Cheating Monkeys and Citizen Bees: The Nature of Cooperation in Animals and Humans

by Lee Alan Dugatkin

Here biologist Lee Dugatkin outlines four paths to cooperation shared by humans and other family dynamics, reciprocal transactions (or "tit for tat"), so-called selfish teamwork, and group altruism. He draws on a wealth of examples—from babysitting among mongooses and food sharing among vampire bats to cooperation in Hutterite communities and on kibbutzim—o show not only that cooperation exists throughout the animal kingdom, but how an understanding of the natural history of altruism might foster our own best instincts toward our fellow humans.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biology, Nature, Animals

224 pages, Paperback

First published February 12, 1999

About the author

Born in 1962, Lee Alan Dugatkin is a professor and distinguished university scholar in the department of biology at the University of Louisville. His main area of research interest is the evolution of social behavior.

Reviews

[SaraKat · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was ostensibly about how to take lessons from cooperation in the animal world and apply it to human behavior to increase cooperation. But every time the author suggested a way to use knowledge gleaned from observations of an animal species to change human behavior, it was immediately countered with a reason why it wouldn't really work. So the whole point of the book was rather lost. I really enjoyed reading for the animal examples and didn't care for the "guideposts" portions that spoke to human behavior. I thought the discussion of religion and how animals are only important insofar as they relate to humans and have no rights was unnecessary and a turn off. I think that ecology students or readers who want to learn more about the four paths to cooperation in animals will get a lot from this book, but the average layperson won't.

[JJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Long and detailed. Left me a little confused at times.

[Jami · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun examples of cooperation, but I wish he went more into detail for humans.

[Melvin Marsh · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok. Easy enough to read probably more designed for the lay people than more serious scientists. The whole thing just feels like an introduction.

[Gail Kennon · Rating 2 out of 5]

there just wasn't enough there for me though i like his intentions.

[Lori Schiele · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the book interesting although it had much more to do with the nature of cooperation in humans than it did in animals. The animal portions were usually examples about how humans could learn to cooperate better and were few and far between (in my opinion). I also found some of them very unlikely to work in the world of humans.
I was hoping to read more about animals and how they have evolved to survive through cooperation or other forms of interactions. The author DID spend quite a bit of time on both bees and ants and although I knew the majority of the information, I was able to learn even more and was astounded, yet again, how bees and ants (what most people consider "pesky bugs") are able to work together at such a high level for the success and survival of all. Humans could definitely learn a thing or two from these types of animals.

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found some of the information interesting, but the tone of the book was a real turn-off. The author makes a lot of exaggerated judgments about nature/animals (naked mole-rats are sooo ugly! and if you think *that's* abhorrent, impalas licking ticks off each other is disgusting!)

He suggests that most people consider animals simple, which I think is incorrect and demeaning to peoples' respect for the natural world.

He talks about his Christianity and moral judgments based on that a lot, which I think is unnecessary and distracting.

If I weren't stuck on a plane with nothing else to read for 5 hours, I'm not sure I would have made it through.

[Gregg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and accessible. This is one of the first things I read that got me interested in the biological, non-cultural aspects of human behavior. His angle is that animals show us a stripped-down version of what human behavior in a given situation would look like without moral will and freedom.

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting concept, but very dry execution. I think this book would be more interesting and enjoyable if you pick and choose the anecdotal stories of interest. There is a bit too much dry filler to try and hammer home the same points. There are some very fascinating examples of the biological basis for cooperation in the animal kingdom, though.

[Danielle]

I enjoyed this book, but unlike most books, I took it in small doses. The author looks at the evolution of cooperation in humans, and looks to nature to explain human societal behavior. It is fascinating and fun, but can be a little dry (thus the small doses).