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Randolph M. Nesse
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Good Reasons for Bad Feelings: Insights from the Frontier of Evolutionary Psychiatry Hardcover – 12 Feb. 2019

by Randolph M. Nesse (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 346 ratings
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One of the world's most respected psychiatrists provides a much-needed new evolutionary framework for making sense of mental illness

With his classic book Why We Get Sick, Randolph Nesse established the field of evolutionary medicine. Now he returns with a book that transforms our understanding of mental disorders by exploring a fundamentally new question. Instead of asking why certain people suffer from mental illness, Nesse asks why natural selection has left us with fragile minds at all.

Drawing on revealing stories from his own clinical practice and insights from evolutionary biology, Nesse shows how negative emotions are useful in certain situations, yet can become excessive. Anxiety protects us from harm in the face of danger, but false alarms are inevitable. Low mood prevents us from wasting effort in pursuit of unreachable goals, but it often escalates into pathological depression. Other mental disorders, such as addiction and anorexia, result from the mismatch between modern environments and our ancient human past. Taken together, these insights and many more help to explain the pervasiveness of human suffering, and show us new paths for relieving it.

Good Reasons for Bad Feelings will fascinate anyone who wonders how our minds can be so powerful, yet so fragile, and how love and goodness came to exist in organisms shaped to maximize Darwinian fitness.

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  1. Print length
    384 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Allen Lane
  4. Publication date
    12 Feb. 2019
  5. Dimensions
    16.3 x 3.5 x 24 cm
  6. ISBN-10
    0241291089
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0241291085
  8. See all details
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Review

Nesse's book offers fresh thinking in a field that has come to feel stagnant ― The Financial Times

A compelling case for locating mental illness within an evolutionary frame-work . . . an excellent and timely account of the history, development andimplications of evolutionary psychiatry. -- Frank Tallis ― The Evening Standard

This is a wise, accessible, highly readable exploration of an issue that goes to the heart of human existence. -- Robert M. Sapolsky, author of Behave

This intriguing book turns some age-old questions about the human condition upside down . . . In an engaging, storytelling voice that rests on 30 years of clinical practice, he offers a series of insights. ― The Observer

Insights that radically reframe psychiatric conditions ... As Good Reasons for Bad Feelings boldly posits, many of the core dysfunctional components of mental illness ultimately help to make us human. -- Adrian Woolfson ― Nature

Using [...] fascinating insights, Nesse suggests novel and revolutionary ways to treat mental illness. ― The Daily Mail

[Nesse's] basic conception of the mind feels like good, common sense. ― The Sunday Times

All psychiatrists and patients who find themselves having occasional "bad feelings" about our current understanding of mental illness will have many "good reasons" to consult this book. I do fully expect that someday nearly all psychiatry will be identified as evolutionary psychiatry. If so, Randolph Nesse's book should be seen as the field's founding document. -- David P. Barash ― The Wall Street Journal

Highly accessible, scholarly and deeply illuminating . . . this will become a treasured classic; not just for clinicians but for all those interested in how to facilitate well-being and create more moral communities and societies. -- Professor Paul Gilbert OBE, author of Compassionate Mind, and Living like Crazy

Two sets of ideas inform this fine book: one, the cold-hearted logic of natural selection; the other, the practical wisdom of a compassionate psychiatrist. The tension is palpable. The result is riveting. -- Nicholas Humphrey, Emeritus Professor of Psychology, London School of Economics, author of Soul Dust

A personalized and lively but well documented treatise on how we humans function and on needed changes in the way psychiatry thinks about troublesome mental experiences and behavior. . . . Many readers will find it hard to put the book down. -- Eric Klinger, Emeritus Professor of Psychology, University of Minnesota

Those powerful feelings that fill our day, that give us the oomph to act one way or another are the guardrails to living and this wonderful books explains all of them. Randolph Nesse has done it again. -- Michael S. Gazzaniga, Director, Sage Center, UC Santa Barbara

A book as wise and illuminating as it is relevant to our daily lives. -- Sarah Blaffer Hrdy, Professor Emerita of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, author of The Woman that Never Evolved and Mother Nature

In this very accessible book, Nesse explains how an evolutionary framework can be to psychiatry
what physiology is to the rest of medicine. Evolutionary science bridges the gap between
neuroscience and the environment.

