Digital List Price:	$16.00
Print List Price:	$18.00
Kindle Price:	$11.89 Save $6.11 (34%)
	includes VAT*

Add Audible book to your purchase for just $7.90

Deliver to your Kindle or other device

Added to

Unable to add item to List. Please try again.

Enter a promotion code or Gift Card

Share <Embed>

The Moral Animal: Why We Are, the Way We Are: The New Science of Evolutionary Psychology by [Wright, Robert]

Audible Sample

Playing...

Paused

The Moral Animal: Why We Are, the Way We Are: The New Science of Evolutionary Psychology Kindle Edition

by Robert Wright (Author)

223 customer reviews

See all 15 formats and editions Hide other formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$11.89

—

Hardcover

"Please retry"

—

$43.77

$2.99

Paperback

"Please retry"

$14.40

$9.27

$3.02

Audible Audiobook, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$0.00

Free with your Audible trial

Are men literally born to cheat? Does monogamy actually serve women's interests? These are among the questions that have made The Moral Animal one of the most provocative science books in recent years. Wright unveils the genetic strategies behind everything from our sexual preferences to our office politics--as well as their implications for our moral codes and public policies. Illustrations.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Kindle Feature Spotlight

Length: 496 pages	Word Wise: Enabled	Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled
Page Flip: Enabled	Audible book: Audible book Switch back and forth between reading the Kindle book and listening to the Audible book with Whispersync for Voice. Add the Audible book for a reduced price of $7.90 when you buy the Kindle book. Available

Customers who bought this item also bought

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

This shopping feature will continue to load items. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading.

Robert Wright

344

Kindle Edition
$11.99
Robert Wright

124

Kindle Edition
$12.99
Robert Kurzban

61

Kindle Edition
$13.17
Tyler Cowen
Kindle Edition
$12.99
Robert Wright

224

Kindle Edition
Matt Ridley

222

Kindle Edition
$10.24

Product details

File Size: 3449 KB
Print Length: 496 pages
Publisher: Vintage; Reprint edition (November 3, 2010)
Publication Date: November 3, 2010
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B00486U8N6
Text-to-Speech: Enabled

X-Ray:

Enabled

Word Wise: Enabled
Lending: Not Enabled
Screen Reader: Supported

Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #58,465 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
- #39 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Psychology & Counseling > Evolutionary Psychology
- #51 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Science > Evolution
- #178 in Kindle Store > Whispersync for Voice > Science & Math

Would you like to tell us about a lower price?

Be the first video

Your name here

Customer reviews

Write a customer review

See all 223 customer reviews

Read reviews that mention

Top customer reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

The Hibernian Autodidact

One of the most important books I've ever read.

September 4, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

My education has been steeped in what many writers refer to as the "Standard Social Scientific Model" - one of the assumptions of the SSSM is that environmental and cultural influences are the dominant consideration in shaping a human life, and that a person's nature is either a secondary or non-existent consideration. Because of this, I had been very resistant for years to any book focusing on human nature, or genetic explanations for simple or complex human behavior. Robert Wright's "The Moral Animal" changed all this. Part of what brought this about is the fact that Wright is such a clear and lucid writer. Frankly, had this book been written by someone of lesser skills with explanation, I probably would've put it down. Now, in my work as a psychotherapist, I'm much more likely to think in terms of what challenges of evolutionary importance are my clients having trouble coping with, such as issues regarding status, procreation, and things that would've spelled death to our neolithic ancestors. Furthermore, another conclusion that I've reached after reading this book is that Charles Darwin is given not given enough credit in psychology writing for his brilliant insights into human feelings and behavior; this needs to change. As Darwin said, if you want to understand people, just watch a troop of baboons, if you ever have the opportunity.

38 people found this helpful

Comment

February 12, 2014

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Excellent introduction to Evolutionary Psychology, in part because of how well written it is and also in no small measure due to the force of the ideas the author introduces. All this, despite being nearly 20 years in print.

The chapter on self-deception itself is easily worth the price of the book. In sum, it seems, despite our collective avowed love of something called “the truth”, there is apparently more survival value in dissembling, to such an extent that the inclination is now hopelessly wired into our brains. Thus, the primary role of our conscious, “rational” mind is simply to rationalize our behavior, like a good trial lawyer, not only to others, but more importantly, to ourselves as well, with effectiveness in persuading others increasing the more success you have in duping yourself.

I can’t disagree. It’s been my observation throughout most of my life and to see it laid out in print along with an evolutionary explanation for why it should be so provides confirmatory evidence, at least for me. Not only that, when you look around and see it so prevalently on the news, with talking heads, with politicians, with bosses, coworkers, friends and even with yourself, the net result is not outrage so much as a sort of resignation to the notion that this is the way things are. The obvious lesson, of course, is to attempt to train yourself to keep your eyes and ears open, knowing full well that the voice you hear in your own head is the one you are most susceptible to believing in and the one least likely to possess even a modicum of credibility. Good luck.

The one remarkable place in the book where the author illustrates this error himself is where he indicates, after hundreds of pages of demonstrating otherwise, that humans are somehow capable of stepping outside of this perspective; that simply because we are “wired” to act according to our hunter-gatherer brains, does not mean we cannot chose to do otherwise. This, on the heels of a commentary about the hollowness of the notion of “free will”.

