The Human Story
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| |||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
More About the Author
Product Description
Review
"'Fizzing with recent research and new theories.' Sunday Times A wonderfully readable, up-to-the-minute account of human evolution that has completely superseded The Naked Ape, by 'one of the most respected evolutionary psychologists in Britain.' Guardian 'Deserves its place at the high table [of popular science]... This important, accessible book also leaves us with a sobering message: we might be different, but that doesn't make us better.' Jack magazine 'Punchy and provocative... This isn't a book of facts and figures; it is one of ideas. Dunbar certainly delivers, whether it is about why we have religion, how evolving language went through a musical phase, or how we avoid having sex with people by making them laugh.' New Scientist 'Should be required reading for all humans' Herald"
Product Description
A wonderfully accessible, up-to-the-minute account of human evolution by 'one of the most respected evolutionary psychologists in Britain' (Guardian). Of the dozen or so hominid species once in existence, why are we the only one to have survived? What is it that sets us so firmly apart from all the other creatures with whom we share the planet? How and when did that separation come about?
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a nice little book, very easy to read. While I was familiar with most of the factual contents, there are a few remarkable insights and claims that feel plausible. The basic tenets are based on archeological data on the size of the frontal lobes and the idea that the frontal lobe size has rough correspondence with the ability to understand recursive intentions. For example, while current humans seem to understand four or five orders of intentionality (sometimes six), chimps seem to be on the brink of understanding second order intentionality. That is, while we can understand that Alice believes that Bob thinks that Carol wants David to supposed that Eve imagines..., chimps can barely understand that Alice believes that Bob thinks.... Consequently, much of the evolutionary pressure behind brain growth seems to have been the ability to cope with in larger social groups. Another basic tenet is that language seems to have developed as a form of social grooming, and that is primary purpose is to act as a social cohesion force.
The chapter about religion (Chapter 7, last one) was perhaps to most interesting to me. Again, nothing very new, but nice insights, especially about the role of religion in allowing even larger societies to be built than with just language.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I found this book a very good introduction to human evolution theory. All the ideas proposed were full backed up by research. At the beginning of each chapter was a "story" set in ancient man times. I never read any of these and the book was still insightful.
The final chapter discussed the truely unique thing about humans - his religious inklings. Other animal communicate and use tools. The writer showed how religious experience can be understood through brain imaging.
The most useful thing I found from the book is that human language is the ape equivalent of grooming. It allows us to "groom" very efficiently so we can live in larger groups.
I am not an academic, just interested in the topic.
The final chapter discussed the truely unique thing about humans - his religious inklings. Other animal communicate and use tools. The writer showed how religious experience can be understood through brain imaging.
The most useful thing I found from the book is that human language is the ape equivalent of grooming. It allows us to "groom" very efficiently so we can live in larger groups.
I am not an academic, just interested in the topic.
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The Human Story was a deeply disappointing book for me. Once again I was sucked in by the blurbs (Never judge a book by its cover; o how true!). They promised a very readable account of recent research into the evolution of human behaviour, language, culture and so on.
What is actually provided is a deadly dull leaden prose. It was so turgid that despite the comparatively short length I was completely unable to finish this book and it quickly found its way into the charity shop bag.
Some of Mr Dunbar's observations have merit, but it is difficult (in my case impossible) to wade through his prose to discover whether he really does have insights. In all it seemed like a really bad book which might be put on the reading list for certain first year psychology, anthropology or ethno-biology courses. I can't honestly think why anyone else would want to read it.
This is a great shame as the topics he covers are of vital importance to us all and it is easy to see why people may dedicate their professional lives to such studies. I just wish he could write in a more attractive less dense style and therefore make a truly popular science book.
Then again, maybe I'm just not bright enough.
What is actually provided is a deadly dull leaden prose. It was so turgid that despite the comparatively short length I was completely unable to finish this book and it quickly found its way into the charity shop bag.
Some of Mr Dunbar's observations have merit, but it is difficult (in my case impossible) to wade through his prose to discover whether he really does have insights. In all it seemed like a really bad book which might be put on the reading list for certain first year psychology, anthropology or ethno-biology courses. I can't honestly think why anyone else would want to read it.
This is a great shame as the topics he covers are of vital importance to us all and it is easy to see why people may dedicate their professional lives to such studies. I just wish he could write in a more attractive less dense style and therefore make a truly popular science book.
Then again, maybe I'm just not bright enough.
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
