Sense and Nonsense by Kevin N Laland
Can evolutionary theory really help us to understand human behaviour? This is an introduction to the science behind the works of Dawkins, Dennett, Wilson and Pinker. Including profiles of the major protagonists, the book provides a truly balanced account of evolutionary theories of human behaviour, and all their faults.
Laland and Brown succeed in parsing sense from nonsenseAnd they show that while each approach discussed has its strength and weaknesses, taken together they form a well-developed science of evolutionary explanations of human behaviour. Heredity ... the book is immensely accessible and well organised. Heredity A useful read for students embarking on the study of evolution and human behaviour. Primate Eye A methodical, fair and thoughtful treatment of the big sociobiological questions ... Laland and Brown write clearly and calmly. Their analysis should dispel the nonsense surrounding this subject. On these grounds alone, I recommend everyone with some influence or interest in popular culture read this book. New Scientist A welcome and incisive corrective to the disarray within evolutionary social theory. Human Nature Review This is a very lucid, clearly written summary of the hard research that surrounds the controversial field of evolutionary psychology - the study of how and why genes influence human behaviour, and if and how culture influences genes. Focus This is a superb book that I can recommend to anyone interested in these issues. It is a vehicle for a set of memes that I hope will invade the brains of many students of behaviour, ecology and evolution, and of their teachers too, for that matter. Trends in Ecology and Evolution Sense and Nonsense gives those interested in the use of evolutionary reasoning to explain human behaviour and culture a cogent, evenhanded and lucid survey of five disparate fields utilizing that apprach. More importantly, it provides substantive critical analysis of each ... Throughout the authors deserve applause for their consistent clarity and fair-mindedness ... a valuable book for many audiences. It should be useful even to those at the cutting edge of research ... At the same time, it is not so technical that it couldn't be of value to students and educated laypersons. Biology and Philosophy This is a remarkable book: succinct, informative and very sensible. It strips away the polemic to map a way forward, and it is worth reading by anybody interested in how best to analyse human behaviour. Times Higher Education Supplement
Kevin Laland is a Royal Society University Research Fellow at the
Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge. His research
encompasses a range of topics related to animal behaviour and evolution,
particularly social learning, cultural evolution, and niche construction. Gillian R. Brown is a post-doctoral researcher at the Department of
Zoology, University of Cambridge. Her research covers various aspects of
primate behaviour, including parental investment, infant development and
sex differences, and she lectures on zoology and anatomy courses.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780198508847 |
| ISBN 10 | 0198508840 |
| Title | Sense and Nonsense |
| Author | Kevin N Laland |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
| Year published | 2002-07-15 |
| Number of pages | 382 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |