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The Rational Animal: How Evolution Made Us Smarter Than We Think Hardcover – Illustrated, September 10, 2013

by Douglas T Kenrick (Author), Vladas Griskevicius (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 102 ratings
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Why do three out of four professional football players go bankrupt? How can illiterate jungle dwellers pass a test that tricks Harvard philosophers? And why do billionaires work so hard -- only to give their hard-earned money away?

When it comes to making decisions, the classic view is that humans are eminently rational. But growing evidence suggests instead that our choices are often irrational, biased, and occasionally even moronic. Which view is right -- or is there another possibility?

In this animated tour of the inner workings of the mind, psychologist Douglas T. Kenrick and business professor Vladas Griskevicius challenge the prevailing views of decision making, and present a new alternative grounded in evolutionary science. By connecting our modern behaviors to their ancestral roots, they reveal that underneath our seemingly foolish tendencies is an exceptionally wise system of decision making.

From investing money to choosing a job, from buying a car to choosing a romantic partner, our choices are driven by deep-seated evolutionary goals. Because each of us has multiple evolutionary goals, though, new research reveals something radical -- there's more than one "you" making decisions. Although it feels as if there is just one single "self" inside your head, your mind actually contains several different subselves, each one steering you in a different direction when it takes its turn at the controls.

The Rational Animal will transform the way you think about decision making. And along the way, you'll discover the intimate connections between ovulating strippers, Wall Street financiers, testosterone-crazed skateboarders, Steve Jobs, Elvis Presley, and you.
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  1. Print length
    288 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Basic Books
  4. Publication date
    September 10, 2013
  5. Dimensions
    6.5 x 1 x 9.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0465032427
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0465032426
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Sheer stupidity is what economic rationalists see when Elvis Presley buys 100 glitzy Cadillacs, when New York governor Eliot Spitzer pays as much as $80,000 for escort services, and when Steven Spielberg invests with Bernie Madoff. But Kenrick and Griskevicius see something more complex. In these apparently stupid decisions, they discern the results of an evolutionary history that impels men and women to ignore their own immediate self-interest in ways that ultimately foster the biological success of the species. That biological success, the authors argue, depends on a human identity that evolution has partitioned into seven separate subselves, each serving a different fundamental human need: self-protection, disease avoidance, affiliation, status, mate acquisition, mate retention, and kin care. When the environment triggers behaviors inscribed in any of these subselves, economic rationality may go out the window. Some readers may protest that the authors are offering biological justifications for foolishness. But the authors actually provide readers with helpful strategies for managing their evolutionary subselves prudently. A persuasive—and entertaining—look at the Darwinian dynamics of decision making. --Bryce Christensen

Review

“Kenrick is one of evolutionary psychology's alpha males, a grizzled veteran of many battles against the Blank Slate dogma. Griskevicius is the field's most brilliant and productive young star, whose ingenious research proved the transformative power of Darwinism for understanding business and marketing. Together, they make a fascinating, compelling, and fun case that people's decision-making embodies a deep evolutionary rationality rather than a superficial economic rationality. It you want to take the Red Pill and really understand what is going on in modern consumerist capitalism—if you want to dive deeper into our paleo-rationality than Dan Ariely or Daniel Kahneman have dared to go, you must read this book.”
—Geoffrey Miller, University of New Mexico, and author of The Mating Mind and Spent

“Do you want to understand all kinds of human judgment errors that seemed inexplicable before? And do you want to be able to profit handsomely from that new and deep form of understanding? Then don't miss the profound insights of this groundbreaking book.”
—Robert B. Cialdini, author of Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion

“The Rational Animal is a fun romp through the comedy of human errors. Again and again, the authors find, evolutionary urges and hardwired brains explain behaviors rational economists cannot. Humans just don't make sense, it seems, unless you expect them not to.”
—Mother Jones

“[An] entertaining and informative book.”
—Minneapolis Star-Tribune

“A persuasive—and entertaining—look at the Darwinian dynamics of decision making.”
—Booklist

