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Evolution for Everyone: How Darwin's Theory Can Change the Way We Think About Our Lives
With stories that entertain as much as they inform, renowned evolutionist David Sloan Wilson outlines the basic principles of evolution and shows how, when properly understood, they can illuminate the length and breadth of creation, from the origin of life to the nature of religion.
What is the biological reason for gossip? For laughter? For the creation of art? Why do dogs have curly tails? What can microbes tell us about morality?
These and many other questions are tackled by Wilson in this witty and groundbreaking new book. Now everyone can move beyond the sterile debates about creationism and intelligent design to share Darwin’s panoramic view of animal and human life, seamlessly connected to each other.
Evolution, as Wilson explains, is not just about dinosaurs and human origins, but about why all species behave as they do—from beetles that devour their own young, to bees that function as a collective brain, to dogs that are smarter in some respects than our closest ape relatives. And basic evolutionary principles are also the foundation for humanity’s capacity for symbolic thought, culture, and morality.
In example after example, Wilson sheds new light on Darwin’ s grand theory and how it can be applied to daily life. By turns thoughtful, provocative, and daringly funny, Evolution for Everyone addresses some of the deepest philosophical and social issues of this or any age. In helping us come to a deeper understanding of human beings and our place in the world, it might also help us to improve that world.
What is the biological reason for gossip? For laughter? For the creation of art? Why do dogs have curly tails? What can microbes tell us about morality?
These and many other questions are tackled by Wilson in this witty and groundbreaking new book. Now everyone can move beyond the sterile debates about creationism and intelligent design to share Darwin’s panoramic view of animal and human life, seamlessly connected to each other.
Evolution, as Wilson explains, is not just about dinosaurs and human origins, but about why all species behave as they do—from beetles that devour their own young, to bees that function as a collective brain, to dogs that are smarter in some respects than our closest ape relatives. And basic evolutionary principles are also the foundation for humanity’s capacity for symbolic thought, culture, and morality.
In example after example, Wilson sheds new light on Darwin’ s grand theory and how it can be applied to daily life. By turns thoughtful, provocative, and daringly funny, Evolution for Everyone addresses some of the deepest philosophical and social issues of this or any age. In helping us come to a deeper understanding of human beings and our place in the world, it might also help us to improve that world.
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
112 people are currently reading
1511 people want to read
About the author
David Sloan Wilson
27 books175 followersDavid Sloan Wilson has been a professor of evolutionary biology at Binghamton University for more than twenty years. He has written three academic books on evolution, authored hundreds of papers, some with E.O. Wilson, and his first book for a general audience was Evolution for Everyone: How Darwin's Theory Can Change the Way We Think.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
January 19, 2012
This book is packed full of so much information - from why dogs have floppy ears to why some people become homicidal, all approached from an evolutionary perspective. Wilson shows us that a better understanding of evolution leads us to a better understanding of every aspect of our daily lives and social interactions. His goal is to prove that science isn't something accessible only to an elite few, but instead is an exciting and rewarding field that can easily be understood by anyone. Furthermore, it's crucial to our development as a society that we embrace scientific knowledge in order to explain and adapt to the world around us.
I especially was interested by his theories on the evolutionary origins of religion in human societies. Overall, I found this book fascinating, and it's a great jumping point for many more books and articles on evolution, religion, and human development if you're so inclined.
I especially was interested by his theories on the evolutionary origins of religion in human societies. Overall, I found this book fascinating, and it's a great jumping point for many more books and articles on evolution, religion, and human development if you're so inclined.
May 30, 2022
"herkes için evrim" iddiasıyla yola çıkan hiçbir kitabı beğenemedim bugüne kadar. çünkü zaten herkes için yazılmış en iyi evrim kitabı: türlerin kökeni.
başta evrimin basit mekanizmalarını çok güzel anlatmış bence ilk üç bölümde. ama nedense sonradan grup seçilimine, evrimsel psikolojiye (ki bence deli saçması bir perspektif) ordan da dinlere falan geçiyor. kendi durduğu bir ideolojik nokta var yazarın bence dinlerle ilgili, bir şekilde evrimle bu noktayı ispatlamaya çalışıyor son bölümlerde ki bence inanılmaz gereksiz.
bir de ben bu parçalı narativi hiç sevmiyorum evrim anlatısında. özellikle havalı ve heyecanlı evrimleşme hikayelerinin seçilip derlenmesi, bence evrim öğrenmek isteyen insanlara yapılmış büyük kötülüklerden. çok daha basit, birbirini takip edebilen, amacı gerçekten evrim anlatmak olan bir şeyler okumak istiyorsanız cidden bırakın bunları, türlerin kökenini okuyun, pişman olmazsınız (çok daha anlaşılır ve konuya özgü yapılandırılmış).
ayrıca her şeyi, ama her şeyi bu kitapta olduğu gibi doğal seçilim ya da diğer evrimsel mekanizmalarla açıklamaya çabası evrim anlatısına en büyük hasarı veren şey.
başta evrimin basit mekanizmalarını çok güzel anlatmış bence ilk üç bölümde. ama nedense sonradan grup seçilimine, evrimsel psikolojiye (ki bence deli saçması bir perspektif) ordan da dinlere falan geçiyor. kendi durduğu bir ideolojik nokta var yazarın bence dinlerle ilgili, bir şekilde evrimle bu noktayı ispatlamaya çalışıyor son bölümlerde ki bence inanılmaz gereksiz.
bir de ben bu parçalı narativi hiç sevmiyorum evrim anlatısında. özellikle havalı ve heyecanlı evrimleşme hikayelerinin seçilip derlenmesi, bence evrim öğrenmek isteyen insanlara yapılmış büyük kötülüklerden. çok daha basit, birbirini takip edebilen, amacı gerçekten evrim anlatmak olan bir şeyler okumak istiyorsanız cidden bırakın bunları, türlerin kökenini okuyun, pişman olmazsınız (çok daha anlaşılır ve konuya özgü yapılandırılmış).
ayrıca her şeyi, ama her şeyi bu kitapta olduğu gibi doğal seçilim ya da diğer evrimsel mekanizmalarla açıklamaya çabası evrim anlatısına en büyük hasarı veren şey.
September 24, 2012
"Evolution for Everyone" includes a fine enough and simple description of natural selection early in the book, but it becomes increasingly laden with ideology after the first few chapters. The author clearly has a socio-political point that he's trying to advance, which would be fine if he had openly disclosed that. As is, the title and description of the book are quite misleading. He should have titled it something like "How the Theory of Natural Selection Can Be Used to Advance My Ideology." He works so hard at it that his logic becomes rather muddled, and his data is selective to say the least.
For example, he dismisses a lengthy and thorough body of research discrediting the group problem-solving process known as brainstorming by asserting that previous experiments have simply made the mistake of applying brainstorming to the wrong kinds of problems. He constructed his own experiments in support of brainstorming, in which he asked groups to recall previously-learned information. (Previous brainstorming experiments have ask groups to solve creative problems, not list-generating problems, because brainstorming was originally designed for creative problem-solving.) It seems “intuitively obvious,” as professors like to say, that groups will outperform individuals at generating laundry lists, but there is a great deal of research demonstrating that brainstorming fails miserably as a tool for creative problem-solving. In this book, Wilson does an end-run around that fact, essentially saying that existing research findings are wrong if you redact a lot of history. The book is peppered with similar problems in logic.
