Call number
Publication
New York: Penguin, 1995, c1993
Pages
ix; 403
Description
Referring to Lewis Carroll's Red Queen from Through the Looking-Glass, a character who has to keep running to stay in the same place, Matt Ridley demonstrates why sex is humanity's best strategy for outwitting its constantly mutating internal predators. The Red Queen answers dozens of other riddles of human nature and culture -- including why men propose marriage, the method behind our maddening notions of beauty, and the disquieting fact that a woman is more likely to conceive a child by an adulterous lover than by her husband. Brilliantly written, The Red Queen offers an extraordinary new way of interpreting the human condition and how it has evolved.
Media reviews
There is a wealth of information here, and it is an excellent source for researchers because of its descriptions of studies and its extensive extensive reference section, as well as being an interesting book for a scientifically literate public.
Awards
Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize (Shortlist — 1994)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1993
Physical description
ix, 403 p.; 8 inches
ISBN
0140245480 / 9780140245486
Similar in this library
User reviews
LibraryThing member ffortsa
Tthis was both an interesting and irritating book. The words ‘aggrieved’ and ‘beleaguered’ would apply to his first few chapters as well as his summation, but I try to remember that the book was written 16 years ago, when the various divisions of social and biological sciences may have been
What does it explain? Well, why so many species in the world reproduce sexually, in spite of the biological expense and complication. And what that method does to push evolution along, in ways we might or might not be willing to recognize. His primary theory is that the exchange of DNA caused by sexual reproduction (as opposed to budding, splitting, and other asexual methods) has to do with the race between any organism and its parasites and diseases. He makes a pretty persuasive argument, with many examples from both current and ancient species.
His second thesis rests on how this arms race creates a feedback loop of reinforced inherited characteristics, some obvious, some almost chance. Again, many examples support his thesis. Where he gets most defensive is concerning the examples of our own species – that is where the book feels most out of date. I think we have become more sophisticated about our own responses as we have had the advantage of enhanced brain imaging of various kinds in the intervening decade and a half.
His querulous defensiveness left me wondering how he chose his evidence. The text is lavishly footnoted, but most of the evidence itself is hidden, and I wonder how much the selection is biased to prove his points, intentionally or not. Without copious research in his tracks, I don’t think there’s any way to tell.
I wonder if this is why I don’t read more non-fiction – I can trust the fiction to be fiction, but with non-fiction, I’m constantly asking myself “how does he know? And would I agree with his interpretation?”
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more at odds. Ridley has little or no patience for anthropologists, sociologists, and even sociobiologists (that last surprised me a little) – evolution explains it all.What does it explain? Well, why so many species in the world reproduce sexually, in spite of the biological expense and complication. And what that method does to push evolution along, in ways we might or might not be willing to recognize. His primary theory is that the exchange of DNA caused by sexual reproduction (as opposed to budding, splitting, and other asexual methods) has to do with the race between any organism and its parasites and diseases. He makes a pretty persuasive argument, with many examples from both current and ancient species.
His second thesis rests on how this arms race creates a feedback loop of reinforced inherited characteristics, some obvious, some almost chance. Again, many examples support his thesis. Where he gets most defensive is concerning the examples of our own species – that is where the book feels most out of date. I think we have become more sophisticated about our own responses as we have had the advantage of enhanced brain imaging of various kinds in the intervening decade and a half.
His querulous defensiveness left me wondering how he chose his evidence. The text is lavishly footnoted, but most of the evidence itself is hidden, and I wonder how much the selection is biased to prove his points, intentionally or not. Without copious research in his tracks, I don’t think there’s any way to tell.
I wonder if this is why I don’t read more non-fiction – I can trust the fiction to be fiction, but with non-fiction, I’m constantly asking myself “how does he know? And would I agree with his interpretation?”
