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Nonzero: The Logic of Human Destiny Hardcover – January 4, 2000

by Robert Wright (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 330 ratings
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At the beginning of Nonzero, Robert Wright sets out to "define the arrow of the history of life, from the primordial soup to the World Wide Web." Twenty-two chapters later, after a sweeping and vivid narrative of the human past, he has succeeded — and has mounted a powerful challenge to the conventional view that evolution and human history are aimless.

Ingeniously employing game theory — the logic of "zero-sum" and "non-zero-sum" games — Wright isolates the impetus behind life's basic direction: the impetus that, via biological evolution, created complex, intelligent animals and then, via cultural evolution, pushed the human species toward deeper and vaster social complexity. In this view, the coming of today's interdependent global society was "in the cards" — not quite inevitable, perhaps, but, as Wright puts it, "so probable as to inspire wonder." So probable, indeed, as to invite speculation about higher purpose, especially in light of "the phase of history that seems to lie immediately ahead: a social, political, and even moral culmination of sorts."

In a work of vast erudition and pungent wit, Wright takes on some of the past century's most prominent thinkers, including Isaiah Berlin, Karl Popper, Stephen Jay Gould, and Richard Dawkins. He finds evidence for his position in unexpected corners, from native American hunter-gatherer societies and Polynesian chiefdoms to medieval Islamic commerce and precocious Chinese technology; from conflicts of interest among a cell's genes to discord at the World Trade Organization.

Wright argues that a coolly scientific appraisal of humanity's three-billion-year past can give new spiritual meaning to the present and even offer political guidance for the future. Nonzero will change the way people think about the human prospect.
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  1. Print length
    448 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Pantheon
  4. Publication date
    January 4, 2000
  5. Dimensions
    5.75 x 0.75 x 9.75 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0679442529
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0679442523
  8. See all details
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4.4 out of 5 stars
330 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book's thesis interesting and informative. They describe it as a valuable read that transcends boundaries between science and religion. The book is described as concise, well-written, and coherent. Readers appreciate the clear and elegant design.

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InterestReadabilityExpositionPacingDesign
25 customers mention "Interest"25 positive0 negative

Customers find the book interesting and informative. They appreciate the author's thoughtful arguments and introspection into history and where we are today. Readers feel inspired by the ideas and content, finding it an important read with new possibilities.

"...But again, I think it is a very important book, and I would highly recommend it to anyone with an open mind, intelligence, and hope for the future..." Read more

"...Using archeology, paleaeontology, human history in broad scopes, game theory's zero-sum and nonzero-sum outcomes, kin versus individual selection,..." Read more

"...Wright is remarkably free of bias. He is a deep thinker who has studied the subject thoroughly and has achieved original insights...." Read more

"...On the whole, it was an encouraging book...." Read more

18 customers mention "Readability"18 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and valuable. They describe it as one of the best books of the past decade and a must-read. The author is considered masterful and tackles an important topic.

"...time, I've got to admit it is seriously one of the best and most important books I've ever read. Why did I have to read it a second time?..." Read more

"Wright is a masterful author who tackles an important and intellectually-interesting issue: Is evolution, specifically natural selection, simply "..." Read more

"...Nonzero is an exceptionally valuable book." Read more

"This is an outstanding read, even if you do not end up agreeing with everything, even most things the author lays out...." Read more

10 customers mention "Exposition"10 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's exposition. They say it transcends boundaries between science and religion, better understands human dynamics when considering mankind through the non-zero lens. The multidisciplinary approach draws examples from biology, history, politics, psychology, sociology, and technology. The arguments on each topic are clear and accessible, with profound religious and scientific implications in an accessible way. The book covers multiple topics that are interesting to them.

"...evidence he evinces for it, however, Wright is consistent, coherent, logical, and persuasive...." Read more

"...He manages to explore ideas with incredibly profound religious and scientific implications in a way that is accessible and enjoyable for the..." Read more

"...cultural history, he demonstrates why this perspective is better at explaining change and growth over time...." Read more

"...It draws examples from biology, history, politics, psychology, sociology and my favorite topic: technology...." Read more

10 customers mention "Pacing"10 positive0 negative

Customers find the book concise and well-written. They appreciate the author's clear, logical presentation of insights in an understandable way for the average person. The book is easy to read and well-documented. Readers find the arguments brilliant and balanced.