― Royal College of Psychiatrists newsletter

A bold book that would have made Darwin proud. Cutting-edge and compassionate at the same time. -- Lee Dugatkin, Professor of Biology, University of Louisville, co-author of How to Tame a Fox and Build a Dog

It is no exaggeration to say that Nesse opens the door to a new paradigm in thinking about human beings and their conflicted lives. A pathbreaking book by a man who is truly humane and caring. A privilege to share time with him. -- Michael Ruse, Werkmeister Professor of Philosophy, Florida State University, author of On Purpose

Randolph Nesse, who trained psychiatrists for many years, has for a quarter century been a key leader of evolutionary medicine. Good Reasons for Bad Feelings integrates these two strands of his life and thought in a readable, insightful book, as much a philosophy of emotions as it is a new window on mental illness. All who want to know themselves should read it.

-- Melvin Konner, Dobbs Professor of Anthropology, Emory University, author of The Tangled Wing

Randolph Nesse is one of the key architects of evolutionary medicine. He's been an inspiration to a generation of scientists, who explore evolution to understand why we get sick from diseases ranging from cancer to obesity to infectious diseases. Now Nesse has turned his attention from the body to the mind, in a provocative book full of intriguing explanations about human nature in all its strengths and weaknesses. -- Carl Zimmer, author of She Has Her Mother's Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity

A masterful, groundbreaking book that persuasively challenges standard clinical wisdom and provides a roadmap for the transformation of our conceptually confused psychiatric nosology . . . Anyone interested in mental health-laypeople, students, clinicians, and scholars-will be grateful for the novel insights to be gained from this important book. The distillation of decades of pathbreaking contributions to evolutionary psychiatry, this book will be an influential watershed in the mental health field, and a worthy successor to Nesse's earlier celebrated book on medical disease. If joy is indeed a biologically programmed emotional response motivating us to take advantage of unexpected bounty and opportunity, then every reader will experience joy in reading Randy Nesse's beautifully written, profound book. -- Jerome C. Wakefield, Professor of Psychiatry, New York University, co-author of The Loss of Sadness

Randolph Nesse's book Why We Get Sick put evolutionary medicine on the map. His follow-up, Good Reasons for Bad Feelings, promises to transform our understanding of mental illnesses in the same way. ― New Scientist

Randolph Nesse's new book ... is clear and engaging, and the narrative reflects a masterful blend of history, novel ideas, and clinical experience in an insightful and coherent manner. I hope it is widely read and discussed. -- Eric Charnov, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Evolutionary Ecology, University of Utah, MacArthur Fellow

What is the nature of suffering, its origin and its adaptive significance? Good Reasons for Bad Feelings may well become a legend, as it is a book about psychology, psychiatry, biology and philosophy that is also a good read, and it opens the door to deep questions in a manner that is tender, quizzical, and industrious. -- Judith Eve Lipton, MD, co-author of Strength Through Peace

Good Reasons for Bad Feelings by Randy Nesse is a delightful book. It is insightful about the human condition, sanguine and not over-stated. And it is written in a straight-forward and delightful manner, personal and professional, and with humor. Neese is one of the originators of the field of evolutionary medicine. This is a welcome book in evolutionary psychiatry and on the biological basis of the emotions and our cultural evolution. -- Jay Schulkin, Research Professor of Neuroscience, Georgetown University

In Good Reasons for Bad Feelings, leading evolutionary theorist, psychiatrist Randolph Nesse, begs us to ask the right question: Why did natural selection make us so prone to mental disorders of so many kinds and intensities? It is no exaggeration to say that he opens the door to a new paradigm in thinking about human beings and their conflicted lives. A pathbreaking book by a man who is truly humane and caring. A privilege to share time with him. -- Matthew Ruse, Werkmeister Professor of Philosophy, Florida State University, author of On Purpose

Why I am I feeling bad?' This is the first burning question of everyone who suffers. This accessible new book will be an essential tool to help patients, their loved ones, and treating professionals arrive at more satisfying answers. -- Jonathan Rottenberg, Professor of Psychology, University of South Florida, author of The Depths

How did we end up recognizing that every system in the body has a function shaped by evolutionary selection and yet thinking that systems in the mind do not? How did physical and mental health drift so far apart? Randolph Nesse explains, in this highly readable book, how 'symptoms' in psychiatry should be seen in their evolutionary context, and that anxiety and depression for example have functions, just as do inflammation, blood clotting, or a cough. Nesse is a pioneer of evolutionary psychiatry, which has the potential to revolutionize mental health care. -- Simon Baron-Cohen, Professor of Developmental Psychopathology, Cambridge University

This book sets out to show how evolution underpins (or should underpin) psychiatry. In doing so, it will surely change the face of medicine -- and deservedly so. -- Robin Dunbar, Emeritus Professor of Evolutionary Psychology, University of Oxford

