"explain the world-analyze historical trends" kind of books but at times the argument or ideas were just not really clicking. But essentially, Michael is putting forth a theory to explain how humanity has developed, with a key component being that every major leap our species has made (and even to become a species) was due to energy surpluses. He posits that until we can get to fusion, with a stop at nuclear along the way, we may not be able to make it. And that because we have scarce energy resources, rather than being productive, we are going to become more distrusting and in conflict. It's an interesting idea. He ties it into cultural knowledge and cooperation and other concepts of knowledge and society, but that was where I felt things were a bit muddled. Still, thinking in terms of the lens of energy is fascinating and I don't know as much about science so getting to learn a little bit about nuclear and fusion was pretty interesting.
March 6, 2025
The title is a bold claim that I am not convinced the book actually delivered.
The book starts out well with a convincing account that one of the major drivers of our developing civilisation, and particularly our standard of living, is inextricably linked to the continuing availability of increasingly greater quantities of cheap energy - mainly from fossil fuels. He then, also convincingly, notes that we are living through a period where we cannot assume that abundant cheap energy will continue to be available and we need to adapt to the new paradigm.
The book then goes downhill. He then seems to, not so much lead into, as randomly jump to introducing his pet theory about how society should evolve. This is the point at which the book becomes much less convincing and with less information to back up his assertions.
Was I glad I read the book, yes I was. Did I think the book fulfilled its title, no I did not, In fact I think the title was misleading. I would have liked more coverage of the behavioural science that explains our behaviour and the society that we have created.
The book starts out well with a convincing account that one of the major drivers of our developing civilisation, and particularly our standard of living, is inextricably linked to the continuing availability of increasingly greater quantities of cheap energy - mainly from fossil fuels. He then, also convincingly, notes that we are living through a period where we cannot assume that abundant cheap energy will continue to be available and we need to adapt to the new paradigm.
The book then goes downhill. He then seems to, not so much lead into, as randomly jump to introducing his pet theory about how society should evolve. This is the point at which the book becomes much less convincing and with less information to back up his assertions.
Was I glad I read the book, yes I was. Did I think the book fulfilled its title, no I did not, In fact I think the title was misleading. I would have liked more coverage of the behavioural science that explains our behaviour and the society that we have created.
January 27, 2025
In A Theory of Everyone Muthukrishna rapid fire explores a suitably entertaining, yet thought-provoking series of ideas that I could best summarize in saying that if every participating voter in western democratic societies had a firm grasp of these, the world would almost certainly be on a better trajectory than it is today.
I do have to mark him down a notch for repeatedly stating his goal in writing the book as providing a breakdown of complex socio-political, psychological, and cultural concepts that is accessible to the every-man while (in particular in the first half of the text) consistently writing in an unnecessarily Sesquipedalian (see what I did there!) style that would have said every-man running to a Thesaurus every other paragraph, in what feels to me to be an attempt to score intellectual ego fondling points with his slew of academic reviewers.
I do have to mark him down a notch for repeatedly stating his goal in writing the book as providing a breakdown of complex socio-political, psychological, and cultural concepts that is accessible to the every-man while (in particular in the first half of the text) consistently writing in an unnecessarily Sesquipedalian (see what I did there!) style that would have said every-man running to a Thesaurus every other paragraph, in what feels to me to be an attempt to score intellectual ego fondling points with his slew of academic reviewers.
January 21, 2024
The book feels like an essay bundle of disjointed topics, some of which are interesting (to me) and some of which are not. In essence, its about the effect energy scarcity has on human (social) development, which the author lays out convincingly. Likewise, I enjoyed its relation to the possibilities of land taxation as an alternative to other forms of taxation (Chapter 9). Unfortunately, not even half of the chapters is about the overarching topic. The reader can easily skip chapters 4, 8, 10-12 and the Conclusion without missing anything. That makes the book a bit of a hot mess. It could have been a monograph of fewer than 200 pages if the author would have stuck to his topic while resisting repeating himself over and over again.
November 22, 2023
Immersing myself in 'The Theory of Everyone' was nothing short of an enlightening experience. The author's ability to distill intricate theories into an accessible and engaging narrative is truly commendable. The book invites readers on a captivating journey through the realms of science and philosophy, offering profound insights that resonate long after the final page. With a perfect balance of intellect and readability, 'The Theory of Everyone' is a literary gem that leaves you with a renewed appreciation for the interconnected beauty of our universe. A must-read for those seeking both knowledge and inspiration."
April 4, 2024
Started off quite strong but quickly disintegrated into interesting opinions and facts without much referencing or nuance. It felt like the author often tried to diagnose the problems of capitalism, but his solution was simply an accelerated reinforcement of capitalism. It's almost a modern reformation of Nietzsche and Schopenhauer's Will, applied to modern culture with a superficial smattering of systems theory. If I'm honest, Hegel and Nietzsche did it better. Of course, this is more coherent at points, but by the end of the book, I felt like I was back at square one. Energy (Geist/the Will to Power) rules our lives. I did like the optimism though.
October 3, 2023
A truly interdisciplinary read that draws from a breadth of research to create a clear picture of what being 'human' is, why we differ from others and what we can do with the knowledge and capabilities we have. The sometimes complex topics are explained clearly, making them accessible no matter your background. Coupled with attractive diagrams and examples that are entertaining and clear, the content makes sense and sticks. It's a genuinely enjoyable book, easy to digest and read, and leaves you feeling inspired.
April 12, 2024
This book was in my opinion brilliant and creative. Muthukrishna develops a theory of everyone showing the relationship between energy, innovation, cooperation and evolution. He addresses issues such as human and artificial intelligence, culture (how much in our lives is linked to our genes and how much comes from our environment?), global warming, etc…
I am sure that some readers may disagree with some of the conclusions of the author but regardless of this what is great about the book is that it challenges preconceived ideas and makes us think.
I am sure that some readers may disagree with some of the conclusions of the author but regardless of this what is great about the book is that it challenges preconceived ideas and makes us think.
October 3, 2023
5/5. Seriously purchase worthy.
Read this in one weekend. A stunning book in both its scope and ambition. Muthukrihna is unashamedly optimistic and paints a decidedly hopeful picture of the future. Complex topics and themes that draw from physicals, economics, politics, psychology and behaviour science are interwoven seamlessly to provide an eye-opening picture of human beings and human nature. Thoroughly enjoyable read.
Read this in one weekend. A stunning book in both its scope and ambition. Muthukrihna is unashamedly optimistic and paints a decidedly hopeful picture of the future. Complex topics and themes that draw from physicals, economics, politics, psychology and behaviour science are interwoven seamlessly to provide an eye-opening picture of human beings and human nature. Thoroughly enjoyable read.
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