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Sex, Murder, and the Meaning of Life: A Psychologist Investigates How Evolution, Cognition, and Complexity are Revolutionizing our View of Human Nature
“Kenrick writes like a dream.”—Robert Sapolsky, Professor of Biology and Neurology, Stanford University; author of A Primate’s Memoir and Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers
What do sex and murder have to do with the meaning of life? Everything.In Sex, Murder, and the Meaning of Life, social psychologist Douglas Kenrick exposes the selfish animalistic underside of human nature, and...more
What do sex and murder have to do with the meaning of life? Everything.In Sex, Murder, and the Meaning of Life, social psychologist Douglas Kenrick exposes the selfish animalistic underside of human nature, and...more
Hardcover, 256 pages
Published
April 26th 2011
by Basic Books
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When a baseball player steps up to the plate and wags his bat at the wall past outfield, it's a sign. Next pitch is a homerun. When someone, in this case, Douglas Kenrick, entitles a book Sex, Murder, and the Meaning of Life it's the literary equivalent of holding a bat straight out to the centerfield wall.
The introduction begins, "You and I have probably never met, but you might be shocked to learn how well we know one another and how intimately our lives are connected." Kenrick goes on to say,...more
The introduction begins, "You and I have probably never met, but you might be shocked to learn how well we know one another and how intimately our lives are connected." Kenrick goes on to say,...more
**Simple rules make us profoundly human**
Weaving together the insights of the three interdisciplinary movements of cognitive science, evolutionary psychology, and dynamical systems theory, Douglas Kenrick reveals the simple rules explaining some of our most complex human behaviors. His fascinating journey illuminating human drives, emotions, and behaviors is grounded in the following basic principles:
1. Simple selfish rules—looking at human behavior through an evolutionary context reveals a coll...more
Weaving together the insights of the three interdisciplinary movements of cognitive science, evolutionary psychology, and dynamical systems theory, Douglas Kenrick reveals the simple rules explaining some of our most complex human behaviors. His fascinating journey illuminating human drives, emotions, and behaviors is grounded in the following basic principles:
1. Simple selfish rules—looking at human behavior through an evolutionary context reveals a coll...more
A nice new introduction to evolutionary and cognitive psychology. Covers a wide array of the current topics. At first I feared his anecdotal way of writing would get in the way of my enjoyment of the book, but it was done well and meshed the scientific aspects of the book in an interesting way.
I liked and was interested by what it covered. I thought Kenrick was a good writer. I was especially interested in the chapter on evolution and economics, I was intrigued by Hayek's blend of these two ide...more
I liked and was interested by what it covered. I thought Kenrick was a good writer. I was especially interested in the chapter on evolution and economics, I was intrigued by Hayek's blend of these two ide...more
Much as I wanted to love this book, and in spite of all the enthusiastic reviews (reader, peer and pro no less), I was disappointed by the lack of content and development(a scant 200 pages sans notes) of a fascinating subject. The author runs through each theme with an opening anecdote based on personal experience, a brief description of one or two studies carried out by his own research team or approved affiliates and concludes with yet another anecdote which is meant to illustrate the validity...more
Sex, Murder and the Meaning of Life by Douglas T. Kenrick
"Sex, Murder and the Meaning of Life" is a book about the study of the underside of human nature and then some. Using a modern form of psychology grounded in evolutionary biology, cognitive science and new research Mr. Kenrick provides the answers of some of the most interesting aspects of human nature. This 256-page book is composed of the following twelve chapters: 1. Standing in the Gutter: How did an innocent young student accidentally...more
"Sex, Murder and the Meaning of Life" is a book about the study of the underside of human nature and then some. Using a modern form of psychology grounded in evolutionary biology, cognitive science and new research Mr. Kenrick provides the answers of some of the most interesting aspects of human nature. This 256-page book is composed of the following twelve chapters: 1. Standing in the Gutter: How did an innocent young student accidentally...more
Review based on ARC
This was, for me, someone without much of a background in "evolutionary psychology," interesting and thought provoking. I appreciated that the author presented the theory without dumbing it down too much, while still making it accessible to someone who is interested in psychology but doesn't quite have the time to really focus on it.
