Review by Choice Review
Grounded in evolutionary biology and comparative primatology while drawing from evolutionary psychology and comparative anatomy, this book explores modern human behavior through a primatological lens. Like all evolutionary treatments of human nature, the book is provocative and likely to be controversial to some. A psychobiologist, Maestipieri (Univ. of Chicago) begins with the premise that human nature is simply a more specialized version of primate nature and that research on sociality in nonhuman primates can provide insight into the social behavior of humans. Using evolutionary and comparative reasoning, the author intertwines the results of research on nonhuman primates with observations of human social behavior and relationships. Each chapter discusses a different aspect of human behavior--e.g., dominance, nepotism, competition, love--from an evolutionary and comparative primatological perspective. Written for a popular audience, the book is an easy read and replete with fascinating examples of human sociality and how they can be interpreted from an evolutionary perspective. Part pop psychology, part evolutionary-behavioral biology, this book is thought provoking and engaging yet also grounded in scientific research and theory. Good fodder for an undergraduate discussion seminar. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above; general readers. L. Swedell CUNY Queens College
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
Relationships play a central role in human lives, and people who don't have good relationships with other people are generally not happy. Why is this so? Although the study of human relationships is generally the purview of psychologists, to fully understand the underlying pattern of relationships, the researcher (or interested lay reader) must step into the field of biology and, more specifically, into the realms of evolutionary biology and animal behavior. All animals exhibit social behavior to some degree, but humans are most similar to the other members of our order, the Primates, and we can learn a lot about why we act the way we do by studying our cousins. Maestripieri has analyzed human and primate behavior patterns the games individuals play with each other and in a group and shows us the similarities to other primates in this fascinating survey. Using wonderful comparative studies and conversational language, Maestripieri brings us back to our primate roots so that we can better understand why we do the things we do.--Bent, Nancy Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Maestripieri (Macachiavellian Intelligence), professor of evolutionary biology and related sciences at the University of Chicago, explores behavioral similarities between humans and other primates in his engaging but flawed book. Such an analysis is important, he writes, because "human nature is a particular, specialized version of a more general primate nature." Drawing on his own work with rhesus macaques as well as broader primate literature, Maestripieri offers solid grounding in the basics of animal behavior while discussing the evolutionary roots of complex social patterns. The behaviors he focuses on are both critical and fascinating: sexual choice; dominance relationships; the nature of altruism and selfishness; and coalition building, among others. But when it comes to humans, Maestripieri presents less data and more anecdotes, so his arguments about homologous human-primate behavior are not fully compelling. Furthermore, he can simply ignore issues that contradict his theories. For example, in discussing charitable contribution as status-building activity through the public recognition given to donors, he overlooks contributors who truly wish to remain anonymous. Still, the author brings readers closer to his goal of integrating economic models with evolutionary theory to create "more predictive models of human decision-making" (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Maestripieri (Inst. for Mind & Biology, Univ. of Chicago; Macachiavellian Intelligence: How Rhesus Macaques and Humans Have Conquered the World) critically examines human behavior within the context of primate evolution. He stresses the similar adaptive social relationships that have emerged in our species, apes, and monkeys, especially macaques, baboons, and chimpanzees. His research focuses on game theory to illuminate the changing complexities of dominant/subordinate interactions and hierarchical patterns. Furthermore, Maestripieri discusses grooming, altruism, nepotism, social alliances, and theoretical/mathematical models of strategies involving cooperation and competition. Of special interest are the sections dealing with free will, bonding rituals, sexual selection, the violence of war, and the value of romantic love. The author asserts that the uniqueness of the human animal is grounded in its big brain in general and its use of symbolic language as articulate speech in particular. Nevertheless, he maintains, evolutionary biology links our species to the other primates in terms of psychology and cognition as well as genetic makeup and social behavior. VERDICT This informative and provocative work is a major contribution to understanding and appreciating the nature and behavior of humankind. Students and professors of biology and anthropology especially will find this book significant.-H. James Birx, Univ. of Belgrade, Serbia (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
Review by Booklist Review
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Review by Library Journal Review
Review by Kirkus Book Review