As an author myself, it pains me to write a harsh book review (and in the interest of full disclosure, I only made it about halfway through before skimming the rest and putting it down), but writers need to tread very, very carefully when using science to advance ideology.
On the plus side, the first few chapters offer a nice, simple overview of the theory of natural selection.
For example, he dismisses a lengthy and thorough body of research discrediting the group problem-solving process known as brainstorming by asserting that previous experiments have simply made the mistake of applying brainstorming to the wrong kinds of problems. He constructed his own experiments in support of brainstorming, in which he asked groups to recall previously-learned information. (Previous brainstorming experiments have ask groups to solve creative problems, not list-generating problems, because brainstorming was originally designed for creative problem-solving.) It seems “intuitively obvious,” as professors like to say, that groups will outperform individuals at generating laundry lists, but there is a great deal of research demonstrating that brainstorming fails miserably as a tool for creative problem-solving. In this book, Wilson does an end-run around that fact, essentially saying that existing research findings are wrong if you redact a lot of history. The book is peppered with similar problems in logic.
As an author myself, it pains me to write a harsh book review (and in the interest of full disclosure, I only made it about halfway through before skimming the rest and putting it down), but writers need to tread very, very carefully when using science to advance ideology.
On the plus side, the first few chapters offer a nice, simple overview of the theory of natural selection.
June 19, 2020
I’m really bad at stopping reading a book that I’m not enjoying. Usually I just plow through and get angry. That was the case here. I was hoping to read this and get some tidbits for teaching evolution, maybe even assign the book to students. Nope. It’s the vanity project of an well-known, old, white guy touting this evo-psych and group selection garbage. It all just sounds so dated, and he sounds like a writer from another time - the sage scientist, born into wealth, which allowed him to pursue his own bizarre theories. Of course most of the scientists he cites are other men of the same sort. He even manages to make a breast joke when talking about tits (the birds). There’s maybe one or two chapters that could be excerpted and be useful for teaching.
December 31, 2011
I have rarely read a book more grievously mistitled. This isn't evolution for everyone. It isn't even evolution for fellow travelers otherwise well-disposed to the claims of science as explanatory for much of life. This is evolution for the very small set of people who think exactly like DSW, which is to say, those who believe with something akin to religious fervor that the theory of evolution explains literally everything. The theory may in fact do that; it would take a far more careful and self-aware exploration of the issues than this volume manages to make that case. DSW's book suffers from intellectual mission creep. Having gotten his mind around an idea that he rightly regards as key for explaining many facets of biology, he then extends the theory's provenance to everything. Nowhere are the book's shortcomings more apparent than when DSW attempts to colonize other fields for evolution. His grasp of any number of historical trends and philosophical theories is frequently (and embarrassingly) wrong. He has a touching but misplaced naïveté in the work of experts in other fields that he never bothers to vet with the same precision that he might were they biologists he was discussing. Lest one be accused of fundamentalist knee-jerkism, this reviewer has to report himself fully convinced of evolution and not in thrall to fact-denying elements of religious practice in any way: I'm not a believer threatened by Darwin. There are plenty of excellent reasons to question many of the conclusions DSW reaches in his experiments, simply out of a kind of self-awareness or other point of view that DSW himself cannot seem to muster. Obsessed by his own idée fixe, he is as blinkered as the fact-denying religionists he frequently dismisses in his narrative. His enthusiasm and messianic fervor for evolution as the key to unlock every box has a kind of boyish charm; the constant self-reference and discussion of family and friends tends to pall rather quickly however. The book does explain the basics of evolution for those who aren't familiar with them. Many readers will find they could have done without all the self-reference and particularly the cringe-inducing final chapter explaining DSW's long march to science. (It is by turns self-congratulatory and revealing in ways far beyond what its author intends.) DSW's charming obliviousness to the degree which his text nevertheless will put off the devout or, say, reasoning humanists who refuse to see Homer as nothing more than the agglomeration of male kinship groups seeking dominance (it is that, of course, but to say this is to only begin not end the discussion--on the evidence of this text, evolutionary narrative studies have a VERY long way to go) is exceeded only by his confidence that literally everything he thinks is worth putting on the page.
February 17, 2017
Evolution as it affected everything not only in the distant past but also in the recent past and today. For example a discussion of how our million years' heritage makes us obese today. The title is misleading, the book is not Darwin 101 but at the Scientific American level with some autobiography added.
April 10, 2021
"Evolutionary theory is not the kind of belief system that hurls you like an arrow in a previously chosen direction. It is more like a sailboat or a kayak bobbing by the shore, inviting you to take your own voyage of discovery..."
Evolution for Everyone was an interesting primer on evolutionary biology. The author closes the book with the above quote.
Author David Sloan Wilson is an American evolutionary biologist and a Distinguished Professor of Biological Sciences and Anthropology at Binghamton University.
David Sloan Wilson:
Evolution for Everyone is written in an easy and engaging fashion, making this one accessible to even the layperson with no prior knowledge of this field. A somewhat rare quality among scientific literature; I always appreciate when an author can effectively produce a readable work like this.
Wilson drops this quote, which speaks to his efforts towards this end:
Wilson covers a plethora of evolutionary topics in these pages; the scope of the book is quite broad. Wilson takes the reader through some of the basics of evolutionary theory here; from descent with modification, to mutation and selection pressures, to group cooperation and culture.
Some more of what Wilson covers here includes:
* Dmitry Belyayev's foxes; gracilization.
* Female "morning sickness" during pregnancy.
* Margo Wilson and Martin Daly's investigations in the book Homicide: Foundations of Human Behavior.
* Highly sensitive people.
* "Dancing with ghosts"
* Bacteria
* Bees
* Religion and culture; gossip and social norms.
* Laughter, dance, and art in general.
* Groupthink.
* "Honour" cultures.
* Cultural "memes"
* Quasi-religious movements, like Ayn Rand's Objectivism.
Interestingly, Wilson mentions that evolutionary theory has run afoul of the humanities and social sciences. Apparently many ideologically motivated academics didn't (and indeed still don't) want to acknowledge that genetics could play a causal role in shaping human behavior, culture, and/or abilities. Imagine being so confused...
He also mentions the famous backlash faced by biologist E.O. Wilson after the publication of his book Sociobiology: The New Synthesis; mainly from campus Marxists like Stephen Jay Gould and Richard Lewontin. E.O. Wilson covers this opposition in greater detail in his 1994 book Naturalist.
Wilson writes insightfully at some length about religion in the latter part of the book; mentioning the group-level benefits that religious societies enjoy. His 2002 book Darwin's Cathedral: Evolution, Religion, and the Nature of Society expands further on this; talking about religion as a multi-level adaptation. He dropped this quote, that I thought was pretty good:
Evolution for Everyone was a well-written, edited, and presented book. Its clear and concise writing makes it a great introduction for the naive reader who may not be overly familiar with evolutionary studies, concepts, and jargon.