Randy Nesse has brought a new and important synthesis to the study of illnesses that psychiatrists deal in. This engagingly accessible, pioneering book provides a wide range of answers for how something as maladaptive as bipolar disorders could have evolved. It provides a wide range of answers for why natural selection has left us vulnerable to so many mental disorders, and the "mystery of missing heredity" is identified as a key problem. Nesse shows that by taking into account complex pleiotropic effects, natural selection may push some useful trait close to a fitness peak near a "cliff edge" despite the disabling consequences for a few individuals who go over the edge. Thus a gene may be useful to many, but with bad luck contribute to victimizing the few. This complex problem surely will yield to further research. -- Christopher Boehm, Professor of Biological Sciences, USC Dornsife

The book is aimed at a wide audience including the general public. However, it is testament to Professor Nesse's command of the field of evolution and medicine as well as his extra-ordinary ability to explain enormously complex ideas in plain English with minimal use of jargon that the book is just as relevant to psychiatrists, psychologists of all levels as well as to academics interested in evolutionary science. -- Riadh Abed, FRCPsych, Founding Chair of the Evolutionary Psychiatry Special Interest Group, Royal College of Psychiatrists

About the Author

Randolph Nesse is an American physician, a founder of evolutionary medicine, and co-author with George C. Williams of the acclaimed Why We Get Sick. After a long career as a Professor of Psychiatry and Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan, Nesse moved in 2014 to become the Founding Director of the Center for Evolution and Medicine at Arizona State University, where he is also a professor in the School of Life Sciences.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Allen Lane (12 Feb. 2019)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0241291089
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0241291085
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 16.3 x 3.5 x 24 cm
  • Customer reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 346 ratings

About the author

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Randolph M. Nesse

Randolph M. Nesse

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Randolph M. Nesse, MD is Professor of Life Sciences and ASU Foundation Professor at Arizona State University, where he became the Founding Director of the Center for Evolution Medicine in 2014. He was previously Professor of Psychiatry and of Psychology at the University of Michigan where he led the Evolution and Human Adaptation Program and helped to establish one of the world’s first anxiety disorders clinics. His research on the neuroendocrinology of anxiety evolved into studies on why aging exists. Those studies led to collaboration with the evolutionary biologist George Williams on "Why We Get Sick: The New Science of Darwinian Medicine," a book that initiated much new work in the field of evolutionary medicine. His current research is on how selection shapes mechanisms that regulate defenses such as pain, fever, anxiety and low mood. Closely related work investigates the origins and functions of emotions, why emotional disorders are so common, and how social selection shaped human capacities for altruism and moral emotions. His mission is to establish evolutionary biology as a basic science for medicine. Dr. Nesse is the President of the International Society for Evolution, Medicine & Public Health. He is a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Sciences, and an elected Fellow of the AAAS. His website is at http://nesse.us

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Customers say

Customers find the book provides an alternative view of mental health. They describe it as a great read and a page-turner. The book is easy to understand and offers a holistic perspective on mental illness in a common-sense way.

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11 customers mention ‘Insight’11 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful and illuminating. They describe it as an alternative way to consider mental health, with a good presentation of challenging topics. The book provides a holistic perspective on mental illness in a sensible and common-sense way. It is recommended reading for anyone interested in Evolutionary Psychology or Psychiatry.

"...After reading this fascinating book you will never look at "mental illnesses" with the same eyes...." Read more

"...Recommended reading for anyone interested in Evolutionary Psychology/Psychiatry." Read more

"...This book is very interesting as an alternative way to consider mental health...." Read more

"...It reframes the discussion on mental illness in a much more holistic, sensible, common-sense way that I hope becomes the norm." Read more

9 customers mention ‘Readability’9 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and engaging. They appreciate the well-written account of evolution's impact. The book is described as a beautiful hardcover.

"Well written and easy to understand account of the impact of evolution on human mental health issues...." Read more

"...reader without a psychiatry or medical background, this book is still a page-turner...." Read more

"Good quality book, just delivered later than they said it would be, ordered Monday to arrive Thurs/Fri. Arrived Saturday" Read more

"...very good presentation of a set of challenging topics which will repay careful reading...." Read more

3 customers mention ‘Ease of understanding’3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to understand. They appreciate the clear and common-sense way it explains evolution's impact on humans.

