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Om forfatteren

David P. Barash holds a Ph.D. in zoology & is professor of psychology & zoology at the University of Washington. He has been especially active in the growth & development of sociobiology as a scientific discipline. (Bowker Author Biography)

Værker af David P. Barash

Whisperings Within (1979) 83 eksemplarer
Peace and Conflict Studies (2002) 54 eksemplarer
Sociobiology and behavior (1656) 52 eksemplarer

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In this book, Professor Barash attempts to enlighten us on some of the mysteries of human evolution. If we think of humans as evolutionary beings with natural selection designed to favour reproduction and survival, many things about the way we've evolved seem unnecessary, if not downright counterproductive.

The author explores concealed ovulation (even from the person ovulating!), homosexuality, religion, art and other topics He doesn't provide definite conclusions about them, but sets out current theories as well as relevant research that supports or disproves them. He also makes no moral judgements -- this is about science.

The writing style is largely engaging, with some funny asides in the footnotes. A bit repetitious. Sometimes, I found it hard to follow his connections or logic. I think the writing could've been a little clearer at times.

Certainly interesting for anyone who likes to ponder the mysteries of why we are they way we are!
… (mere)
 
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LynnB | Nov 25, 2021 |
Read many years ago, today tossing it into the donate box.

It does stick me and I am glad to have read it - especially the long account of 'tit-for-tat'.

Basically, you should cooperate until the other person/side/team 'defects' or breaks the trust. Then you should defect. It they again cooperate you should too until they defect again.

Assume cooperation until proven otherwise is a pretty good strategy, generally.
 
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kcshankd | 1 anden anmeldelse | Jan 3, 2021 |
Bleugh. Crappy evolutionary psychology at its worst. Did not finish.
 
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katebrarian | 7 andre anmeldelser | Jul 28, 2020 |
As one might expect from the title, this book takes a light-hearted look at the way in which biological imperatives drive the characterization and plot of many pieces of classic literature.

Briefly put, that biological imperative is to send one's genes into the future, and to do so by choosing the partner best equipped to get them there. Pretty straightforward and Darwinian, if not overly romantic.

The authors try valiantly to expand this simple concept to fill 358 pages, and as one might expect, it gets a little iffy at times. They do fine when making the notion of "biologic fitness" comprehensible, and choose interesting (if sometimes obvious) pieces of literature to demonstrate what that means to fictional characters.

But the whole thing falls apart when they get beyond traditional parenting and wander off into the biological basis for altruism in non-related subjects. and the notion of "selected kinship", in which individuals from another genetic line are offered the social/cultural amenities normally reserved for offspring or potential mates.

By the time they get to the subject of adoption and beyond that to non-sexual buddy literature ('Three Musketeers', anyone?) the whole biological imperative thing seems to be left in the dust. Same-sex relationships don't even get a passing glance.

As pop science goes, it's an entertaining read, but it will hardly revolutionize one's view of Madame Bovary -- or any of the other literary creations it attempts to shoehorn into the premise.
… (mere)
 
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LyndaInOregon | 7 andre anmeldelser | Feb 25, 2019 |

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Statistikker

Værker
34
Medlemmer
1,294
Popularitet
#19,839
Vurdering
½ 3.6
Anmeldelser
18
ISBN
106
Sprog
6
Udvalgt
1

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