I would definitely recommend this one to anyone interested.
4.5 stars.
Evolution for Everyone was an interesting primer on evolutionary biology. The author closes the book with the above quote.
Author David Sloan Wilson is an American evolutionary biologist and a Distinguished Professor of Biological Sciences and Anthropology at Binghamton University.
David Sloan Wilson:
Evolution for Everyone is written in an easy and engaging fashion, making this one accessible to even the layperson with no prior knowledge of this field. A somewhat rare quality among scientific literature; I always appreciate when an author can effectively produce a readable work like this.
Wilson drops this quote, which speaks to his efforts towards this end:
"...Years of training are not required. A single course is sufficient to get my students started, and this book was written to provide the same service at a distance. The club is not restricted to elites..."
Wilson covers a plethora of evolutionary topics in these pages; the scope of the book is quite broad. Wilson takes the reader through some of the basics of evolutionary theory here; from descent with modification, to mutation and selection pressures, to group cooperation and culture.
Some more of what Wilson covers here includes:
* Dmitry Belyayev's foxes; gracilization.
* Female "morning sickness" during pregnancy.
* Margo Wilson and Martin Daly's investigations in the book Homicide: Foundations of Human Behavior.
* Highly sensitive people.
* "Dancing with ghosts"
* Bacteria
* Bees
* Religion and culture; gossip and social norms.
* Laughter, dance, and art in general.
* Groupthink.
* "Honour" cultures.
* Cultural "memes"
* Quasi-religious movements, like Ayn Rand's Objectivism.
Interestingly, Wilson mentions that evolutionary theory has run afoul of the humanities and social sciences. Apparently many ideologically motivated academics didn't (and indeed still don't) want to acknowledge that genetics could play a causal role in shaping human behavior, culture, and/or abilities. Imagine being so confused...
He also mentions the famous backlash faced by biologist E.O. Wilson after the publication of his book Sociobiology: The New Synthesis; mainly from campus Marxists like Stephen Jay Gould and Richard Lewontin. E.O. Wilson covers this opposition in greater detail in his 1994 book Naturalist.
Wilson writes insightfully at some length about religion in the latter part of the book; mentioning the group-level benefits that religious societies enjoy. His 2002 book Darwin's Cathedral: Evolution, Religion, and the Nature of Society expands further on this; talking about religion as a multi-level adaptation. He dropped this quote, that I thought was pretty good:
"Evolution and religion can no longer occupy opposite corners of human thought. Evolutionists must include religion as part of what it means to be human, and when religious believers describe their groups as like bodies and beehives, they have nothing to fear from science..."
Evolution for Everyone was a well-written, edited, and presented book. Its clear and concise writing makes it a great introduction for the naive reader who may not be overly familiar with evolutionary studies, concepts, and jargon.
I would definitely recommend this one to anyone interested.
4.5 stars.
September 18, 2007
Evolution provides a framework for thinking about all aspects of the human condition. A significant teaching for me is the distinction between the proximate and ultimate cause of an adaptive change. The proximate cause is an immediate response to something in the environment that turns out to be useful for survival. Kids may gather to play because it's fun (the proximate cause), but it makes them safer to be in a group, so the behavior is reinforced (the ultimate cause).
It was surprising to find out how limited the application of evolutionary principles are in academia. Surprising that each discipline is so cloistered that it is not even aware of such principles and scholars in different disciplines are parochially resistant to even considering the application of evolutionary thought to their studies.
Most thought provoking are the application of evolutionary thinking to the study of culture.
It was surprising to find out how limited the application of evolutionary principles are in academia. Surprising that each discipline is so cloistered that it is not even aware of such principles and scholars in different disciplines are parochially resistant to even considering the application of evolutionary thought to their studies.
Most thought provoking are the application of evolutionary thinking to the study of culture.
November 8, 2016
various thoughts of theory evolution.
I reference their thoughts very well.
I reference their thoughts very well.
March 4, 2022
"How Darwin's Theory Can Change The Way We Think About Our Lives", what an exciting secondary title!
For years of my life, especially before 2017, I have disrespected and underestimated the theory of evolution, due to my misunderstanding to it back then. But by the beginning of 2017, when I closely studied the mentioned theory, and kept reading over and over about it (from the actual scientific resources, not the misleading ones that always try to distort the theory), I was really fascinated, stunned and charmed by it! Although indeed it was shocking to me at the start (and of course it would be, considering the original background that looks at evolution as a silly, old and crappy theory that is not supported by any facts)! But later on, not only I figured out that it is supported by tens -and probably hundreds of facts-, but it also has an astonishing ability to give a strongly-based explanations for thousands of things that were mysteries or a mythologically-explained things before it!
Motivated by all that, and considering the fact that it has been a very long time -relatively- that I haven't read about evolution during it, I thought to start reading this book, and I did.
I would not say that I am disappointed, because, simply: I'm NOT! The book was really nice, joyful and sort of funny! Besides the fact that it is written an a way that is so far away to be complicated, which gives more credit to it.
The only problem (probably) is that I did not feel like the book has achieved what it was written for! I don't know in fact if it was because I already considered before and thought about "How Darwin's Theory Can Change The Way We Think About Our Lives", and reached already to a strong enough common ground with the author, even before reading the book! Or if it was because the book has actually failed!
I think the first guess is closer to the truth. The book was good enough. And honestly, I found it really rich and valuable for anyone who would like to learn about evolution. But it cannot give "so much" to someone who has 2 things: 1) good knowledge of evolution. 2) clear thinking of "How Darwin's Theory Can Change The Way We Think About Our Lives"!
For years of my life, especially before 2017, I have disrespected and underestimated the theory of evolution, due to my misunderstanding to it back then. But by the beginning of 2017, when I closely studied the mentioned theory, and kept reading over and over about it (from the actual scientific resources, not the misleading ones that always try to distort the theory), I was really fascinated, stunned and charmed by it! Although indeed it was shocking to me at the start (and of course it would be, considering the original background that looks at evolution as a silly, old and crappy theory that is not supported by any facts)! But later on, not only I figured out that it is supported by tens -and probably hundreds of facts-, but it also has an astonishing ability to give a strongly-based explanations for thousands of things that were mysteries or a mythologically-explained things before it!
Motivated by all that, and considering the fact that it has been a very long time -relatively- that I haven't read about evolution during it, I thought to start reading this book, and I did.
I would not say that I am disappointed, because, simply: I'm NOT! The book was really nice, joyful and sort of funny! Besides the fact that it is written an a way that is so far away to be complicated, which gives more credit to it.
The only problem (probably) is that I did not feel like the book has achieved what it was written for! I don't know in fact if it was because I already considered before and thought about "How Darwin's Theory Can Change The Way We Think About Our Lives", and reached already to a strong enough common ground with the author, even before reading the book! Or if it was because the book has actually failed!
