Call number
153.4 KAP
Collection
Publication
Bloomsbury Press (2009), 304 pages
Description
Our species, it appears, is hardwired to get things wrong in a staggering variety of ways. Why did recipients of a loan offer accept a higher interest rate when a pretty woman's face was printed on the flyer? Why did one poll on immigration find that the most despised foreigners were from a group that did not exist? Why does giving someone power make them more likely to chew with their mouth open and pick their nose? And why is your sister going out with that biker dude? In fact, our cognitive, logical, and romantic failures may be a fair price to pay for our extraordinary success as a species-they are the necessary cost of our adaptability.Bozo Sapiensswoops effortlessly across neurochemistry, behavioral economics, and evolutionary biology (among other disciplines) to answer with clarity and wit the questions above-and larger ones about what it means to be human.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member drneutron
Bozo Sapiens is a pretty good introduction to decision-making, how it can go wrong, and more importantly, *why* it can go so very wrong. The Kaplans start with basic logic and logical fallacies (don't panic, they don't go very deep!) and through a somewhat wandering approach go through brain
Bozo Sapiens is what I call a "nugget book". The material is presented in short segments that flow from one to the other as a winding almost-conversation on the subject at hand, usually ending up somewhere the reader doesn't expect. They do this reasonably well, but I did feel on occasion that the nuggets could have been a tad deeper - it's ok, after all, to present an overall description of major brain physiology in a book that purports to explain errors in thinking through discussion of brain function. Instead, the authors toss off a short description of, say, the segment of brain they're discussing, and leave the reader to do a bit of research if more is wanted. This isn't a big deal for the book, since they offer a good set of notes for further exploration. There's also surprisingly less discussion in the book of ways to compensate for imperfect decision-making than I thought there would be.
Anyone looking for a decent way to dip into the subject of thought processes and decision-making ought to check out Bozo Sapiens. It's a quick read, but packs a lot of information into such a small package.
Show More
physiology and evolutionary arguments to discuss error in thinking, both at the individual and group levels. A dash of humor and a few stories add spice to the discussion and keep us out of the realm of the dry and dusty textbook.Bozo Sapiens is what I call a "nugget book". The material is presented in short segments that flow from one to the other as a winding almost-conversation on the subject at hand, usually ending up somewhere the reader doesn't expect. They do this reasonably well, but I did feel on occasion that the nuggets could have been a tad deeper - it's ok, after all, to present an overall description of major brain physiology in a book that purports to explain errors in thinking through discussion of brain function. Instead, the authors toss off a short description of, say, the segment of brain they're discussing, and leave the reader to do a bit of research if more is wanted. This isn't a big deal for the book, since they offer a good set of notes for further exploration. There's also surprisingly less discussion in the book of ways to compensate for imperfect decision-making than I thought there would be.
Anyone looking for a decent way to dip into the subject of thought processes and decision-making ought to check out Bozo Sapiens. It's a quick read, but packs a lot of information into such a small package.
Show Less
LibraryThing member bragan
Authors Kaplan and Kaplan look at the various ways in which we fallible human beings are prone to errors of perception, memory, thought, and more.
I have somewhat mixed feelings about this book. To begin with, the authors have an inordinate fondness for allusions and quotations of varying degrees
So, that's the (mildly) negative. On the positive side, the book is very readable, quote-happy tendencies aside. It contains a lot of interesting scientific information, some thought-provoking ideas, and a few really insightful thoughts. Those looking for a more focused take on the subject of how and why the brains that evolved to help us get laid and keep us from getting eaten by tigers aren't necessarily the most reliable tools for discovering the objective truth of the world might prefer something like Dan Ariely's Predictably Irrational. But Bozo Sapiens, with its broad view, its readable style, and its interest in social issues, does provide a worthwhile introduction to the topic. Which, by the way, is a topic that I firmly believe everyone should be introduced to. How can you possibly begin to understand the universe, after all, without understanding the limits of the brain with which you perceive and analyze the universe?