"Well written and easy to understand account of the impact of evolution on human mental health issues...." Read more

"...discussion on mental illness in a much more holistic, sensible, common-sense way that I hope becomes the norm." Read more

"Clean easy to understand..." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • DR. PAULO FINURAS
    5.0 out of 5 stars Strongly recommended. A must read!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 October 2020
    Verified Purchase
    This is really a remarkable and illuminating book by a brilliant scientist. The problem of what we usually call mental illnesses still is poorly understood.
    In 'Good Reasons for Bad Feelings', Randolph Nesse provide us with news and, at some point, revolutionary insights on a wide variety of "emotions and feelings", using evolutionary lens that change our perspective in new directions: and what if not all mental disorders are really "illnesses", but some of them are mismatch of our species because our new evolutionary environment has changed faster than our brains? After reading this fascinating book you will never look at "mental illnesses" with the same eyes. This is in my opinion a true masterpiece in the field of evolutionary psychology and psychiatry. Strongly recommended.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • steve
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great introduction to Evolutionary Psychiatry/Psychology
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 August 2019
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    Well written and easy to understand account of the impact of evolution on human mental health issues. Recommended reading for anyone interested in Evolutionary Psychology/Psychiatry.
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  • kourgath
    4.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting but a more academic read than popular science.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 January 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I come from a engineering and academic background. I read plenty of other papers and books.
    This book is very interesting as an alternative way to consider mental health. It does get a bit laboured at times and reads more academic than popular science. Not a bad thing in itself but go into it with this in mind.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Alex K
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 June 2019
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    Even as a casual reader without a psychiatry or medical background, this book is still a page-turner. It reframes the discussion on mental illness in a much more holistic, sensible, common-sense way that I hope becomes the norm.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Rob
    3.0 out of 5 stars Good quality book, just delivered later than they said it would be
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 March 2021
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    Good quality book, just delivered later than they said it would be, ordered Monday to arrive Thurs/Fri. Arrived Saturday
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  • Kered
    5.0 out of 5 stars Pity about the book cover!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 July 2021
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    This is a very good presentation of a set of challenging topics which will repay careful reading. It is a pity that the publisher has chosen such a poor image with which to decorate the cover.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Cliff Fiscal
    5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely brilliant.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 February 2019
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    A marvellous analysis of the evolutionary processes underpinning emotions. It will revolutionise mental health treatment. Astounding. The best book since E O Wilson’s ‘On Human Nature’.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Pete Cowell
    5.0 out of 5 stars Up to date research
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 April 2019
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    Excellent overview of recent research and a new perspective on emotion regulation. Excellent, highly recommended.
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great science book to explain why we still have mental illnesses
    Reviewed in Canada on 17 January 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I liked that this book by Randolph M. Nesse explains why evolution doesn't or can't remove many mental disorders. It explains that some are like a "smoke detector" that goes off too easily. I found this book personally helpful to understanding my OCD. I highly recommend this book to any who has or looks after a loved one with a mental disorder of any kind. It won't name a cure per say but it helped with empathizing with yourself on why one has OCD for example. It is very thought provoking.
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  • El
    5.0 out of 5 stars Un des livres les plus intéressants que j’ai lu
    Reviewed in France on 14 December 2023
    Verified Purchase
    J’ai acheté ce livre après l’avoir lu à la bibliothèque (c’est dire à quel point je l’ai aimé). L’analyse est très fine et j’ai énormément appris. Si vous êtes intéressé par la psychiatrie/psychologie et les liens qu’on peut trouver avec l’évolution, si vous voulez comprendre l’utilité des émotions, vous y trouverez votre bonheur. Il existe une version française de ce livre si vous souhaitez. Je suis étudiante en médecine et je le recommande vraiment aux autres étudiants ou à tous ceux qui sont intéressés par ces sujets. L’auteur inclut beaucoup d’histoires personnelles de ses patients, ce qui rend la lecture très facile et accrochante.
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  • Clinica Fisio S Bras
    5.0 out of 5 stars Em muito bom estado.
    Reviewed in Spain on 13 December 2023
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    Em muito bom estado.
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  • Jill
    2.0 out of 5 stars Not was I expected
    Reviewed in Italy on 1 July 2023
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    This book really was a disappointment; I wished to read a book that 'explained' me in a neutral way, some kind of insights on how to deal with negative emotions/feelings, as the title premise but it just did not. It goes on with a quite dull writing that failed to grab my attention and in a male only point of view, theories and reflections on mental health that are yet to be ascertain. Ugh
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  • Juan Carlos Mares
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente libro
    Reviewed in Mexico on 29 November 2019
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    Excelente libro!
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