I think the first guess is closer to the truth. The book was good enough. And honestly, I found it really rich and valuable for anyone who would like to learn about evolution. But it cannot give "so much" to someone who has 2 things: 1) good knowledge of evolution. 2) clear thinking of "How Darwin's Theory Can Change The Way We Think About Our Lives"!
September 3, 2019
Evolutionary theory as a guide to life
"The most extraordinary fact about public awareness of evolution is not that 50 percent don't believe the theory but that nearly 100 percent haven't connected it to anything of importance in their lives." (p. 315)
This is a bit curious, but when you consider that Edward O. Wilson's Sociobiology was published only 34 years ago, and further that evolutionary psychology has only recently made its way into the curriculum of our university psychology departments, it is understandable. For my part, like David Sloan Wilson (son of Sloan Wilson who wrote a couple of fiction bestsellers in the 1950s, The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit and A Summer Place), I took to the application of evolutionary ideas to my life the way a duck takes to water. But the overall public awareness and acceptance has lagged, in part due, as Wilson explains, to the failure of the larger academic community to incorporate evolutionary ideas and findings into their fields of study.
That is changing fast with evolutionary medicine, evolutionary psychology and other scientific approaches now established fields of study. What David Wilson hopes follows is an awareness of evolutionary ideas and principles in the social sciences and the humanities, which is one of the reasons he wrote this book which grew out a class he taught to undergraduates.
The essence of evolutionary thought as applied to our daily lives is to ask the question, how does such and such a behavior or such and such an idea relate to the way evolution works? For example, not so long ago we were urged to drink lots of water every day (probably from studies funded by bottled water companies!). But if you think about the human experience in the Pleistocene in what is called the Environment of Evolutionary Adaptation (EEA) you might ask yourself, how was it possible for humans to drink so much water? Clearly humans would develop an ability to function very well, even optimally, without having to drink so much water, which in those days and climes would have been difficult to do safely. Consequently, doing this "thought experiment" I began to doubt the necessity to drink so much water. And lo and behold it came down from newer studies that actually humans don't really need to drink so much water! David Sloan Wilson gives a number of other examples of evolutionary thinking that has helped us to better understand ourselves and our place in the world and our communities. He is very strong on the idea of cooperation as an adaptive force in evolution, especially human evolution.
One of the ideas that most impressed me is his recognition of the arms struggle between society and the "selfish" individual. Some old-line evolutionists are loath to accept altruism and other seemingly selfless behaviors that benefit the tribe or larger groups as adaptive (other than through kinship) since the genes that code for such behavior would be easily overrun by genes from individuals looking out only for themselves. But what I think is overlooked is the human ability to spot these cheaters and keep them in check or to kick them out of the tribe or worse. Wilson makes the very interesting point that gossip is part of this process. Through gossip a society "maintains a dossier of information on every member and quickly detects social failings." (p. 160). Sociopaths don't fare well in communities in which everybody knows everybody else. But of course gossip doesn't work well, and a sociopath can flourish, where almost everyone is a stranger to one another, which is usually the case in our big cities. This lack of communal checks explains in part why there is so much crime in our cities.
Another interesting and fundamental idea is what Wilson calls "dancing with ghosts." The idea is that the adaptations we made during the EEA in some cases no longer apply effectively to the current environment. Thus the very nice ability to efficiently put on fat when large amounts of sugar, carbs and fats are temporarily available worked well in the prehistory when the dearth of winter or the dry season was to come; but in today's world of supermarkets and a MacDonald's on every corner, this ability has become a detriment leading to obesity and chronic disease. Many people in the West are dancing with the ghosts of "eat your fill when it's available." This predictive adaptive response (PAR) is no longer adaptive. Wilson gives some other examples relating to pronghorn antelopes that still "flee with amazing speed and endurance from predators that no longer populate the American plains" and baby sea turtles that mistake the lights of the city for the moon shining off the ocean and crawl in the wrong direction. (pp. 52-53)
Wilson also argues convincingly for the idea that life in the ghetto is more dangerous than say life in the suburbs because young people in the ghetto must take greater chances in order to be gain status and wealth. For a person like David Sloan Wilson to risk his life for some status gain would be foolish since he is going to gain enough wealth and status to be successful because of his many social and economic advantages. For a guy in the ghetto, it is sometimes worth the risk (or so it seems) to fight another at the drop of an insult because of the gain in status that can lead to better mating opportunities and a greater command of turf. When the environment is "unstable" and "life expectancy" is "low," a good strategy is to "take care of immediate needs and reproduce early." When you have a "stable environment and high life expectancy" on the other hand, you should "plan for the long term, including delayed reproduction."
There is also a lot in this book about religion from an evolutionary point of view, which I don't have space to go into, some of it based on Wilson's earlier book Darwin's Cathedral (2002).
--Dennis Littrell, author of “Understanding Evolution and Ourselves”
"The most extraordinary fact about public awareness of evolution is not that 50 percent don't believe the theory but that nearly 100 percent haven't connected it to anything of importance in their lives." (p. 315)
This is a bit curious, but when you consider that Edward O. Wilson's Sociobiology was published only 34 years ago, and further that evolutionary psychology has only recently made its way into the curriculum of our university psychology departments, it is understandable. For my part, like David Sloan Wilson (son of Sloan Wilson who wrote a couple of fiction bestsellers in the 1950s, The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit and A Summer Place), I took to the application of evolutionary ideas to my life the way a duck takes to water. But the overall public awareness and acceptance has lagged, in part due, as Wilson explains, to the failure of the larger academic community to incorporate evolutionary ideas and findings into their fields of study.
That is changing fast with evolutionary medicine, evolutionary psychology and other scientific approaches now established fields of study. What David Wilson hopes follows is an awareness of evolutionary ideas and principles in the social sciences and the humanities, which is one of the reasons he wrote this book which grew out a class he taught to undergraduates.
The essence of evolutionary thought as applied to our daily lives is to ask the question, how does such and such a behavior or such and such an idea relate to the way evolution works? For example, not so long ago we were urged to drink lots of water every day (probably from studies funded by bottled water companies!). But if you think about the human experience in the Pleistocene in what is called the Environment of Evolutionary Adaptation (EEA) you might ask yourself, how was it possible for humans to drink so much water? Clearly humans would develop an ability to function very well, even optimally, without having to drink so much water, which in those days and climes would have been difficult to do safely. Consequently, doing this "thought experiment" I began to doubt the necessity to drink so much water. And lo and behold it came down from newer studies that actually humans don't really need to drink so much water! David Sloan Wilson gives a number of other examples of evolutionary thinking that has helped us to better understand ourselves and our place in the world and our communities. He is very strong on the idea of cooperation as an adaptive force in evolution, especially human evolution.
One of the ideas that most impressed me is his recognition of the arms struggle between society and the "selfish" individual. Some old-line evolutionists are loath to accept altruism and other seemingly selfless behaviors that benefit the tribe or larger groups as adaptive (other than through kinship) since the genes that code for such behavior would be easily overrun by genes from individuals looking out only for themselves. But what I think is overlooked is the human ability to spot these cheaters and keep them in check or to kick them out of the tribe or worse. Wilson makes the very interesting point that gossip is part of this process. Through gossip a society "maintains a dossier of information on every member and quickly detects social failings." (p. 160). Sociopaths don't fare well in communities in which everybody knows everybody else. But of course gossip doesn't work well, and a sociopath can flourish, where almost everyone is a stranger to one another, which is usually the case in our big cities. This lack of communal checks explains in part why there is so much crime in our cities.