“Vigorously investigated.... Sharp, piquant science/behavioral-economics writing.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Why do we overspend, underinvest, and make seemingly poor decisions? The Rational Animal shows that the answer comes from a simple, but often overlooked place: Our animal ancestors. Whether we like it or not, evolution has shaped who we are today. But rather than making us foolishly irrational, looking deeper inside ourselves reveals a surprisingly brilliant beast.”
—Jonah Berger, author of Contagious: Why Things Catch On

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Basic Books; 1st edition (September 10, 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0465032427
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0465032426
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.14 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1 x 9.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 102 ratings

About the authors

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  1. Douglas Kenrick

    Douglas Kenrick

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    Professor at Arizona State U, author of over 220 scientific paper, chapters, and books integrating social psychology, evolutionary biology, anthropology, and economics.

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  2. Vladas Griskevicius

    Vladas Griskevicius

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    Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
102 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book well-written, well-organized, and insightful into why we make decisions. They also say it's not technical and a great read.

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ContentReading experience
15 customers mention "Content"15 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well-written, well-thought-out, and entertaining. They also say the stories are used to illustrate every detail about the evolution of human nature. Readers also say it provides a good, plain-English survey of evolutionary psychology and how it helped shape current. They say the model is easy to understand and remember in terms of our priorities.

"...I had a complete wake-up moment. Stories are used to illustrate every detail about the evolution of human nature...." Read more

"This is truly a great read for anyone interested in the human mind in general and human decision making in particular...." Read more

"...The book is not at all technical, and is a bit breezy at times. I felt that the final chapter was the weakest...." Read more

"This book gives great understanding and insight into why we often make decisions and take actions we ourselves don't understand in retrospect, and..." Read more

4 customers mention "Reading experience"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book an entertaining and light read. They also mention that it's a great read.

"...to the principles of evolutionary psychology, and it's an entertaining and light read. A recommended buy!" Read more

"A great read! A whole new way for looking at the biases involved in human decision making...." Read more

"Great read despite the criticism..." Read more

"Great book..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

TinaW
5.0 out of 5 stars Light Bulb Moment
Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2013
Verified Purchase
I don't read books. I buy them and then I start a few pages and then it collects dust (or takes up space on my ipad until I delete it). I like the idea of reading books. I just don't have time. After reading this book, I realize that I do have time. I just never found the right material. I read this book in two days. Record for me...

This book shook me. If you have ever really wondered WHY people behave the way they do (sometimes in crazy ways) this is the book with the answers. I had a complete wake-up moment. Stories are used to illustrate every detail about the evolution of human nature. This book should be in the hands of everyone who wants to understand how to really engage people. The only way to influence people is to understand what our brains are actually designed to find meaningful. This is the only book that I have found that gives you that kind of guidance and understanding. I was really interested in the insights that apply to my personal life (and there are many! for better or worse). Highly recommend. You'll also laugh out loud to yourself more than once - if only because you wish you would have learned this stuff a long time ago!! 'bout time.
15 people found this helpful
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Patrick Vyncke
5.0 out of 5 stars A great read! A whole new way for looking at the biases involved in human decision making.
Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2013
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This is truly a great read for anyone interested in the human mind in general and human decision making in particular. In recent years we've already witnesses a major shift from a rational-economic model of the human mind to a more psychologically based irrational and intuitive model of human decision making, in which biases, heuristics, gut feelings, and habits are at center stage. Kenrick and Griskevicius, both eminent evolutionary social psychologists, now provide us with a view on where this hot new field of scientific research and debate should be heading: towards an evolutionary understanding of where those biases, heuristics and gut feelings come from, how they contribute to deeply rational (that is, fitness enhancing) decisions most of the time, and truly moronic decisions sometimes, and how they are dependent upon which of your seven subselves is currently activated. I am convinced that this book may be the start of a new and massive research program that will help us come to a full-blown science of human decision making.

Patrick Vyncke, professor of communication management at Ghent University (Belgium)
2 people found this helpful
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Richard M. Wallace
4.0 out of 5 stars Good Overview
Reviewed in the United States on October 5, 2013
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Pop behavioral books seem to be the rage this year, and this is a good one. I am a professional economist, and the perspective offered in The Rational Animal certainly promises to enrich my discipline - it certainly points to the limitations of "rational choice" models in those areas where one of our other "selves" is likely to be activated, and I would certainly recommend it to fellow economists.

