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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. From his first sentence—"Welcome to this book about sex, or, more precisely perhaps, a book about how to get it"—Danish science writer Nørretranders offers his fresh, irreverent take on popular sociobiology (by this point a veritable genre). While deploying the standard tropes—a bit of game theory, descriptions of psychological experiments, some colorful anecdotes from the natural world—he does so in the service of a novel and intriguing perspective: that human generosity, creativity, cooperativeness and cleverness serve the singular evolutionary purpose of making us sexier. According to Nørretranders (The User Illusion: Cutting Consciousness Down to Size), "costly" actions, like sharing one's food and expending valuable energy on artistic pursuits, that don't directly contribute to our survival make us seem stronger and more virile. Rather than trying to transcend our sexual instincts, he claims, we should embrace them. Horniness is good!—it drives us to the limits of our capabilities. Nice guys do finish first!—at least when prospective partners are looking for more than a one-night commitment. And all the best in human endeavor, from open-source software to international medical aid, "everything spiritual, beautiful, and wise is 'merely' an aid to getting laid." (Nov. 7)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Product Description
When it comes to sex, Darwin didn't go far enough. Whereas his theory of natural selection dictates that species adapt the most efficient and logical traits (a streamlined fin, say, or a long wingspan), Generous Man makes the case that an animal's success, sexually, depends on developing the least efficient traits. Nørretranders uses as the central symbol of his theory the peacock's plumage. It's cumbersome, showy, and inefficient — and therefore terribly attractive to peahens. Put more simply, nothing shows a potential mate just how worthy you are as a partner than your ability to be wasteful and inefficient. It's like a man with money to burn. But money isn't everything: humans really measure their worth by doing something that's difficult. This is a central — though hitherto overlooked — factor in evolution. In order to win a partner to mate with, humans display their best sides. We strive for perfection, prove we are willing to help others, show consideration, and go out of our way. In other words, we are generous. This book shows how our nobler traits derive from our need for sex and are, in fact, the best way to get more of it.
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› Visit Amazon's Tor Nørretranders Page
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Inside This Book
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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs):
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market masks, kinship selection, handicap principle, costly signal, indirect reciprocity, sexual selection, polygamous males, gift economy, blue necks, ultimatum game, experimental economics Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
United States, Maynard Smith, Geoffrey Miller, Descent of Man, Amotz Zahavi, Herbert Gintis, Open Source, Arabian Babbler, World War, Central Files, Final Report, Our Lord, Robert Trivers, The User Illusion, William Hamilton, Alan Grafen, Anders Pape Moller, Black Labor, Brian Eno, Federal Intervention, Jonathan Wright, Marcel Mauss, Negro Labor, Office Files of George, Richard Alexander New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
market masks, kinship selection, handicap principle, costly signal, indirect reciprocity, sexual selection, polygamous males, gift economy, blue necks, ultimatum game, experimental economics Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
United States, Maynard Smith, Geoffrey Miller, Descent of Man, Amotz Zahavi, Herbert Gintis, Open Source, Arabian Babbler, World War, Central Files, Final Report, Our Lord, Robert Trivers, The User Illusion, William Hamilton, Alan Grafen, Anders Pape Moller, Black Labor, Brian Eno, Federal Intervention, Jonathan Wright, Marcel Mauss, Negro Labor, Office Files of George, Richard Alexander New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 89
books:
See all 89 books this book cites
- On the Origin of Species (Penguin Classics) by Charles Darwin on 9 pages
- The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin on 9 pages
- On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin on 9 pages
- The Origin Of Species: 150th Anniversary Edition by Charles Darwin on 9 pages
- The Descent of Man (Great Minds Series) by Charles Darwin on 8 pages
See all 89 books this book cites
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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?
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69% buy the item featured on this page: The Generous Man: How Helping Others is the Sexiest Thing You Can Do $13.56 |
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22% buy The User Illusion: Cutting Consciousness Down to Size (Penguin Press Science) $12.24 |
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4% buy Zero Limits: The Secret Hawaiian System for Wealth, Health, Peace, and More $11.53 |
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3% buy Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid $15.61 |
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