I have somewhat mixed feelings about this book. To begin with, the authors have an inordinate fondness for allusions and quotations of varying degrees
Show More
of relevance and obscurity, to the point where it sits right on the borderline between entertaining and annoying. And the first couple of chapters, while interesting enough, felt a bit disorganized to me. Discussions of different points tend to blur together slightly, with some ideas explored in detail complete with scientific evidence, others asserted without offering real support, and still others only mentioned in passing, leaving the reader to wonder what the full story behind them is. Then there's the penultimate chapter, which deals with how our evolutionary history as hunter-gatherers affects our current lives in such areas as romance, food, and child-rearing. These are relevant topics, but they seem a little too tangential to the main thrust of the book to receive such detailed treatment, and while I don't really disagree with most of it, I do think that particular chapter blends science, speculation, and the authors' personal views about modern society just a little too freely. (You could probably say the same, to a lesser extent, about the final chapter, which deals with morality, altruism, emotions, power, and how to get along with other people in human society. But I do think it also contains much that is worthwhile, and even somewhat inspiring.)So, that's the (mildly) negative. On the positive side, the book is very readable, quote-happy tendencies aside. It contains a lot of interesting scientific information, some thought-provoking ideas, and a few really insightful thoughts. Those looking for a more focused take on the subject of how and why the brains that evolved to help us get laid and keep us from getting eaten by tigers aren't necessarily the most reliable tools for discovering the objective truth of the world might prefer something like Dan Ariely's Predictably Irrational. But Bozo Sapiens, with its broad view, its readable style, and its interest in social issues, does provide a worthwhile introduction to the topic. Which, by the way, is a topic that I firmly believe everyone should be introduced to. How can you possibly begin to understand the universe, after all, without understanding the limits of the brain with which you perceive and analyze the universe?
Show Less
LibraryThing member cmbohn
First of all - nice title. I probably wouldn't have picked it up if not for the title.
As the subtitle suggests, this is an attempt to explain human behavior, especially DUMB human behavior. Why do we take so many risks? Why do we procrastinate? Overeat? Cheat on spouses? Fall for get-rich-quick
I enjoyed this book. The part about economics was interesting, in light of the current recession and my own financial bind. It helped me to see money a little differently, in terms of what I am using for and what I really want from my purchases. And the part about nutrition and eating habits was really useful, as I am on a diet - again - and trying to get serious about it this time. Apparently, the normal human condition is hungry. So trying to stuff that down with food every time it surfaces is going to inevitably lead to weight gain, because no matter how much you eat, you will still feel hunger now and then.
I enjoyed the book, and I did learn something from it. One minor quibble is that I would have liked to see an index, but maybe that will be there in the final edition, as I read the advance copy. Overall though, I'm not sure how much this book is as insightful as it wanted to be. It was fun, but I'm not sure it was deep.
As the subtitle suggests, this is an attempt to explain human behavior, especially DUMB human behavior. Why do we take so many risks? Why do we procrastinate? Overeat? Cheat on spouses? Fall for get-rich-quick
Show More
schemes? Succumb to mob mentality? There are a lot of reasons, but most of them have to do with the brain.I enjoyed this book. The part about economics was interesting, in light of the current recession and my own financial bind. It helped me to see money a little differently, in terms of what I am using for and what I really want from my purchases. And the part about nutrition and eating habits was really useful, as I am on a diet - again - and trying to get serious about it this time. Apparently, the normal human condition is hungry. So trying to stuff that down with food every time it surfaces is going to inevitably lead to weight gain, because no matter how much you eat, you will still feel hunger now and then.
I enjoyed the book, and I did learn something from it. One minor quibble is that I would have liked to see an index, but maybe that will be there in the final edition, as I read the advance copy. Overall though, I'm not sure how much this book is as insightful as it wanted to be. It was fun, but I'm not sure it was deep.
Show Less
LibraryThing member fpagan
As one who heartily agrees with Bing Crosby that "All the monkeys are not in the zoo; every day you meet quite a few," how could I resist a book with this title? Wide-ranging in its survey of the ineradicable foibles of the human animal, it doesn't bother much with elephant-in-the-room stupidities
Show More
like subscribing to an organized religion or voting for Dubya Shrubbish. Show Less
LibraryThing member rivkat
Free LibraryThing early reviewer book. So, I read a lot of these books popularizing behavioral psychology. If you haven’t read any, this might be an interesting introduction, if you like the angle (various different kinds of stupid decisions, beyond the economic, along with failures to perceive
Show More
reality) and if you don’t mind a certain purple tinge, or lushness if you prefer, to the prose. If you’ve read one, then you’ll probably see some stuff you’ve already seen and some new takes. If you’ve read two, the ratio of new to old will continue to deteriorate, and if you’ve read three, this is almost certainly not the book for you. Show Less
LibraryThing member buchowl
A delight of a book.
