To be a Stone Age creature in a Jet Age zoo tends to cause problems. The list of consequences are numerous -- from depression and suicide to obesity, drug use, insomnia, loneliness, violence, and wars -- to mention only a few of the 'diseases of civilisation'. Are we prisoners of an environment that is at odds with the way evolution has shaped us, and if so, can we do anything about it? Can we use our knowledge of human nature to offer people more appropriate conditions of living, and at the same time create a more peaceful world? The author is convinced that present insight into the nature of being human can help us make better choices. Our great feats of engineering, from building the pyramids to sending a man to the moon, have been the easy tasks; the real challenge in shaping the future of Planet Earth lies in dealing with human nature. We have the power to turn our planet into a living nightmare and a biological refuse dump, but it is also within our capacity to create conditions of living better than those we ever had. The principle of book is to offer a guide for living that not only benefits the individual -- and should thus be coveted -- but also works for the benefit of the society and our planet. Written for a general audience as well as for professionals interested particularly in evolutionary psychology, behavioural biology, socio-biology, and happiness studies.
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Editorial Reviews
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...replete with fascinating facts and provocative hypotheses, so that learning about happiness is interesting, stimulating, and thus happy-making itself. -- David T. Lykken, Emeritus Professor of Psychology, University of Minnesota
Bjørn Grinde has done a wonderful job in crossing disciplinary boundaries and presenting this complicated matter so eloquently. -- Ruut Veenhoven, Professor of Happiness Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam
Bjørn Grinde has done a wonderful job in crossing disciplinary boundaries and presenting this complicated matter so eloquently. -- Ruut Veenhoven, Professor of Happiness Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam
About the Author
Bjorn Grinde
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Grinde received his education in natural sciences, psychology, and anthropology from the University of Oslo, with a Dr.Scient. (1981) and a Dr.Philos. (1984) in biology. He works as a chief scientist at the Division of Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health in Oslo. Previously he has served as professor or scientist at top universities in Norway, United States and Japan. Most of his scientific publications address the process of evolution and cover genetics, microbiology, molecular biology, and human behavior. His main interest, however, is in one organ of one species: the human brain. The key question is how biology can help us understand human behavior, and how this understanding may help us improve quality of life. Besides scientific articles he has published several books in Norwegian and English, writes regularly for various newspapers, and participates in radio and TV programs. He enjoys nature, both in the human form, and in the absence of humans, with a particular fondness for mountains.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Guide for Happiness!,
By
This review is from: Darwinian Happiness: Evolution as a Guide for Living and Understanding Human Behavior (Hardcover)
Bjorn Grinde not only explains the nature of being human, he goes beyond that and uses this knowledge to offer advice as to how to improve your quality of life. The resulting concept of Darwinian happiness makes a lot of sense. It offers a way of pursuing happiness that may benefit not only the individual, but also society.Happiness can be found by tuning in to the potential we all have for positive feelings. It does not require spending a lot of money and it is better served by being kind to people rather than being mean. As to the latter, the author points out that gregariousness and compassion give more joy than aggression. Sociability evolved relatively late in our lineage at a time when features in the brain were added by coupling them with brain rewards in the form of positive feelings. Our aggressive tendencies, on the other hand, are evolutionarily-speaking very old and are, therefore, more instinctive and, to a less extent, coupled with positive sensations. The book is entertaining and easy to read. It can be highly recommended. I truly wish this book had been required reading in my college psychology and sociology classes.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Know Thyself: The Key to Happiness,
By cyggie002 "cyggie" (Tequesta, FL USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Darwinian Happiness: Evolution as a Guide for Living and Understanding Human Behavior (Hardcover)
Darwinian Happiness is a novel concept in the literature on well being. Contrary to most books that offer advice on how to live your life, it starts out with a scientific perspective. It explains why, in evolutionary terms, we have a capacity to feel good or feel bad. Based on this understanding of the human brain, we are advised on how to best nurture positive feelings. All in all the book does a very good job at explaining what it means to be human, why we have evolved a capacity to enjoy life in general, and things like art and music in particular. One recurring recommendation is that we should try to adapt the way we live to the way we are designed to live. By heeding this advice, we are likely to obtain better health both mentally and physically. Above the entrance to the ancient Oracle of Delphi was written "know thyself". This book on Darwinian Happiness allows you to follow that advice. It is the best book on the biology of human behavior that I have read. I urge you to try it.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book,
By
This review is from: Darwinian Happiness: Evolution as a Guide for Living and Understanding Human Behavior (Hardcover)
I am a fan of Evolutionary Psychology and I love this book. It is very well written and explains human behavior very well.
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