Why Men Gamble and Women Buy Shoes The Secrets Behind Everyday Human Behavior

by Miller, Alan S.; Kanazawa, Satoshi

• ISBN13: 9780192807052
• ISBN10: 0192807056
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2099-11-30
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Why does having sons reduce the likelihood of divorce? Why are most neurosurgeons male and most kindergarten teachers female? Why is sexual harassment so persistent? Why do females in every culture tend to be more religious than their male counterparts? Why do so many politicians ruin their careers with sex scandals (but only if they are men)? Why Men Gamble and Women Buy Shoes offers fascinating answers to these questions and many more. Using an engaging question-answer format, with each chapter focusing on a particular type of behavior, Alan S. Miller and Satoshi Kanazawa look at the hidden reasons for the way we behave, the statistical trends and tendencies, and, of course, the many exceptions to the so-called rules. Writing with a light touch, Miller and Kanazawa draw from their own research in evolutionary psychology--and the work of other scientists--to offer invaluable insight on such topics as crime and violence, deviant behavior, political and economic inequalities, sex and mating, religion, family, and much more. For instance, they explore the biological explanations for why gentlemen prefer blondes--particularly blondes with an hourglass figure. It turns out that blonde hair darkens noticeably as a person ages, so light hair is an excellent indicator of a woman's youth and reproductive vitality. Likewise, an hourglass figure is an unmistakable sign of excellent health. The past decade has witnessed an explosion in research on the innate foundations of human behavior. Why Men Gamble and Women Buy Shoes offers a new perspective and fresh insights into many of the questions that we all struggle to answer.

Author Biography

Alan S. Miller was Professor of Social Psychology in the Department of Behavioral Sciences at Hokkaido University, Japan, and Affiliate Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Washington. He died in 2003. Satoshi Kanazawa is Reader in Management and Research Methodology at the London School of Economics and Political Science. His work has been widely featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, The Times (London), Time, and Psychology Today, and on National Public Radio's "All Things Considered."

Table of Contents

Introduction

What is evolutionary psychology?

Barbie, manufactured by Mattel, designed by evolution: Evolutionary psychology of sex and mating

Some things are more important than money: Evolutionary psychology of marriage and the family

The demonic male: Evolutionary psychology of crime and violence

""Losing it"" the gender-specific way: The evolutionary psychology of deviant behavior

Guess what? Religion is still around: The evolutionary psychology of religion

Life isn't f

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.