Another interesting and fundamental idea is what Wilson calls "dancing with ghosts." The idea is that the adaptations we made during the EEA in some cases no longer apply effectively to the current environment. Thus the very nice ability to efficiently put on fat when large amounts of sugar, carbs and fats are temporarily available worked well in the prehistory when the dearth of winter or the dry season was to come; but in today's world of supermarkets and a MacDonald's on every corner, this ability has become a detriment leading to obesity and chronic disease. Many people in the West are dancing with the ghosts of "eat your fill when it's available." This predictive adaptive response (PAR) is no longer adaptive. Wilson gives some other examples relating to pronghorn antelopes that still "flee with amazing speed and endurance from predators that no longer populate the American plains" and baby sea turtles that mistake the lights of the city for the moon shining off the ocean and crawl in the wrong direction. (pp. 52-53)
Wilson also argues convincingly for the idea that life in the ghetto is more dangerous than say life in the suburbs because young people in the ghetto must take greater chances in order to be gain status and wealth. For a person like David Sloan Wilson to risk his life for some status gain would be foolish since he is going to gain enough wealth and status to be successful because of his many social and economic advantages. For a guy in the ghetto, it is sometimes worth the risk (or so it seems) to fight another at the drop of an insult because of the gain in status that can lead to better mating opportunities and a greater command of turf. When the environment is "unstable" and "life expectancy" is "low," a good strategy is to "take care of immediate needs and reproduce early." When you have a "stable environment and high life expectancy" on the other hand, you should "plan for the long term, including delayed reproduction."
There is also a lot in this book about religion from an evolutionary point of view, which I don't have space to go into, some of it based on Wilson's earlier book Darwin's Cathedral (2002).
--Dennis Littrell, author of “Understanding Evolution and Ourselves”
November 1, 2024
As someone who attended a school that actively taught against evolution, I was looking for an overview of the theory that also would provide some level of practical benefit. This book certainly delivered. David Sloan Wilson does a fantastic job of breaking things down in a way that makes it easy to follow along with and invokes a natural curiosity about science and the world around you that will follow you even after putting the book down. My only criticism would be that there seems to be a decent amount of controversy around group and multilevel selection within the field of evolution and in the book this was glossed over pretty quickly in favor of Wilson's views. While he makes a compelling argument, I think it does a disservice to novice evolutionists to not be given a fuller picture of the things that are still being worked out on the field.
August 9, 2022
I enjoyed this book and liked the theory behind it. Everything changes. We change to benefit ourselves or our kin. The author covers a wide array of topics: Beauty, art, laughter - things that make us human and things that make us mammals. The topic of evolution is approached in a straight-forward (mostly) easy to understand manner. (I did get a little lost in whether it was primal or ultimate or proximate. Overall the information was very accessible.)
Wilson is an atheist, but is respectful in his treatment of religion and belief systems.
Wilson is an atheist, but is respectful in his treatment of religion and belief systems.
September 10, 2016
Many interesting research examples and a wide array of topics are discussed in this book to give an overview of how wide ranging and useful evolutionary principles are to humans and society. Unfortunately I was very disappointed with how one sided many of the topics where presented.
Wilson claims that because a relation can be seen between economic inequality and crime all you have to do is eliminate economic differences and you will not see substantial differences in crime between groups or populations. This is pure Marxism and implicitly denies evolution.
If different environments cause different evolutionary pressures then populations that has evolved in different areas have to have different traits developed in different ways otherwise evolution does not work, ie to deny differences between populations is to deny evolution.
I agree with Wilson that there is no genetic determinism for crime but the reality of human differences caused by evolution, demands different ways to address problems in society for different groups. There are reasons for success in a certain environment or society that goes beyond simplistic notions of wealth, luck or discrimination that make proposed solutions that solely take PC approved explanations into consideration completely useless. That is why all these efforts taken in western society have failed so miserably the last 60 years. It’s the emotional conviction about human uniformity coupled with a search for one mold fits all solutions that is leading to disaster.
For more on this read the book Race, Evolution, and Behavior by Philippe Rushton.
The chapter on intelligence and oral vs literate culture is using the old theory of cultural bias, all be it in a new way, to criticize the validity of intelligence as a concept and IQ tests as a tool and implicitly denies that it can measure ability or predict any type of performance. This have been shown time and time again to be a false notion and that certain people from oral cultures do very well on tests and others do not in comparison to literate groups and that the results of a well constructed test that is given in the correct way is an excellent way to predict performance. (See the research of Arthur R. Jensen) It have also been shown that intelligence is selected for by evolutionary pressures just like any other trait. This is very eloquently explained by Gregory Cochran and Henry Harpending in the book The 10,000 Year Explosion using Jews as an example. Another point is that the traits needed for success in society should correspond to the traits tested for in order to predict success. If we have a literate society the traits needed for success should be what is tested for, which indeed it is.
For more on this read The Bell Curve by Richard J. Herrnstein and Charles Murray.
When Wilson use tribes and pre-civilized groups as an example he neglects to tell you that much of the decision making is ruled by culture/tradition/religion/superstition/magic and not open to individual choice. Also most naturalist groups (all I know of) have a leadership hierarchy, usually with “elders” at the top and children at the bottom, similar to the chimpanzee example but (usually) based on merit and trust between the members as opposed to brute force of the chimpanzees.
I have personally taken part in experiments on leadership and effective teams and find the section on groupthink very simplistic and misleading. Groups CAN function very well and outperform nominal groups but not so much depending on the task at hand but much more relating to group structure, leadership, communication, participation, decision making and mostly what type of group dynamic (strategy or technique) is created within the group in relation to the psychological profiles of the individuals comprising of the group. This makes groups a double edged sword that are much more difficult to manage and function satisfactory.
You can consult pretty much any textbook on leadership and group dynamics for more on this.
I really wanted to like this book but in my opinion Wilson is misrepresenting the science discussed in this book to fit his own personal convictions.
Wilson claims that because a relation can be seen between economic inequality and crime all you have to do is eliminate economic differences and you will not see substantial differences in crime between groups or populations. This is pure Marxism and implicitly denies evolution.
If different environments cause different evolutionary pressures then populations that has evolved in different areas have to have different traits developed in different ways otherwise evolution does not work, ie to deny differences between populations is to deny evolution.
I agree with Wilson that there is no genetic determinism for crime but the reality of human differences caused by evolution, demands different ways to address problems in society for different groups. There are reasons for success in a certain environment or society that goes beyond simplistic notions of wealth, luck or discrimination that make proposed solutions that solely take PC approved explanations into consideration completely useless. That is why all these efforts taken in western society have failed so miserably the last 60 years. It’s the emotional conviction about human uniformity coupled with a search for one mold fits all solutions that is leading to disaster.