I remember taking my first social psychology course and having constant "ah-ha" moments of "that's why (other?!) people do such illogical things". This book evoked the same feeling. Here evolutionary psychology meets neuroscience meets game theory, etc. - basically a synopsis of
I remember taking my first social psychology course and having constant "ah-ha" moments of "that's why (other?!) people do such illogical things". This book evoked the same feeling. Here evolutionary psychology meets neuroscience meets game theory, etc. - basically a synopsis of
Show More
my undergrad psych degree (without the boring statistics classes). Informative, well-cited and outright hilarious (I very much enjoyed the Kaplans way of turning a phrase), this book is a great introduction to the paradox that is being human. I absolutely loved it and would recommend it to anyone interested in a lighthearted look at human nature. Show Less
LibraryThing member Sovranty
This book felt like an overview rather than one offering new ideas and/or research. This is a great first book to read, if you are just starting to delve into the world of behavioral sociology/psychology and evolutionary adaptation of the human mind. If you are familiar with the subject(s), the
It was an easy read; however, it became difficult to grasp in some areas due to the ever-changing level of evidence and description. One idea might be exampled down to the Latin name of the body part, while the next is left in the ether without speculation. The reader is lead down the path of microscopy only to find it had nothing to do with the following macroscopic idea.
Show More
book serves as a great reference as it culminates many of the familiar experiments and theories found in other books. It was an easy read; however, it became difficult to grasp in some areas due to the ever-changing level of evidence and description. One idea might be exampled down to the Latin name of the body part, while the next is left in the ether without speculation. The reader is lead down the path of microscopy only to find it had nothing to do with the following macroscopic idea.
Show Less
LibraryThing member wakethesun
As the Kaplans' foreword states, "Some people recommend taking the book slowly. . ." Unfortunately, that seems to be the case for me, although I'm not quite sure why. The book is well written, putting things in easy to understand context without feeling like it is being "dumbed down" for your
I have left the book in the hands of a close friend who I feel will be able to read it quickly and will enjoy it, and will amend this to include his review in the future.
Show More
benefit. Of the parts I have read, the one thing that bothered me was the constant mention of peoples' names without saying who they are and why quotes from them are important. If the book is supposed to be easy to read, the writers should be assuming that readers aren't going to know who certain people and what certain ideas are.I have left the book in the hands of a close friend who I feel will be able to read it quickly and will enjoy it, and will amend this to include his review in the future.
Show Less
LibraryThing member HilaryF
Bozo Sapiens was very fun. With "Why to Err is Human" in the title I expected something a little more technical and negative toward humanity. It wasn't like that at all. Instead of giving technical explanations about how the brain works, the book gave me lots of everyday scenarios about why we do
This book was an interesting yet easy read. I felt like it got a little bit repetitive at times, but beside that I enjoyed it and learned a lo from it about why we behave the way we do
Show More
the things we do. I especially enjoyed a section early on in the book that talked about how seeing and hearing are believing; I am going to butcher the delivery, but it cited a study in which a subject watched a video of the back of their head while in virtual reality goggles and actually felt and believed they were having and out of body experience. It also mentioned how when we listen to music we hear things like "hold me closer Tony Danza" while Elton John croons Tiny Dancer, and we don't think twice about the lyrics not making sense, we just sing along. This book was an interesting yet easy read. I felt like it got a little bit repetitive at times, but beside that I enjoyed it and learned a lo from it about why we behave the way we do
Show Less
LibraryThing member figre
This is a great book.
It is a fascinating amalgam of scientific facts which come together to tell different stories of why we are human. (Okay, the book is ostensibly about explaining why we, as humans, make errors – some obvious errors, but we still make them. However, let’s face it – that is
These quick notes do not do this book justice. Throughout it quotes studies and findings which weave a fascinating story of why we react the way we do. Extensive footnotes and notes are available to anyone who wants to know more.
What I want to know is where I can get more of the authors’ books.
It is a fascinating amalgam of scientific facts which come together to tell different stories of why we are human. (Okay, the book is ostensibly about explaining why we, as humans, make errors – some obvious errors, but we still make them. However, let’s face it – that is
Show More
being human, making errors.) It begins at the very basic, why we can’t seem to make rational decisions (including such classics as Maurice Allais’ paradox; the failures of economics when it meets reality, and why we buy), moves through such areas as how the brain really works and the psychology behind our comfort levels (including discussions of how one Soviet may have saved the world because he didn’t push the button as he was ordered to because it didn’t “feel” right vs. the Russian pilot who shot down a jet liner because he was “supposed to push that button” even though logic showed it was the wrong thing to do.) It then moves into our discomfort with “others”, then all the way into how are ancestors hard-wired us to react the ways we do. It then ends at the most esoteric end of the scale – how we are actually bred to try and be nice.These quick notes do not do this book justice. Throughout it quotes studies and findings which weave a fascinating story of why we react the way we do. Extensive footnotes and notes are available to anyone who wants to know more.