"...Read it slowly and contemplate the consequences. Thanks Mr. Wright." Read more

"...NonZero" is an important, well-written, and scientifically supported case for natural selection's inherent directionality from simplest to the more..." Read more

"...honest and to present his insights in a clear manner, understandable to the average person (rather than the stlited manner of pseudo-philosophers)...." Read more

"Robert Wright shines with an impressive scope and depth of knowledge that he wears lightly as he plumbs these deep questions of origin & meaning...." Read more

5 customers mention "Design"5 positive0 negative

Customers like the design. They say it's concise, elegant, and astonishing.

"...logic, Wright tackles the issue directly, concisely, forcefully, and elegantly...." Read more

"...As a result you have a surplus of red meat and your wardrobe of clothes is astonishing...." Read more

"...and apparent intentionality of life using completely natural, undesigned, undirected mechanisms that allow plenty of room for spirituality without..." Read more

"A fascinating broad look at whether (yes) and why social/cultural evolution has an overall trend and what that trend is...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • David Brewer
    5.0 out of 5 stars He's Wright about Cultural Evolution!
    Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2009
    Verified Purchase
    Having just finished Nonzero for the second time, I've got to admit it is seriously one of the best and most important books I've ever read. Why did I have to read it a second time? The first was a quick read over a long weekend two years ago -- but something stuck in my mind that I hadn't really "grokked" it. And that was true, because, I read it as an archaeologist, rather than as an anthropologist, and I guess I was just looking at it as another theoretical bent. But there was that gnawing feeling I'd missed something. On a second 'conscious' reading of the book, slowly digesting as I read, and following all the notes, I came away with the gist of it, and you know, Wright's right: civilizations may come and go, but cultural evolution is here to stay. Is there a method to the madness? Yes, absolutely. Is it 'conscious' in its own right? Well, there's the rub. But as far as showing that cultural evolution proceeds pretty much along the same route as biological evolution (only at hyper-speed), well, Mr. Wright, I'm convinced.

    If there is any criticism, I'd have to say it centers on the fact that he lays it all at the feet of (the pursuit of?) non-zero-sumness (a sub-set of outcomes related to game theory, and which he freely admits was awkward at times), and that took some getting used to, as well as understanding, and then believing.

    The exploration of history against a background of Darwinian biological evolution, even to the molecular level, is mind-numbing, but well worth the ride. And his explanation of the (probability and) nature of life is awe-inspiring. I would suggest it become a standard text in Anthropology graduate courses as soon as possible.

    But again, I think it is a very important book, and I would highly recommend it to anyone with an open mind, intelligence, and hope for the future (and a good background in the sciences wouldn't hurt either). Read it slowly and contemplate the consequences. Thanks Mr. Wright.
    8 people found this helpful
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  • D. S. Heersink
    4.0 out of 5 stars Natural Selection's Argument for Directionality
    Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2005
    Verified Purchase
    Wright is a masterful author who tackles an important and intellectually-interesting issue: Is evolution, specifically natural selection, simply "random" as suggested by Stephen Jay Gould et alia or is it "directional" from the simplest to the most complex? Using archeology, paleaeontology, human history in broad scopes, game theory's zero-sum and nonzero-sum outcomes, kin versus individual selection, Richard Dawkin's memes from his book "The Selfish Gene," and a posteriori logic, Wright tackles the issue directly, concisely, forcefully, and elegantly.

    His answer to the question, in contradistinction to his Marxist antagonists like Gould (See the sociological critique "Defenders of the Truth" by Ullica Segerstrale for sociobiology's reprecussion in academia), is that the evidence points unquestionably to the nonzero sumness outcomes of organisms to develop from the simplest to more complex organisms, implying at least a "directional" undercurrent in sociobiology rather than simple "random" effects that his nemeses posit. This conclusion inevitably suggests the subsidiary question whether evolution is teleological -- that is, directed to some ostensive purpose or goal (which he rejects, but not without empathy for those who find oppositely). On his principal argument and the evidence he evinces for it, however, Wright is consistent, coherent, logical, and persuasive.

    Three caveats: (1) his notion that natural selection's directionality from simplicity to complexity seems to suggest "progress" towards some higher purpose leads Wright to argument unconincingly for a one-world government about midway; (2) Wright, as masterful though he be with the facts and prose, is not a scientist and does not hold himself out to be; but he amply draws from primary and secondary sources to support all the evidence necessary to make his directionality of natural selection very compelling. (3) All evolutionary scientists insist that natural selection is entirely random, so this theory, plausible as it might seem, is contrary to science.

    One annoyance: This highly documented work is supported with a peculiar "note" system that is simultaneously confusing and awkward. The ubiquitous "dagger" instead of individual endnotes or footnotes is highly aggravating.

