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Have you ever wondered why divorce is so much more common now than
a century ago? Why the sex appeal of certain body types and
clothing styles changes so dramatically over time? Why so many
liberated young women today prefer emotional commitment from men
while their male counterparts seem always more interested in
"sowing their wild oats"?
According to evolutionary psychologist Nigel Barber, each of these
aspects of modern life reflects two million years of hominid
evolution. In The Science of Romance he explains that much of our
present behavior can be traced back to the ancient evolved motives
of our hunter-gatherer ancestors. In short, we exhibit the
behaviors that have evolved over millennia to increase the
reproductive success of the species. Also drawing on the mating
behavior of various animals, Barber finds illuminating comparisons
that help to explain human actions and reactions.
Barber delves into a host of interesting topics: dating competition
and aggression; female courtship signals that subtly manipulate
male behavior; how exposure to different sex hormones shapes the
evolving brain in utero, which may account for the different
behaviors of men and women; and much more.
This absorbing book educates and entertains, while showing that
many seemingly irrational aspects of our intimate romantic behavior
make sense when understood in terms of our prehistoric ancestors
and evolution.
There is a feeling of helplessness in the hearts of many parents.
The social problems that they used to only read about in newspapers
are becoming manifest in their children's school, in their
neighborhoods, and in their own homes. This is the most appropriate
time for a book that affirms the importance of good parenting in
promoting happiness, self-esteem, and a desire for achievement. Why
Parents Matter challenges parents and parental figures to take
responsibility for their children. Barber argues that parental
investment is an essential ingredient for a child's successful
upbringing. Parents must see that the paramount role they play can
improve their children's lives and, by extension, create a better
community and society. Genetic and societal causes of delinquency
are excuses used merely to avoid blame, according to Barber, who
supports this argument with clearly explained evidence. In today's
world, teen pregnancy, divorce, and crime are undeniable and common
realities, but it is time to change these realities. This change
can begin with effective parenting. Our world will improve as we
more actively parent our children to become responsible,
well-adjusted adults. This book offers guidance to parents and
parental figures who wish to explore why it is that our youth are
in danger and how we can help to inspire them to learn the elements
necessary to lead healthy, creative, and balanced lives.
Before oxygen's discovery, scientists invoked a mysterious inner
principle of fire to account for burning. Today, scholars appeal to
an analogously unscientific inner principle, known as culture, to
account for human actions. So what is wrong with culture?! It
extends from the contents of Petrie dishes to art galleries and is
far too imprecise for scientific use. Science aims to separate
causes from effects but social scientists use "culture"
indiscriminately as both cause and effect making scientific
progress impossible. Finally, culture is a smokescreen distracting
us from the quest for objective influences on human behavior.
(Polygamy is more about parasites than religion, for instance).
This book is both a critique of culture-centered social sciences
and the manifesto for a new approach - evolutionary social science
- that synthesizes evolution and sociology. The author demonstrates
that a natural-science approach to human societies helps us to
understand social problems such as health inequality and violent
crime. Written in a more high-spirited and accessible style than is
customary for academic works, The Myth of Culture is a
full-throttle indictment of ivory-tower social scientists whose
arcane lore does more to feather their nests than to advance
knowledge, or solve human problems. It should have broad appeal
among college-educated people around the world.
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