For more on this read the book Race, Evolution, and Behavior by Philippe Rushton.
The chapter on intelligence and oral vs literate culture is using the old theory of cultural bias, all be it in a new way, to criticize the validity of intelligence as a concept and IQ tests as a tool and implicitly denies that it can measure ability or predict any type of performance. This have been shown time and time again to be a false notion and that certain people from oral cultures do very well on tests and others do not in comparison to literate groups and that the results of a well constructed test that is given in the correct way is an excellent way to predict performance. (See the research of Arthur R. Jensen) It have also been shown that intelligence is selected for by evolutionary pressures just like any other trait. This is very eloquently explained by Gregory Cochran and Henry Harpending in the book The 10,000 Year Explosion using Jews as an example. Another point is that the traits needed for success in society should correspond to the traits tested for in order to predict success. If we have a literate society the traits needed for success should be what is tested for, which indeed it is.
For more on this read The Bell Curve by Richard J. Herrnstein and Charles Murray.
When Wilson use tribes and pre-civilized groups as an example he neglects to tell you that much of the decision making is ruled by culture/tradition/religion/superstition/magic and not open to individual choice. Also most naturalist groups (all I know of) have a leadership hierarchy, usually with “elders” at the top and children at the bottom, similar to the chimpanzee example but (usually) based on merit and trust between the members as opposed to brute force of the chimpanzees.
I have personally taken part in experiments on leadership and effective teams and find the section on groupthink very simplistic and misleading. Groups CAN function very well and outperform nominal groups but not so much depending on the task at hand but much more relating to group structure, leadership, communication, participation, decision making and mostly what type of group dynamic (strategy or technique) is created within the group in relation to the psychological profiles of the individuals comprising of the group. This makes groups a double edged sword that are much more difficult to manage and function satisfactory.
You can consult pretty much any textbook on leadership and group dynamics for more on this.
I really wanted to like this book but in my opinion Wilson is misrepresenting the science discussed in this book to fit his own personal convictions.
September 15, 2011
How discovered/stumbled upon? Twitter (@dkorten) recommendation from author David Korten…
What media type? Read on my Kindle, but to my chagrin, noted that it is also available on the shelf of the local library down the street!
What is the book about? Evolution, not so much in hard core science sense, although there are some chapters devoted to such experiments, but jargon is toned down for a universal audience, and appeal is made that evolution should be broadly applied, and not just confined to the biology domain. 36 chapters, after a gentle introduction, tilt from specific path carving experiments to general queries on religion, morals, human nature.
Is it a easy / medium / difficult read? The author employs a very accommodating writing style that is luring to the reader, very soulfully open in style, and is able to express concepts and ideas concisely, economically and succinctly. The book was a joy to read and after completing, felt a big letdown, where normally, even in books I enjoy and savor, feel relieved and satiated after completion.
What are the takeaways author wishes to plant within the reader? That anyone can "roll up their sleeves" (a phrase used repeatedly) and do science and become an "evolutionary" thinker. That evolution just doesn't apply to biology and even science departments but has implications and applications in every realm, from the lowest life forms to human psychology.
Is the author successful in making his case / winning his reader appeal? For the most part -- I would not state 100% as I question some of the material, but definitely, he was successful in stoking my interest in the topic and encouraging a follow through read.
Sources author relies upon? Students, inspired by his teaching (or "used" books procured) who devoted time to their own experiments and studies, "dilettante" (from non-academia) and professional colleagues that spiked his interest, EO Wilson who was a lifelong mentor, his Dad, but the work seems independent and not based on any narrow band of volumes. Author has several previous books I am unfamiliar with.
Recommended follow-up points: I bookmarked a few sites mentioned (EvOS) and just ordered *The Literary Animal* from amazon. May take a gander on the psychology recommended titles (do not have the book in front of me now).
What media type? Read on my Kindle, but to my chagrin, noted that it is also available on the shelf of the local library down the street!
What is the book about? Evolution, not so much in hard core science sense, although there are some chapters devoted to such experiments, but jargon is toned down for a universal audience, and appeal is made that evolution should be broadly applied, and not just confined to the biology domain. 36 chapters, after a gentle introduction, tilt from specific path carving experiments to general queries on religion, morals, human nature.
Is it a easy / medium / difficult read? The author employs a very accommodating writing style that is luring to the reader, very soulfully open in style, and is able to express concepts and ideas concisely, economically and succinctly. The book was a joy to read and after completing, felt a big letdown, where normally, even in books I enjoy and savor, feel relieved and satiated after completion.
What are the takeaways author wishes to plant within the reader? That anyone can "roll up their sleeves" (a phrase used repeatedly) and do science and become an "evolutionary" thinker. That evolution just doesn't apply to biology and even science departments but has implications and applications in every realm, from the lowest life forms to human psychology.
Is the author successful in making his case / winning his reader appeal? For the most part -- I would not state 100% as I question some of the material, but definitely, he was successful in stoking my interest in the topic and encouraging a follow through read.
Sources author relies upon? Students, inspired by his teaching (or "used" books procured) who devoted time to their own experiments and studies, "dilettante" (from non-academia) and professional colleagues that spiked his interest, EO Wilson who was a lifelong mentor, his Dad, but the work seems independent and not based on any narrow band of volumes. Author has several previous books I am unfamiliar with.
Recommended follow-up points: I bookmarked a few sites mentioned (EvOS) and just ordered *The Literary Animal* from amazon. May take a gander on the psychology recommended titles (do not have the book in front of me now).
May 29, 2008
I was quickly won over by this excitable biologist's presentation of evolutionary theory, mainly because of the fascinating studies he describes (though I'm not sure that they necessarily support the conclusions he wants them to support) and his cheerful, sometimes even dorky, but certainly humble, story of his own development as a scientist. His special take on the meaning of evolutionary theory for us humans at this time is interesting and perhaps heartening but not all that convincing. (He thinks that "survival of the fittest" no longer applies to individuals of our species but rather to groups, so cooperative group members are the fittest of our species; but is a group mind really a better mind, and are we willing to let go of even an inch of our sense of ourselves as individuals?) Also, standard evolutionary theory has some big problems which are commonly known but seldom publicly admitted to by scientists -- it is far from a finished theory, but we can't give Creationists any ammunition, it seems -- and Sloan too doesn't adequately address these weaknesses. Still, a stimulating read, especially for those who love science but aren't specialists.
June 11, 2013
I've read a lot of darwin books, this one was really unique, took a look at the evolutionary origins of laughter and other weird things.
January 22, 2021
Pensé que sería una explicación sencilla de los procesos de evolución biológica, algo así como "Evolución para Dummies". Pero resultó ser mucho más que eso. Se trata de un libro que pretende introducir al lector en los principios del pensamiento evolucionista. Así es, no de explicar cómo han evolucionado las especies, sino de enseñar al público a entender la realidad a través del prisma de la teoría evolutiva.
