Homo Mysterious

出版者:Oxford University Press

作者:David P. Barash

页数:344

出版时间:2012-6

价格:USD 27.95

装帧:Hardcover

isbn号码:9780199751945

具体描述

- Invites the reader to explore the exciting boundaries of science

- Provides an energetic romp through some of the most fascinating problems in evolutionary biology and psychology

- Addresses questions such as why religion is a cross-cultural universal and why do humans love the arts? Why do men have shorter lifespans, and why do women have orgasms?

For all that science knows about the living world, there are even more things that we don't know, genuine evolutionary mysteries that perplex the best minds in biology. And paradoxically, many of these mysteries are very close to home: They involve some of the most personal aspects of being human, including such unresolved questions as why do women experience orgasm, menstruation and menopause, why do men have a shorter lifespan than women, and why does homosexuality exist? Ditto for other evolutionary mysteries of our own species: Why is religion a "cross-cultural universal," along with a fondness for the arts? Why do we have such large brains, and why does consciousness exist? Homo Mysterious examines these and other evolutionary mysteries, exploring things that we don't (yet) know about ourselves, laying out the best current hypotheses and pointing toward insights that scientists are just beginning to glimpse. Readers are invited to share the thrill of science at its exploratory margins, where we know what we don't know, and, moreover, we know enough to come up with some compelling and seductive explanations.

Homo Mysterious is a guide to creative thought and future explorations, based on the most current thinking of evolutionary scientists. For those who are interested in stretching their scientific imaginations, this book will expose the lure of the not yet known.

作者简介

David P. Barash is Professor of Psychology and Biology at the University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, and author or coauthor of 26 books, including Payback, Madame Bovary's Ovaries: A Darwinian Look at Literature, The Myth of Monogamy: Fidelity and Infidelity in Animals and People, and Natural Selections: Selfish Altruists, Honest Liars, and Other Realities of Evolution.

目录信息

Chapter One. In Praise of Mystery: "That's how the light gets in"
Chapter Two. Sexual Mysteries: I. Menstruation, Concealed Ovulation, and Breasts
Chapter Three. Sexual Mysteries: II. Female Orgasm, Menopause, and Men
Chapter Four. Sexual Mysteries: III. Homosexuality
Chapter Five. Art: I. Cheesecake, Byproducts, and Groups
Chapter Six. Art: II. Play, Practice, and Sex (again)
Chapter Seven. Religion: I. Genes, Memes, Minds, and Motives
Chapter Eight. Religion: II. Social Bonding and Morality
Chapter Nine. On the Matter of Mind
Chapter Ten. Digging for Treasure
· · · · · · (收起)

读后感

我本身是一个很爱看书的人，但是比较喜欢看文学类的书，它们情感丰富，或者情节跌宕起伏或者文笔细腻丰富，还能看国内外各个年代的风俗人情，并且不大费脑子，还能收获一些关于人生的思考。所以对于比较科学的书，我是有一些抵触的，因为它容易费脑，而且我还是个文科生，天...  

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