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LibraryThing member ursula
I listened to this on audiobook, and perhaps that made some sections less compelling and easy to find my attention drifting. The main premise, that of the "Red Queen," is an interesting one - that we evolve only to ultimately stay in approximately the same place we have been in relation to our
He takes a strict evolutionary approach to why human behavior is the way it is, and he has no patience for social scientists. Anthropologists, sociologists; they're all just a bunch of people chasing their tails trying to explain things that only make sense when scientifically explained! Also singled out for distaste: feminism and political correctness, which Ridley is sure will shut down research into the differences between men's and women's brains. As is probably clear, I didn't much care for his attitude at times. The book is twenty years old, so there are several things he mentions as "current research" or "awaiting results" that I'm pretty sure have already been nailed down with a lot more information, but that's to be expected.
Overall, I found it a somewhat dry read with interesting bits dispersed throughout.
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environment and our competitors. When he talked about why some traits were more likely to succeed than others, and why we didn't all just end up reproducing asexually, I was attentive. But when he went off on seeming tangents about algae or other limited creatures, I was a bit less intrigued. He takes a strict evolutionary approach to why human behavior is the way it is, and he has no patience for social scientists. Anthropologists, sociologists; they're all just a bunch of people chasing their tails trying to explain things that only make sense when scientifically explained! Also singled out for distaste: feminism and political correctness, which Ridley is sure will shut down research into the differences between men's and women's brains. As is probably clear, I didn't much care for his attitude at times. The book is twenty years old, so there are several things he mentions as "current research" or "awaiting results" that I'm pretty sure have already been nailed down with a lot more information, but that's to be expected.
Overall, I found it a somewhat dry read with interesting bits dispersed throughout.
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LibraryThing member edwinbcn
While interesting and stimulating, in the end it became all a bit too much, especially as the style remains unchanged until the very last page. Glad I finished it.
LibraryThing member kushami
Although this is a well-written, interesting book, I couldn't help feeling that it was covering some familiar ground -- you may feel the same way if you have read a lot of Steven Pinker and Richard Dawkins. I enjoyed another of Matt Ridley's books, Genome, immensely, probably because much of it was
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new to me. Show Less
LibraryThing member iayork
The Red Queen- A topic for debate: Matt Ridley's book the red queen talks about human evolution, but also how our love lives are similar to animals. Matt writes this book with conviction and spreads his love of zoology onto us when he compares how similar the courting rituals of birds to humans.
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Matt also opens us up to debate as in one of the chapters he mentions about sexual reproduction "why do we have sex, why not go asexual, that way we would waste less energy" He wants us to question things instead of just accepting things for what they are just because someone famous made a discovery. He also mentions about the psychology of men and women and how any why they are different, the roles of beauty and how that could attract parasites and that is what makes this book so interesting up to the final ending when he leaves with a final analogy in the end of the chapter in The intellutual chess game. Recommended Reading!!! Show Less
LibraryThing member JudyL
The reasons and the evolution of sexual reproduction. The title refers to the red queen in Alice in Wonderland, who ran very fast but stayed in the same place, which Ridley illustrates with fine language skills which have won him prizes for science writing.
LibraryThing member Jacenschimmel
An interesting view of mating rituals and genetics.
LibraryThing member psiloiordinary
An eloquent exposition of the known facts and the then currently likely explanations for them. Written in 1993 but still a great overview. I am no expert on the subject but do follow it, and I think that nearly all of his content stands up today. Part of the reason for this is his wonderful habit
I find the very concept of the books title to be a deceptive one. At first glance you think, "hey that's clever, what a fascinating glimpse into a rather strange set of circumstances that bring out such an effect". By the time you are half way through the book you begin to realise that in fact this quirky little twist on the game of life is almost all pervasive and you are surrounded.
By the end of the book you have a new lens through which to view the world. Not many books do this, and hardly any of them do it using reality and logical thought, so this must be a keeper.