What I want to know is where I can get more of the authors’ books.
Show Less
LibraryThing member browndog221
Bozo Sapiens is the type of book that seems to be all the rage right now. Its pop-science and psych subject laced with humor appears to be the kind of nonfiction everyone wants to read. Instead of boring the public with myriad technical jargon and arcane language, Michael Kaplan and Ellen Kaplan
Show More
focus on examples to explain their subjects. It's interesting to read about why we make errors. However, the book suggests that we're still going to make those errors, regardless of our awareness of them. It's too bad the authors couldn't have given more advice for us in certain situations. Nevertheless, reading Bozo Sapiens is enlightening. I highly recommend it. Show Less
LibraryThing member pandorasmuse
I received a copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads program.
Bozo Sapiens was an interesting book that couldn’t decide how deeply to delve into its subject matter. I felt like the first few chapters were more densely informational, while later chapters gave their focus a superficial
Bozo Sapiens was an interesting book that couldn’t decide how deeply to delve into its subject matter. I felt like the first few chapters were more densely informational, while later chapters gave their focus a superficial treatment. I came away from this with a lot of sound bites and factoids, but I feel a deeper understanding of the human brain has escaped me. I am curious to do further reading on this subject, although I'll admit that evolutionary psychology makes me wary.
The end of the book was very abrupt, much as the transition to this paragraph is. I prefer a little more analysis wrapping up a book with such a sweeping subject.
I think that Bozo Sapiens would be better appreciated as a bag of snacks—have one or two at a time, but don't rush through the whole thing in one sitting. There is interesting information to be had here—just don't expect too much depth. It's brain candy. I think I'll keep this around and refer to it from time to time, but I doubt I'll read through the whole thing again.
My big takeaway is the world isn't what you think. Or it's exactly what you think, depending on how you look at it.
Bozo Sapiens was an interesting book that couldn’t decide how deeply to delve into its subject matter. I felt like the first few chapters were more densely informational, while later chapters gave their focus a superficial
Show More
treatment. I came away from this with a lot of sound bites and factoids, but I feel a deeper understanding of the human brain has escaped me. I am curious to do further reading on this subjec ...more I received a copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads program.Bozo Sapiens was an interesting book that couldn’t decide how deeply to delve into its subject matter. I felt like the first few chapters were more densely informational, while later chapters gave their focus a superficial treatment. I came away from this with a lot of sound bites and factoids, but I feel a deeper understanding of the human brain has escaped me. I am curious to do further reading on this subject, although I'll admit that evolutionary psychology makes me wary.
The end of the book was very abrupt, much as the transition to this paragraph is. I prefer a little more analysis wrapping up a book with such a sweeping subject.
I think that Bozo Sapiens would be better appreciated as a bag of snacks—have one or two at a time, but don't rush through the whole thing in one sitting. There is interesting information to be had here—just don't expect too much depth. It's brain candy. I think I'll keep this around and refer to it from time to time, but I doubt I'll read through the whole thing again.
My big takeaway is the world isn't what you think. Or it's exactly what you think, depending on how you look at it.
Show Less
LibraryThing member etsmith
Are humans hardwired to act stupid? Has evolution created humans that behave irrationally in the modern context? Bozo Sapiens suggests that the answer is yes and provides abundant and interesting examples to back up the claim.
The book begins, "People--other people that is, makes such stupid easily
Are homo sapiens all bozos? To err is human, it is true. We are touchingly vulnerable to impulsive purchases based on "sale" prices, transparently impossible political appeals and attractive members of the opposite sex. We are often self-deluded and hopeful when we should be wary. This provides us with our most comedic and tragic cultural narratives from the Odyssey to the present. Indeed, this is why we go to the theater and enjoy songs about lost love and hard luck. And yet, calling us bozos seems to be a cheap shot. A good look at the human condition calls for compassion and understanding and in this Bozo Sapiens fails.
This is a highly readable account of the pleistocene brain meeting the modern world with a lot of good stories thrown in. I'd recommend it for the curious, casual reader. For more meaty treatments of the subject, I recommend Joseph LeDoux's "Emotional Brain" and Matthew Ridley's recent "The Rational Optimist."