The author expresses his theories on how our natural inclinations toward selfishness and pleasure have often given way to the some of society's gr...more
This was, for me, someone without much of a background in "evolutionary psychology," interesting and thought provoking. I appreciated that the author presented the theory without dumbing it down too much, while still making it accessible to someone who is interested in psychology but doesn't quite have the time to really focus on it.
The author expresses his theories on how our natural inclinations toward selfishness and pleasure have often given way to the some of society's gr...more
The 2nd part of this book was 'better' than the first,
changing my 1 star vote to 2 stars.
Over-all -- I never felt anything got 'fully' developed.
The authors 'defensive-edge' smoothed as the book went along though...(so it became easier to enjoy the content of what he wrote...
But when the author says..."you might think this book is about me" ....but its about YOU...
don't kid yourself....
Sure --we are all connected --and its the information he writes is about all of us...
but you can bet your boot...more
changing my 1 star vote to 2 stars.
Over-all -- I never felt anything got 'fully' developed.
The authors 'defensive-edge' smoothed as the book went along though...(so it became easier to enjoy the content of what he wrote...
But when the author says..."you might think this book is about me" ....but its about YOU...
don't kid yourself....
Sure --we are all connected --and its the information he writes is about all of us...
but you can bet your boot...more
1 like · like · see review
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Evolutionary psychology has a hard rap in this world - most people are probably put off my the 'evolutionary' and its only natural to freak out a little when people start telling you that your motivations in life stem entirely from what made early humans good baby makers.
But then Kenrick comes along and defends evolutionary psychology with skill, wit and insight, and I find it hard to feel sorry for the subject.
In Sex, Murder and the Meaning of Life, we explore issues from mate selection, aggres...more
But then Kenrick comes along and defends evolutionary psychology with skill, wit and insight, and I find it hard to feel sorry for the subject.
In Sex, Murder and the Meaning of Life, we explore issues from mate selection, aggres...more
I can totally see why Robert Sapolsky gave this his mark of approval. It's irreverent, funny as hell and stinking brilliant! Sure, the blunt, streetwise, Brooklyn guy narrative voice boarders on shtick at times. That being said, it has a important function, to playfully broach the "offensive" (to some) subject matter that is the hallmark of evolutionary psychology (e.g. sex -including homosex- and aggression). Of course the material covered in this book (which I will not summarize), goes far bey...more
I suspect most people’s objections to psychological research that demonstrates a trend toward our more base instincts (e.g., it’s all about mating!) is rooted in a basic misunderstanding of how said research is conducted. It’s a series of surveys and other tests administered to a semi-random group of volunteers. The findings imply general tendencies - none of which are all that surprising, by the way - but that does not mean we are mindless automatons at the mercies of our impulses. Obviously. F...more
This is enjoyably written. If you have already read a bit on evolutionary psychology & similar topics you are not likely to learn anything new.
The author does a very nice job of integrating stories about his own life in pertinent ways.
However, as he tells us several times, during his rebellious youth he did poorly in algebra and never moved on to calculus. More than that, he scrupulously avoids numbers, even when they are very relevant. He discusses MANY studies but NEVER tells us how big th...more
The author does a very nice job of integrating stories about his own life in pertinent ways.
However, as he tells us several times, during his rebellious youth he did poorly in algebra and never moved on to calculus. More than that, he scrupulously avoids numbers, even when they are very relevant. He discusses MANY studies but NEVER tells us how big th...more
I really enjoyed this. The author was quite amusing and it's an interesting topic. It's interesting to look at all human motivations as having to do with evolution. My favorite part was when he was describing a study in which coupled men and women were asked about their relationships, then shown pictures of attractive people in the opposite sex, and then asked again about their relationships. Men back pedaled a bit about the seriousness of their relationships after seeing models. "Are women just...more
Oh, where to start.