David Sloan Wilson es profesor de biología y antropología en la Universidad de Binghamton, donde desde hace varios años que imparte un curso introductorio titulado precisamente "Evolución para todo el mundo". El libro es producto de esa experiencia. Según Wilson, no se necesita tener conocimientos científicos muy avanzados para entender los fundamentos de la teoría evolutiva, pues es tan sencilla y de sentido común que cualquier estudiante, sin importar el perfil de su carrera, puede comprenderlos y aplicarlos en sus actividades de investigación.
Los primeros 10 capítulos están dedicados a exponer esos fundamentos, desde cómo funciona la evolución hasta cómo sabemos que es verdad, para lo cual Wilson brinda una gran cantidad de ejemplos maravillosos que lo dejan a uno boquiabierto. En los restantes, de un total de 36, se dedica a explorar diversos aspectos de la vida que, bajo el lente del evolucionismo, toman nuevo significado.
Wilson dedica pocas líneas al creacionismo. Le preocupa más algo que él llama "creacionismo secular": la negación por parte de las ciencias sociales para aceptar la importancia de la evolución en la comprensión del ser humano. Wilson se esfuerza por demostrar que esta visión es obtusa y ejemplifica las muy variadas formas en las que cualquier interesado en comprender la psique y la sociedad humana harían bien en volver al evolucionismo.
Así, nos embarcamos en una odisea que va desde la unión de moléculas para formar células, la unión de células que forman colonias, los organismos individuales que forman sociedades (como las abejas y las hormigas) hasta las civilizaciones humanas.
Podemos entender el significado de las estadísticas sobre infanticidio, las condiciones que generan mayor violencia o mayor cooperación en las sociedades, el origen de las religiones, de la moral o del arte. Algunos conceptos serán impactantes: como que los seres humanos son bastante menos competitivos y jerárquicos que nuestros primos chimpancés; que las sociedades de cazadores y recolectores son más cooperativas e igulaitarias que las agrícolas; que nuestra evolución genética nos dotó de la capacidad de crear cultura para resolver diversos problemas de adaptación que habrían tomado miles de generaciones de otra forma; que hasta las religiones son formas de adaptación cultural para resolver problemas sociales con eficiencia y que las sociedades "primitivas" pueden ser más funcionales que las más "desarrolladas".
Muchas de esas revelaciones son contraintuitivas y chocan con principios ideológicos, tanto de la derecha como de la izquierda. El libro sienta las bases para iniciar una gran conversación que seguramente se volverá más relevante y central con el paso de los años.
David Sloan Wilson es profesor de biología y antropología en la Universidad de Binghamton, donde desde hace varios años que imparte un curso introductorio titulado precisamente "Evolución para todo el mundo". El libro es producto de esa experiencia. Según Wilson, no se necesita tener conocimientos científicos muy avanzados para entender los fundamentos de la teoría evolutiva, pues es tan sencilla y de sentido común que cualquier estudiante, sin importar el perfil de su carrera, puede comprenderlos y aplicarlos en sus actividades de investigación.
Los primeros 10 capítulos están dedicados a exponer esos fundamentos, desde cómo funciona la evolución hasta cómo sabemos que es verdad, para lo cual Wilson brinda una gran cantidad de ejemplos maravillosos que lo dejan a uno boquiabierto. En los restantes, de un total de 36, se dedica a explorar diversos aspectos de la vida que, bajo el lente del evolucionismo, toman nuevo significado.
Wilson dedica pocas líneas al creacionismo. Le preocupa más algo que él llama "creacionismo secular": la negación por parte de las ciencias sociales para aceptar la importancia de la evolución en la comprensión del ser humano. Wilson se esfuerza por demostrar que esta visión es obtusa y ejemplifica las muy variadas formas en las que cualquier interesado en comprender la psique y la sociedad humana harían bien en volver al evolucionismo.
Así, nos embarcamos en una odisea que va desde la unión de moléculas para formar células, la unión de células que forman colonias, los organismos individuales que forman sociedades (como las abejas y las hormigas) hasta las civilizaciones humanas.
Podemos entender el significado de las estadísticas sobre infanticidio, las condiciones que generan mayor violencia o mayor cooperación en las sociedades, el origen de las religiones, de la moral o del arte. Algunos conceptos serán impactantes: como que los seres humanos son bastante menos competitivos y jerárquicos que nuestros primos chimpancés; que las sociedades de cazadores y recolectores son más cooperativas e igulaitarias que las agrícolas; que nuestra evolución genética nos dotó de la capacidad de crear cultura para resolver diversos problemas de adaptación que habrían tomado miles de generaciones de otra forma; que hasta las religiones son formas de adaptación cultural para resolver problemas sociales con eficiencia y que las sociedades "primitivas" pueden ser más funcionales que las más "desarrolladas".
Muchas de esas revelaciones son contraintuitivas y chocan con principios ideológicos, tanto de la derecha como de la izquierda. El libro sienta las bases para iniciar una gran conversación que seguramente se volverá más relevante y central con el paso de los años.
July 19, 2023
3 stars looks so harsh, but I did like the book and didn't "really like" it, so 3 it is. I DNF, largely because I thought it would be a much different book. The description on the back of the book is a bit misleading. The back says, "With stories that entertain as much as they inform, Wilson outlines the basic principles of evolution and shows how, properly understood, they can illuminate the length and breadth of creation, from the origin of life to the nature of religion."
I thought the book would be basically an introductory-level explanation of evolutionary theory, starting from the origin of life, and gradually getting to a discussion of cultural "evolution," that is, how much we can use ideas from evolutionary theory to understand culture. (Richard Lewontin has a great essay on this for those interested, "Does culture evolve?".)
However, the book reads like a series of disjointed blog posts, and whatever point Wilson has gets a little muddy. The first 8 chapters deal with: evolutionists vs creationists, a very basic intro to Darwinism; then chapters conjecturing on the evolution of morality, evolution of psychopathy, why burying beetles lack intelligence, and some other stuff. None of these topics are thoroughly discussed, even the beetles, which he's an expert on.
The author writes like he has to accommodate short attention spans, the way the chapters jump around, especially with how short and thin they are. He talks about interesting stuff, though. It would be a good book to read while waiting for trains and such, just reading a chapter here and there. I like to sit down and read, so the structure annoyed me.
One last thing is that he often insists on calling scientists by their first name, because--as he says-- they're his buds. I doubt Richard Dawkins is his bud, but whatever. The point is, it's a bad reason, and referring to scholars by their last name is convention for good reason: a reader interested in what Dawkins has to say will more easily remember his last name when he is repeatedly referred to that way. Dawkins is famous enough to come up if someone searches "Richard evolution," but not all the scientists Wilson talks about are this famous. The reader will have to search back for the full name all because Wilson wants to make sure the reader knows he is totally buddy-buddy with hotshot Richard Dawkins. (I mean, that's probably not his motivation, but some poking fun is warranted.)
I thought the book would be basically an introductory-level explanation of evolutionary theory, starting from the origin of life, and gradually getting to a discussion of cultural "evolution," that is, how much we can use ideas from evolutionary theory to understand culture. (Richard Lewontin has a great essay on this for those interested, "Does culture evolve?".)