So ignore the various political pot shots taken at him (I speak as one who would happily cheer the mob onwards) and enjoy the quality of the writing and the fact you now have another way to think about the world.
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of not just giving the summary but looking into to hows and whys of the conclusion the scientists have come to. I find the very concept of the books title to be a deceptive one. At first glance you think, "hey that's clever, what a fascinating glimpse into a rather strange set of circumstances that bring out such an effect". By the time you are half way through the book you begin to realise that in fact this quirky little twist on the game of life is almost all pervasive and you are surrounded.
By the end of the book you have a new lens through which to view the world. Not many books do this, and hardly any of them do it using reality and logical thought, so this must be a keeper.
So ignore the various political pot shots taken at him (I speak as one who would happily cheer the mob onwards) and enjoy the quality of the writing and the fact you now have another way to think about the world.
Show Less
LibraryThing member snash
The Red Queen is an interesting presentation of the roll of sex in evolution, and the evolution of sex. It provided much food for thought, especially the roll of parasites in driving evolution, the idea of the red queen (things evolve to stay even, there is no long term winning). I liked the
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authors dealing with the nature vs nurturing conflict, that they are both always involved. Especially towards the end, it seemed schools of thought were flippantly tossed on the trash heap rather than more thoughtfully analyzed. Most any theory has something to add. Show Less
LibraryThing member SwitchKnitter
I've meant to read this book for the last twenty years. I finally got around to doing it this year, and... I realized halfway through that I've read it already. Oops. I have a terrible memory thanks to one of my medications, so The Red Queen completely slipped my mind. {pause} Yep, I read it in
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August of 2001. I forgot I'd put it in my old homemade book database. I gave it a score of 4 out of 5, same as I did this time. I feel silly, but I'm glad I reread it. Good book. Show Less
LibraryThing member MarkBeronte
Referring to Lewis Carroll's Red Queen from Through the Looking-Glass, a character who has to keep running to stay in the same place, Matt Ridley demonstrates why sex is humanity's best strategy for outwitting its constantly mutating internal predators. The Red Queen answers dozens of other riddles
Show More
of human nature and culture -- including why men propose marriage, the method behind our maddening notions of beauty, and the disquieting fact that a woman is more likely to conceive a child by an adulterous lover than by her husband. Brilliantly written, The Red Queen offers an extraordinary new way of interpreting the human condition and how it has evolved. Show Less
LibraryThing member nmarun
Matt Ridley has done an exceptional job in this book to provide insights on Evolution and the role played by Sex in the process. I have read a couple other books, Selfish Gene and Why Evolution Is True on the topic of evolution but the perspective taken by Matt is unique and remarkable.
The book can
The second part of the book is about how two genders of the same species differ and the reason for those differences - just as the title says 'Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature'.
Chapters 6 and 7 are truly interesting and talk about polygamy in men and monogamy in women. "Polygamy and 3-D spatial skills seem to go together in several species." - Brilliant!
Witty and kept me curious till the end.
The book can
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be vaguely divided into two parts. The first part talks about what sexual selection is and how sexual reproduction happens. There's a deep dive that talks about Meiosis mentioning Recombination and Outcrossing. This information is crucial to understanding many of the concepts in the book.The second part of the book is about how two genders of the same species differ and the reason for those differences - just as the title says 'Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature'.
Chapters 6 and 7 are truly interesting and talk about polygamy in men and monogamy in women. "Polygamy and 3-D spatial skills seem to go together in several species." - Brilliant!
Witty and kept me curious till the end.
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LibraryThing member rubyman
An evolutionary perspective on sex, mating, beauty and other pieces of human nature. Inspires to think about the deep reasons for our desires and behavior. Also the idea of the red queen (constant conflict which spurs evolution but doesn't give any side a hude advantage) can be imaginativly applied
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to other systems. I'm happy i was introduced to this perspective and i think i need to strengthen my understanding of it with other books. Someone recommended me to read Steve Pinker. Show Less