It's a fast read, and it has some entertaining bits. But the science seems light and shaky, and the author is overly preoccupied with his own tales of sexual experiences. Evo psych is a pretty messed up field, but he's completely ignoring animal behavior studies that don't fit with his ideas. Which... i mean, it's a book, not a peer reviewed article, he can pull that shit, I just don't have to like it or agree with his conclusions. Especially since there are plenty of lovely b...more
It's a fast read, and it has some entertaining bits. But the science seems light and shaky, and the author is overly preoccupied with his own tales of sexual experiences. Evo psych is a pretty messed up field, but he's completely ignoring animal behavior studies that don't fit with his ideas. Which... i mean, it's a book, not a peer reviewed article, he can pull that shit, I just don't have to like it or agree with his conclusions. Especially since there are plenty of lovely b...more
Entertaining mix of theory and personal stories of rebel rouser growing up in New York in the 60s who went on to become one of academia's leading social psychologists. There's nothing too heavy in this fairly thin tome, which at times is a plus and perhaps at other times a minus as I wouldn't have minded hearing more technical definitions as opposed to stories about the author's many failed romances and infatuations.
But it did give me fodder for thought which is one of the things I want to have...more
But it did give me fodder for thought which is one of the things I want to have...more
Interesting presentation as I listened to this volume as a Book on Tape, by the author Douglas T. Kendrick. I found him East Coast Brash and a thrown together professional. His relating his hypotheses on his own wacky and sometimes disturbing experiences in life was supposed to be refreshing but to me I found I didn't like the man (based on these stories) so wasn't invested much in his opinions anymore. Maybe he was trying to be like Richard Feynman was in lecturing Mathematics, but for me this...more
One of the best pop-science books I read in a while... Evolutionary psychology explained well and backed with good science and good explanation of the experiments performed to reach the conclusions. Explains plenty on why we do the things we do in a sober, confident, and non-judge mental tone. Very well done.
Would have given 3.5 stars if it was an option. Teaches us about the reasons behind our desires and how genetics, environment, and evolution influences those. Definitely has made me think about certain things in new ways. It also confirmed other things I knew but couldn't verbalize.
Interesting read with short chapters, making it easy to digest, but also makes you want more. Intriguing and convincing topics. However, it only focuses on the authors research. Much more depth could be provided, but a good overview of several theories.
In its summary, this book sounded enthralling to me. In practice, it was only all right. I thought it was both scattered in terms of its content and boringly pedantic in terms of its organization. There are a few interesting insights, and it does give a good overview of how the fields of cognitive science and evolutionary pscyhology are starting to mesh.
Unusually good: combines observational psychology and some economics to discuss why we behave how we do, and how our seemingly irrational behavior generally indicates underlying rational models of the world that aren't working the way we expect.
Do I agree with most of what Kenrick is writing? Yes. Was it interesting? Not really. With a topic like this, it should have been. Good content but boring.
I agree with a lot of the other reviews on here- the subject matter was interesting but the disorganization and scattered presentation distracted from his ideas.
Sex, Murder, and the Meaning of Life by Douglas Kenrick is a very engaging review of the latest research in the field of evolutionary psychology (that is, explaining our actions from an evolutionary perspective). What could be a dry non-fiction book is light, humorous, and interesting, primarily because of the author's breezy writing style, and his willingness to include personal observations and life lessons in the material. A very thought-provoking and interesting introduction to a field of re...more
Human nature in different and interesting situations.
changed the way I think about everything
CogSci nerdiness
It was pretty good. But it got dull after awhile. I'm not seriously interested in how the brain works, just how the environment, social aspects, drugs, heredity, and upbringing and so on have an affect on the brain and the person themselves... I guess I'm not for the ... what do they call it.. neurological aspect? Or is that what it is.. I forget.
self congratulatory book with questionable science based on serious bias and extremely outdated notions of evolution and what is 'natural". entertaining? yes. annoying? yes! some of the studies were good but not worth the rest. this book is GREAT if you want stuff to argue against:)
This book is a quick read. The last five chapters of the book are very interesting!
This book presents some interesting ideas but I would like to see more development of the ideas and cross references to other studies.
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“If there is any hope for changing the world for the better, from reducing family violence to reversing overpopulation and international conflict, economists, educators, and political leaders will need to base their interventions on a sound understanding of what people are really like, not on some fairy-tale version of what we would like them to be.”
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