Human Natures: Genes, Cultures, and the Human Prospect
by Paul R. Ehrlich
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Book Summary Information
Author: Paul R. EhrlichEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2002-01-15
ISBN: 0142000531
Number of pages: 544
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Book Reviews of Human Natures: Genes, Cultures, and the Human Prospect
Book Review: A supurb text
Summary: 5 Stars
"Human Natures" is a wonderful book for the individual seeking to understand evolution, particularly the evolution of humans and their behaviors. In the first couple of chapters Professor Ehrlich covers a lot of ground that helps the reader to understand the principles at work, beginning with an overview of the theory of Evolution itself, how it works and illustrations of it at work in the laboratory drawn from his own research. Most importantly and interestingly, he clarifies the mistaken notion that what and who we are as a species can be answered as a matter of "nature" OR "nurture." It is an inextricable combination of both, the product of which is always greater than the sum of the parts. To neglect this fact by championing one or the other is to miss some very salient points about human behavior at any given point in history and about its possible trajectory into the future.
After providing the reader with the basics, the author looks at the legacy of early hominids to humankind, examining things like upright posture, tool use, art, religion, language, brain development and other aspects of humanness. Remarking on what he terms a "gene shortage," he points out the error in thinking that individual genes can direct specific behaviors, noting also that to have "wired" in sonmthing like language would require more genes--and more neurons--than actually exist. By looking at the reality of the biochemistry and physiology of the human, particularly the capacity of the brain, he seeks alternative answers to the question of art, language, male aggression, intra and inter group violence, etc.
The author seems at once optimistic and pessimistic about the future of mankind on the planet, noticing throughout that our technology has outstripped both our capacity to physically and culturally adapt. Like Jerod Diamond in his books Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed and Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, the author points to examples of remarkable lack of foresight by human populations exploiting the environment beyond its capacity to continue to support unrestrained population growth. Certainly some of his examples seem to support Malthus's pessimistic statistics regarding boom and bust ecologies. On the other hand, he also seems to feel that human culture can evolve, at least in certain environments, in the face of challenges.
The book is replete with an extensive set of footnotes regarding specific entries and a very large and complete bibliography of further resources for anyone looking to follow up on both the author's own primary and secondary research and the reader's specific topics of interest. Anyone WRITING PAPERS on anthropology, archaeology, evolution, human physical and cultural evolution, and ecology will find this a great text with which to start.
A supurb text.
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