All the same, a quite remarkable book.

16 people found this helpful

Helpful

Not Helpful

Comment

Amazon Customer

An excellent and well written book, The Moral Animal Delivers more than one would expect.

February 16, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Wright is evidently a good writer. He easily attracts the reader's attention, and takes them on a journey to understand the basics of evolutionary psychology.
The scientific content in the book is very clear and refined in order to paint a good enough picture of the foundations of evolutionary psychology, providing historical accounts and useful analogies to explain various concepts from that field of study.
My main criticism of the book is directed towards the parts which I can imagine are someone else's favorite part of the book. Namely, the parts detailing Darwin's life. I fully understand the literary significance of using Darwin as an example, but as a case to support Evo Psych, it seems like the writer is cherry picking events which fit his explanatory models. I believe simply using anthropological and psychological evidence is more appropriate to convince the reader, but I guess the writer had a different idea in mind. All in all, those parts were informative, but I found myself skimming them rather than actively reading them.
Perhaps another point I disliked about the book is how the writer claims he will always point out his sociopolitical inferences from the science, in order to not confuse the reader, but ends up adding his views about the ethical, social, and political implications of the science without clearly pointing out they are merely his personal opinions, at least not all the time.
In conclusion, Robert Wright is more than excellent in conveying the important ideas. And I believe The Moral Animal is a must read for any one who is interested in Evolutionary Psychology and the origin of human nature.

8 people found this helpful

Helpful

Not Helpful

Comment

Javier Bonilla Castañeda

This book will open your eyes to how humans really ...

December 21, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This book will open your eyes to how humans really work and what makes them tick. Morality is a result of evolution. Every tiny bit of our "values" can be explained by science; change the conditions and polygamy or even murder could be a virtue. As Matt Ridley explains in another similar book, queen bees have to kill, as soon as they are born, other unborn queens so that they won't be born, fight and run the risk of having both queens dead. For queen bees, murder is a virtue; if they did not perform they would be acting in a highly immoral way. What a radically different view from Ten Commandments written in stone, don't you think? Only this is science and the Commandments fiction.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Not Helpful

Comment

Most recent customer reviews

Leigh Martinuzzi

A remarkable, mind assessing, scientific and provocative read.

When I read Why Buddhism is True by Robert Wright I was blown away by his fascinating perspectives, thorough research and occasional provocative insights.Read more

Published 9 days ago

Kelevilin Kimathi

Roots of Evolutionary Psychology

I read first an article about this book in time magazine in the 90s when Robert Wright was a contributor then. The book looks at Darwin life and maps it to the theory he espouses.Read more

Published 16 days ago

Henrique

Five Stars

nice product

Published 1 month ago

Aislin Gillen

Ojbective and thoughtful until halfway through, then loses its way

I have degrees in biology, psychology, and microbiology. The first half of this book is thoughtful and objective, tying many ideas together well.Read more

Published 3 months ago

Elbo Watson

but always love reading about these types of subjects

This books has really changed my way of looking at the world. I purchased a few other books on the topic and this was the only one that kept me engaged.Read more

Published 5 months ago

David Alfonso

The simplest and most elegant explanation for why our minds ...

The simplest and most elegant explanation for why our minds (or any animal's) are the way they are. Evolutionary psychology can help individuals understand and deal with personal...Read more

Published 6 months ago

Tim Brown

Five Stars

This book explains how evolution has shaped human behavior, not just the human body. Fascinating. Skip the first chapter....

Published 8 months ago

Max

Must read to better understand people

I struggle to see how a book like this one could get anything less than 5 stars.
It's a must read for anyone who wants to better understand human nature and why we act the...Read more

Published 8 months ago

S. Misuta

Boring

Maybe it was interesting when first published in 1995? For me, it was a painfully detailed examination of evolution as a source of our behavior.Read more

Published 9 months ago

James M. Cole

Must read!

It is a magnificently written tail of how we human beings have characteristics that were inherited ages ago.Read more

Published 10 months ago

Set up an Amazon Giveaway

Amazon Giveaway allows you to run promotional giveaways in order to create buzz, reward your audience, and attract new followers and customers. Learn more about Amazon Giveaway

This item: The Moral Animal: Why We Are, the Way We Are: The New Science of Evolutionary Psychology

Set up a giveaway

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

This shopping feature will continue to load items. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading.

Robert Wright

344

Kindle Edition
$11.99
Robert Wright

124

Kindle Edition
$12.99
Milkyway Media

11

Kindle Edition
$2.99
Stephen Batchelor

86

Kindle Edition
$14.36
Robert Kurzban

61

Kindle Edition
$13.17
Shaka Senghor

372

Kindle Edition
$10.99

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.

Would you like to report poor quality or formatting in this book? Click here

Would you like to report this content as inappropriate? Click here

Do you believe that this item violates a copyright? Click here

The Moral Animal: Why We Are, the Way We Are: The New Science of Evolutionary Psychology Kindle Edition

Kindle Feature Spotlight

Customers who bought this item also bought

Sponsored products related to this item (What's this?)

Product details