The book is not at all technical, and is a bit breezy at times. I felt that the final chapter was the weakest. It read a bit like it was rushed to meet a deadline. It appeared to be an airing of grievances, and as a student of behavioral economist I was particularly struck by the careless statement on pp. 200 - 201 that one is ten times more likely to die of prescription drugs than of street drugs - this is a clear example of the classic error of ignoring the baseline. The number of people who take prescription drugs is a good bit higher than users of meth and cocaine. Perhaps the authors meant this in jest, but it would have been nice to have had a clearer wink.
4 people found this helpful
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Chris Crafford
5.0 out of 5 stars Great insights into why we appear to make bad choices
Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2013
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This book gives great understanding and insight into why we often make decisions and take actions we ourselves don't understand in retrospect, and the people around us, that know us, definitely think we lost it!

The idea that we have sub personas, deeply vested in our ancient past makes a lot of sense to me and fits well with our observed behavior.

As a manager of a large team, and working in a company where I need to influence many people that do not report to me understanding these sub personas and what drives them is very helpful. This knowledge can and will change how I approach getting difficult messages across, especially when consequential action is needed. By bringing a persona to the forefront that has behaviors sympathetic to the specific issue, you can more easily get decisions made, ideas accepted, and action taken.

I highly recommend reading this book, whatever you do in life. If nothing else if will give you new perspectives on why people do the things they do!
4 people found this helpful
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DR. PAULO FINURAS
5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely Douglas Kenrick ( and his team) is one of the great names of EP and has already accustomed us to ...
Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2015
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This book shows and reinforces the talent showed in the previous work of Prof. Kenrick (Sex, Murder and the Meaning of Life – that I consider remarkable). Definitely Douglas Kenrick ( and his team) is one of the great names of EP and has already accustomed us to great works that combine the rigor of research to a loose and very nice writing. Get in the mood to divulge science and help us understanding who we are and why we do what we do. I agree that the whole theory developed by Prof. Kenrick about the mode of operation, decision-making and priority-setting in our brain is well lit with his vision of multiples selves. A must read. And for those who have not read the previous I recommend you do so.
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S. Saha
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read despite the criticism
Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2014
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As a classically trained economist and someone who has gotten into Psychology and Behavior Economics, I learned a great deal reading this book. It changed the way I looked at human behavior. I never knew the evolutionary perspective on human behavior existed. I was reluctant to read this book given Taleb's negative review. However, I am glad I read it. Maybe Taleb's criticism is higher level stuff, but for ordinary readers like me, I think the information in Rational Animal is great. I now understand why Robert Cialdini, the author of "Influence," recommends this book.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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craig s
5.0 out of 5 stars very enjoyable
Reviewed in Canada on June 5, 2021
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enjoyable read about how many modern day seemingly irrational behaviours can be traced back as evolutionary intelligence's that served us well previously.

some interesting depth but still able to be enjoyed by most. written in a light hearted manner.
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Xavier
4.0 out of 5 stars Thèse intéressante
Reviewed in France on April 10, 2019
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A travers divers exemples, les auteurs s'attachent à démontrer leur thèse que des comportements observés a priori irrationnels sont au contraire bien rationnels à l'aune des instincts de l'animal qui subsiste en nous.
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Our needs control our decisions
Reviewed in India on June 10, 2018
Verified Purchase
It is a great book and basically reinvents Maslow hierarchy of needs but with a few new juicy twists. I liked the book
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Bodycheetah
3.0 out of 5 stars Could have been so much better
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 10, 2018
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Disappointingly shallow. Promises a lot but doesn't really deliver. Robin Wright's The Moral Animal packs a much more powerful punch
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indie
5.0 out of 5 stars höchst interessant!
Reviewed in Germany on November 26, 2013
Verified Purchase
ein leicht verständliches buch mit vielen fallbeispielen, das unser verhalten aus evolutionärer perspektive nachvollziehbar macht (daran scheitern traditionelle erklärungsversuche - vgl. homo oeconomicus - oftmals).
One person found this helpful
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