    Finally, one has to ask, Is Wright's thesis really important to an understanding of ourselves, and if so, how? I found his directionality thesis of natural selection both compelling and important in that there is "progress" in a very generic sense, but did not find Wright's politial and economic "solutions" interposed midway supported by any evidence, but was sort of an ad hoc notion from his own political biases (see his articles in the New Republic magazine and elsewhere). I actually found the opposite conclusions to be supported by the supposition that biodiversity to be the impetus behind natural selection's constantly undergoing improvements and balancing of traits.

    "NonZero" is an important, well-written, and scientifically supported case for natural selection's inherent directionality from simplest to the more complex organisms. Being at the top of the evolutionary pyramid in terms of complexity, homo sapiens needs to find ways to use this increasing complexity to its own advantage. I assume that a more reflective, less ad hoc intrusion midway, will be forthcoming to "demonstrate," if Wright can, that one-world government is a solution to some of our predicaments. The same evidence actually seems to support the opposite conclusion. Highly recommended.
    17 people found this helpful
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  • Raghubir Singh Pirta
    5.0 out of 5 stars Enriching the layers of noosphere!
    Reviewed in India on August 28, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Robert Wright's 'love' for non-zero-sumness, distances him more and more from getting closer to love as we understand it. This commoner's view finds eloquence in Radha-Krishna lore stimulating Octavio Paz to pen a memorable volume in the last years of his life.
    Wright also distances himself from experimental psychologist Harry F. Harlow's discovery of love in infant monkeys. Equally unforgivable is the neglect of the foundation of social bonding in attachment theory of John Bowlby.
    The outcome therefore is replication of 'selfish gene' or 'self interest' by thrusting 'non-zero-sumness' from cellular organelles to global organizations. Yet throughout the book NONZERO, most surprisingly, the author wonders to embrace Pierre Teilhard de Chardin: the noosphere, the Omega, the God.
    In this goal, the author begins with the biological evolution; where arguments become shaky Wright invokes cultural evolution; at places curious amalgam of gene-culture coevolution is applied. How biological and cultural streams meet remains an open question. However, Wright keeps students of animal behaviour and students of history busy in trying to understand each other!
    Does the author ultimately succeed in giving a new perspective on cooperation? On humanly bonds of love! The attempt is marvelous; the author questions the authority of God as reflexively as the authority of science. The twin beliefs needs to reconcile in good karma. This is a savvy thesis of Robert Wright for our common future. Indeed to reinforce the layers of the noosphere.
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  • vesna
    5.0 out of 5 stars History
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 28, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Great book
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  • Sam
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great summary of history and where civilization is heading
    Reviewed in Canada on May 24, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Good sources and makes logical arguments based on facts. After reading the book you can easily see nonzero summess in real world. Positive outlook and a great point of view when the world seems to becoming more nationalist (probably temporarily).
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  • medicus
    5.0 out of 5 stars Bill Clinton hat es öffentlich empfohlen
    Reviewed in Germany on February 19, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    Kürzlich las ich ein Interview mit Bill Clinton, in dem er dieses Buch als außerordentlich wichtig und für ihn bedeutsam empfahl.
    Ich habe es nur auf Englisch finden können.
    Es ist aber auch so faszinierend, weil es die Geschichte der Menscheit so ganz anders erzählt.
    Es ist aber kein Geschichtsbuch, sondern ein philosphischer Ansatz der der Entwicklung der Menschheit eine Bedeutung und Richtung zu geben versucht.
    Ein spannender und überaus lesenswerter Beitrag zur Globalisierungsdebatte:
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  • Patrick Sullivan
    4.0 out of 5 stars A Fun Read But Many Areas Of Disagreement
    Reviewed in Canada on January 6, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    The book starts off with, an incredible listing of historic events. Wright is attempting to explain how life advances towards more complex forms. I did not always agree with his historic examples. He also has a habit of over looking events, that would contrast with his theories. But I throughly enjoyed, reading the historical perspectives. Wright also explains, that eventually all human societies would evolve and develop social complexities. Events like the Industrial Revolutuion, would eventually take place in all societies. I just flat-out, did not agree with Wright`s assumption, regarding social evolution.

    Wright`s over all conclusion; is that the advancement of human evolution and progress, will lead to the development of a world government. A world government will be the pinnacle of humanities social evolution. This is where, I came into a strong case of disagreement with the author. Wright ignores examples like; the successful Swiss government model of decentralization and massive big government corruption at places like the UN. I am sure a lot of potential readers, support the idea of a world government. In which case, you will want to give Wright`s book a five star rating.

    Over all, I loved reading this book. I did however, have strong reservations with the Wright`s final conclusion.
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