However, the book reads like a series of disjointed blog posts, and whatever point Wilson has gets a little muddy. The first 8 chapters deal with: evolutionists vs creationists, a very basic intro to Darwinism; then chapters conjecturing on the evolution of morality, evolution of psychopathy, why burying beetles lack intelligence, and some other stuff. None of these topics are thoroughly discussed, even the beetles, which he's an expert on.
The author writes like he has to accommodate short attention spans, the way the chapters jump around, especially with how short and thin they are. He talks about interesting stuff, though. It would be a good book to read while waiting for trains and such, just reading a chapter here and there. I like to sit down and read, so the structure annoyed me.
One last thing is that he often insists on calling scientists by their first name, because--as he says-- they're his buds. I doubt Richard Dawkins is his bud, but whatever. The point is, it's a bad reason, and referring to scholars by their last name is convention for good reason: a reader interested in what Dawkins has to say will more easily remember his last name when he is repeatedly referred to that way. Dawkins is famous enough to come up if someone searches "Richard evolution," but not all the scientists Wilson talks about are this famous. The reader will have to search back for the full name all because Wilson wants to make sure the reader knows he is totally buddy-buddy with hotshot Richard Dawkins. (I mean, that's probably not his motivation, but some poking fun is warranted.)
January 30, 2018
This book was disappointing in that it had been recommended to me by someone in whose judgement I respect and trust. There was entirely too much normative exposition versus defensible explanations. The author clearly had a mission to espouse a viewpoint rather than provide a convincing and persuasive rationale as to why evolutionary thinking is especially useful and helpful. I am being somewhat harsh in this assessment in part because the book seemed to me poorly conceived, organized, and written. I found myself bored and skimming more than a few times although, to be fair, there were several interesting evolutionary theories presented (e.g., pregnancy sickness) although, given the sparse information provided, I was not entirely convinced. In order to write a book suitable for "everyone," he necessarily chose broad swipes and generalizations that the reader is asked to accept on faith or, if so inclined, research independently (plenty of references are offered). After spending 10 days with this book, I have not been converted into something I was not previously. I have always believed in the underlying truth of evolution as the best explanation for the state of the world's flora and fauna; this book did little to advance my understanding or enthusiasm for it. In truth, the most engaging sections for me were the final few chapters in which the author provided a biography of his growth and development in the field peppered with various experiential, educational, and emotional struggles endured along the way...
July 18, 2022
Could not finish it, boredom got me when I was halfway through.
Don't get me wrong, I'm very well read in evolution (which I KNOW to be as much a fact as a theory), and over the years I have read a lot of books about it, from Darwin and his contemporaries (and predecessors), to modern specialists.
This book is not for everyone, maybe for people having never heard of evolution, and for those, it would make a poor starting point.
This book isn't even really about evolution per se, and would be equally well placed in the self help section.
Some interesting ideas and facts, but swamped in a deluge of "probably" "maybe" "equivalent"... And not enough science.
Obviously the author has a lot of ideas about pushing evolution forcefully into every other disciplines ("teaching the experts" as he writes himself a few times), but that's an agenda, not good science.
Don't get me wrong, I'm very well read in evolution (which I KNOW to be as much a fact as a theory), and over the years I have read a lot of books about it, from Darwin and his contemporaries (and predecessors), to modern specialists.
This book is not for everyone, maybe for people having never heard of evolution, and for those, it would make a poor starting point.
This book isn't even really about evolution per se, and would be equally well placed in the self help section.
Some interesting ideas and facts, but swamped in a deluge of "probably" "maybe" "equivalent"... And not enough science.
Obviously the author has a lot of ideas about pushing evolution forcefully into every other disciplines ("teaching the experts" as he writes himself a few times), but that's an agenda, not good science.
February 15, 2021
A great book that gave me a lot to think about. First how humans didn’t revolve with interpersonal competition, but rather between group competition. The author explain how many economic and sociological doctrines misunderstand Darwin’s theory on how ti best explains humans. The author also points out good strategies to better the human experiments on a local, national, and global scales. I think politicians and businesses leaders could gain a lot from this book as well as people in sociological fields. We need to synthesize more of our understanding of ourselves with proper evolutionary mindsets.
April 5, 2019
Big chip on his shoulder
This book is riddled with the authors resentments and jealousies as well as his name dropping and braggadocio. It’s a bit tough to take. Most of the book has enlightening evolutionary tidbits that must be extracted from this verbose muck. It’s all pretty interesting and applicable until the author believes he is smarter than nature and the evolution he teaches us. Then he becomes your typical egghead professor who loses touch with his own teachings as well as common sense. He could do with a big dose of self awareness.
This book is riddled with the authors resentments and jealousies as well as his name dropping and braggadocio. It’s a bit tough to take. Most of the book has enlightening evolutionary tidbits that must be extracted from this verbose muck. It’s all pretty interesting and applicable until the author believes he is smarter than nature and the evolution he teaches us. Then he becomes your typical egghead professor who loses touch with his own teachings as well as common sense. He could do with a big dose of self awareness.
April 27, 2020
Great book for a non-scientists like me
This book and enlightened me in many ways.
It allowed me to understand reasoning behind evolution theory and put it into my own words so I can explain it to myself clearly In simple language.
It helped me develop an evolutionary perspective when observing human condition.
It helped me see religions in better light and from the vantage point of evolutionary theory.
This book and enlightened me in many ways.
It allowed me to understand reasoning behind evolution theory and put it into my own words so I can explain it to myself clearly In simple language.
It helped me develop an evolutionary perspective when observing human condition.
It helped me see religions in better light and from the vantage point of evolutionary theory.
March 7, 2021
Yazar evrimi doğal seçilim, türleşme, adaptasyon...vs. başlıklar halinde anlatmaktan çok kendi biyografisi ile harmanlayarak anlatma yolunu seçmiş. Kitabın büyük çoğunluğunda uzun uzun kendi yaşamını anlatıyor. Yinede Evrim hakkında altyapısı olanlara tavsiye ederim. Yeni başlayanların kitabın adına kanmamalarını öneririm, çok daha önemli Evrime başlangıç kitapları var.
June 11, 2023
Great book, man this book provides a lot of information and also gave me other books to read. The author does a great job of making the material accessible to general audience with dumbing anything down. The way he weaves the story of evolution into everything from foreign policy to bacteria in water was truest enlightening.
Great read!!
Great read!!
November 6, 2020
I am not sure the title of this book is correct, it really isn't based on Darwin as everyone else knows it in the science world. I am not to sure about the group selection that he thinks is going on.
March 25, 2021
And because Darwin was right, the public has to pay outrageous stipends and benefits to people like Sloan AND their minions too. An excellent case of [Chewbacca defense - Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chewb...).
February 7, 2022
Super interesting read that changed the way I look at things deeply. Very much enjoyed it. Only reason I didn't rate it 5 stars is because the author is at times... a bit all over the place. The book could be a little more condensed. The value is priceless though!
October 29, 2023
I cant recommend this book enough to people. i read it in college and to this day mention it weekly to people as a good quick read with fantastic theories beyond physical biology to theoretical concepts 10/10
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