Why Beautiful People Have More Daughters : From Dating, Shopping, and Praying to Going to War and Becoming a Billionaire-- Two Evolutionary Psychologists Explain Why We Do What We Do

by Miller, Alan S.; Kanazawa, Satoshi

• ISBN13: 9780399533655
• ISBN10: 0399533656
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-09-04
• Publisher: Tarcherperigree

Summary

A lively and provocative look at how evolution shapes our behavior and our lives. Contrary to conventional wisdom, our brains and bodies are hardwired to carry out an evolutionary mission that determines much of what we do, from life plans to everyday decisions. With an accessible tone and a healthy disregard for political correctness, this lively and eminently readable book popularizes the latest research in a cutting- edge field of study-one that turns much of what we thought we knew about human nature upside-down. Every time we fall in love, fight with our spouse, enjoy watching a favorite TV show, or feel scared--walking alone at night, we are in part behaving as a human animal with its own unique nature-a nature that essentially stopped evolving 10,000 years ago. Alan S. Miller and Satoshi Kanazawa re-examine some of the most popular and controversial topics of modern life-and shed a whole new light on why we do the things we do. Reader beware: You may never look at human nature the same way again.

Author Biography

Alan S. Miller served as professor of social psychology in the Department of Behavioral Sciences at Hokkaido University, Japan, before his death in 2003.

Satoshi Kanazawa is Reader of Management and Research Methodology at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He lives in London, England.

Table of Contents

Introduction : human nature "[actual symbol not reproducible]" us	p. 1
What is evolutionary psychology?	p. 11
Why are men and women so different?	p. 29
Barbie - manufactured by Mattel, designed by evolution : the evolutionary psychology of sex and mating	p. 48
Go together like a horse and carriage? : the evolutionary psychology of marriage	p. 80
Some things are more important than money : the evolutionary psychology of the family	p. 98
Guys gone wild : the evolutionary psychology of crime and violence	p. 119
Life's not fair, or politically correct : the evolutionary psychology of political and economic inequalities	p. 141
The good, the bad, and the ugly : the evolutionary psychology of religion and conflict	p. 157
Conclusion : stump the evolutionary psychologists : a few tougher questions	p. 179
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