The book begins, "People--other people that is, makes such stupid easily
Show More
avoided mistakes and never seem to learn from them." The book is a veritable catalog of human errors based in our stone age hardwiring. We misjudge risk, make unwarranted assumptions about others and foolishly gamble hard earned cash on lottery tickets when the odds are so clearly stacked against us.Are homo sapiens all bozos? To err is human, it is true. We are touchingly vulnerable to impulsive purchases based on "sale" prices, transparently impossible political appeals and attractive members of the opposite sex. We are often self-deluded and hopeful when we should be wary. This provides us with our most comedic and tragic cultural narratives from the Odyssey to the present. Indeed, this is why we go to the theater and enjoy songs about lost love and hard luck. And yet, calling us bozos seems to be a cheap shot. A good look at the human condition calls for compassion and understanding and in this Bozo Sapiens fails.
This is a highly readable account of the pleistocene brain meeting the modern world with a lot of good stories thrown in. I'd recommend it for the curious, casual reader. For more meaty treatments of the subject, I recommend Joseph LeDoux's "Emotional Brain" and Matthew Ridley's recent "The Rational Optimist."
Show Less
LibraryThing member jxn
This work is full of fascinating little tidbits from a great expanse of information related to the many types of errors that humans commonly make--judgment, memory, biases, and so on. The Kaplans are clearly nothing if not intelligent and chock-full of insight on this topic. Their book overlaps
To make a long review short: the information is primarily valuable for being insightful, and potentially problematic for being not discussed thoroughly enough (due to the ambitious scope), and the organization could use a fine-tuning still. Still, a worthwhile read for the insight it provides if one approaches it more like a potpourri of knowledge about error rather than a book making a point or to be studied as a text (or a guide/handbook as the authors seem to want to make it).
Show More
into so many areas of human experience that it is a great starting point for many good discussions. That said, attempting to cover, at least in representative pockets, the gamut of common human errors is perhaps this work's greatest flaw. Frankly, it's an overly ambitious goal, and while hte authors admit to not being exhaustive, there is enough material in the book that it perhaps would have to double in size or take on a few more volumes for a few components of the discussion to be thorough enough to warrant teasing the reader with in the first place. A couple of other books are made on topics that seem to be covered in a quick glance (for instance, The Tipping Point, Freakonomics, Black Swan, The Drunkard's Walk, Predictably Irrational, and so-on, along with a healthy troupe of other pop-economics/psychology/science/philosophy/ethics/business books). The problem becomes that a few topics are given inadequate grounding or have to be explained in half sentence without much analysis. There were even a handful of topics which seemed to be alluded to only as a slight joke or through the use of some unexplained key term. While I was keen enough to pick up on a number of these, I do wonder how many explanations would have been better filled-out if I had recognized the clandestine shibboleth thrown into a sentence. On the plus side, these kinds of clues are a bit of fun and speak to the authors' acuity and respect for the reader's keenness as well, but on the negative side hints like these often only fully explain things to readers who already comprehend them. More troublesome, though, was the book's organization issues. Again perhaps largely because of the ridiculous scope of the topic, it strikes me that effective and coherent organization of a work like this could be very difficult, and I think the final product of Bozo Sapiens verifies this to a fair degree. Especially near the beginning, there appears to be little logic to the system of organization. The book is divided into chapters and little subsections that perhaps bear some loose categorical resemblance to the main chapter (the middle of the work is a bit more coherent in this regard), but really I found it as easy to read a few of these subsections at random--as if they were little news blurbs--as I found it to read the book through. True, these little subsections are interesting and insightful in their own regard and generally speaking independent of each other, making them quite useful. However, their independence from each other contributes to a disorienting sense while reading the book through from beginning to end.To make a long review short: the information is primarily valuable for being insightful, and potentially problematic for being not discussed thoroughly enough (due to the ambitious scope), and the organization could use a fine-tuning still. Still, a worthwhile read for the insight it provides if one approaches it more like a potpourri of knowledge about error rather than a book making a point or to be studied as a text (or a guide/handbook as the authors seem to want to make it).
