The Curiosity Gene: On the Origin of Humankind by Means of Intrinsic Motivation

by Alexandros Kourt

They say curiosity killed the cat. But according to The Curiosity Gene , inquisitiveness actually plays the opposite role—responsible for not only human survival but also our evolutionary advancement to become the most intelligent creature on the planet.

This groundbreaking new book by award-winning science writer and computer engineer Alexandros Kourt combines anthropology, archaeology, psychology, and evolution with computer theory to help readers better understand themselves and the human brain.

Kourt explores exciting new scientific territory, revealing a major discovery that will revolutionize the way we understand our past, present, and future selves. Reaching back through hundreds of millennia, he unveils how ancient warfare paved the way for curiosity to define us as human beings. Think of it as the ultimate arms race, where the smartest, most mentally active survived and advanced up the evolutionary tree, leaving their less innovative companions to the dustbin of prehistory.

So, in practical terms, what does this dramatic discovery mean for you? Forget New Age adages about happy thoughts attracting happy vibrations. In The Curiosity Gene , you’ll learn how tapping into the very essence of what it means to be human, including pain and difficulty, can result in a more lasting and meaningful form of happiness.

Genres: Psychology

196 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 30, 2015

Reviews

[Nelson Zagalo · Rating 1 out of 5]

The title was a really bad choice, because it evokes scientificity, but then the book is only a bunch of tirades about curiosity, without any ground. This is just a pop book on a fashion topic.

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Which came first?
The chicken or the egg?

Which came first?
Did curiosity evolve a larger cortex?
Or did an enlarging cortex allow curiosity to develop?

Mr. Kourt uses circular reasoning to support curiosity. But he could have just as easily used his arguments to run the circle in the other direction and come out in support of the cortex. The first half of the book engaged my curiosity, but in the latter half his reasoning had me, well, running in circles. It was very hard to remain interested.

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

A very shallow understanding of the concept of gene combined with a big dose of anthropocentrism.

[Bart Stuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought provoking

[Bharati · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book began on a good note, with an intriguing prologue. In the first part, the author repeatedly drew parallels between a computer system to assert that curiosity is the missing link between the evolution of the human brain and the divergence of homo sapiens from the animal kingdom. Enter the second part, and things start going downhill (personally, at least). The author did his homework and has gone to great lengths spanning millions of years to establish the source and the evolution of curiosity from Australopithecus to homo sapiens sapiens. Right from intrinsic motivation to a violent origin of curiosity to one that turns to wonder, the author gave references to solid research and fossil dating. But honestly, it felt like the author got lost between delivering a history, biology, and computer science class. When trying to establish reasoning at multiple places, the author went so deep into the intricacies of biological evidence that my only thought was: "Why is this even being mentioned?" I would lose track of the rationale and would have to flick back pages. Also, I have read "Australopithecus" and "Natural Selection" so much that I have had those appearing in my dreams.

But I did enjoy the fourth part of the book (The extra 0.5 stars are because of this part), and it opened my eyes to learn how curious people were in the earlier centuries to put out controversial postulates and theories being unconcerned about the repercussions. Also, the notion revolving around boredom and its linkage to curiosity was interesting. The main takeaway is to keep your curiosity alive and hold on to it. When the 85-odd billion neurons in the brain are used effectively, it allows the evolution of the brain. Another interesting thought-provoking point was how curiosity and happiness are linked.

Happiness feeds curiosity, which in turn feeds happiness in a positive reinforcement loop, albeit with hard work and vigorous effort thrown into the mix. The positive reinforcement gives cause for optimism, but only with effort and conscious, upfront deliberation.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover"
- Mark Twain