Show Less
LibraryThing member JohnGrant1
Wonderful, wonderful title (in a recent interview I was asked if I'd ever buy a book on the basis of title alone, and I said no, of course not, but I'd forgotten about this one); a shame about the actual book, really. What the Kaplans set out to do is explain the science behind why, individually
Show More
and as a species, we're capable of such godawful stupidity: in the largest and wealthiest democracy in the world, there are people who in a few weeks' time will vote for someone who thinks scientists are transplanting human brains into mice. No one could more overwhelmingly subscribe to the worthwhileness of their aim; my difficulty was that very often I couldn't follow the Kaplans' arguments. Obviously I suspected (a) this might be my own failing, because I'm stupid, (b) the problem might be that the subject matter is too complex for me, (c) both. But then I recalled how I'd been able to wade through popularizations of far more complex scientific matters -- yer quantum, like -- and came to the conclusion the fault was perhaps not entirely mine. My guess is that people steeped in psychology may not have this problem. Show Less
LibraryThing member diovival
I received this book for free via the Goodreads First Reads program.
Bozo Sapiens was surprisingly dense, but don't let that discourage you! I found it both interesting and engaging. The authors included so many fascinating studies of human behavior and brain function. Our brain is "wired" in such a
Michael and Ellen Kaplan gave me much food for thought but the chapter "Fresh Off the Pleistocene Bus" cost them a star. The main focus of this section was on evolutionary psychology and attempts to explain why our brains have developed they way they have and how this has been advantageous to our species as a whole. While not boring, there were some things that bothered me. Not all human beings are motivated by the urge to procreate. It also bothered me that they completely ignored those people who choose partners, for life or otherwise, that are of the same sex. Can't ignore homosexuality out of convenience! There is no excuse for this. Homosexuality is not new or even exclusive to human beings. It would have been interesting to see how these types of social relationships were explained as a natural part of our evolutionary development.
Bozo Sapiens was surprisingly dense, but don't let that discourage you! I found it both interesting and engaging. The authors included so many fascinating studies of human behavior and brain function. Our brain is "wired" in such a
Show More
way that errors are inevitable. So don't beat yourself up so much when you make a mistake or two. It's natural! Two things I found especially interesting were bonnet syndrome and sine-wave speech (I was so intrigued that I had to google it and test it out on myself-very cool!) Michael and Ellen Kaplan gave me much food for thought but the chapter "Fresh Off the Pleistocene Bus" cost them a star. The main focus of this section was on evolutionary psychology and attempts to explain why our brains have developed they way they have and how this has been advantageous to our species as a whole. While not boring, there were some things that bothered me. Not all human beings are motivated by the urge to procreate. It also bothered me that they completely ignored those people who choose partners, for life or otherwise, that are of the same sex. Can't ignore homosexuality out of convenience! There is no excuse for this. Homosexuality is not new or even exclusive to human beings. It would have been interesting to see how these types of social relationships were explained as a natural part of our evolutionary development.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Diwanna
It took me a long time to pick through this book, but it was well worth it. Maybe, since I've recently read a couple books on a similar subject, I did not find this book to be too revealing. I did absolutely love the chapter On of Us. What a timely bit of writing! This chapter alone should be read
A worthwhile book with many great examples, scientific study references, and whatnot, highly recommended
Show More
by everyone in the world. It summarizes something I've been thinking for a long time, that anyone can put differences aside, no matter how great, for the common good. Not an earth-shattering concept, but it is this Us vs Them mentality that may soon be the end of the human race. A worthwhile book with many great examples, scientific study references, and whatnot, highly recommended
Show Less
LibraryThing member mbmackay
Such a good book - but it could have been much better.
The book considers the intersection of perception, evolution, social organisation and humanity. There is some of the stuff here from Daniel Kahneman and Jonathon Haidt that I previously read along with much more. I found the information from
But, for once, I found the book too short. It has been edited down to pare away the explanations and commentary that help the reader grasp the significance of the issues being put forward. At times I found it was only my prior understanding of the content that allowed me to take in some of the material.
Apart from that quibble I enjoyed the lively style and the witty asides that you either got or not.
Read Jan 2015
The book considers the intersection of perception, evolution, social organisation and humanity. There is some of the stuff here from Daniel Kahneman and Jonathon Haidt that I previously read along with much more. I found the information from
Show More
primate experiments on cooperation to be particularly interesting.But, for once, I found the book too short. It has been edited down to pare away the explanations and commentary that help the reader grasp the significance of the issues being put forward. At times I found it was only my prior understanding of the content that allowed me to take in some of the material.
Apart from that quibble I enjoyed the lively style and the witty asides that you either got or not.
Read Jan 2015
Show Less
Pages
304
ISBN
1596914009 / 9781596914001