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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 570
EAN num: 9780805072792
ISBN number: 0805072799
Label: Holt Paperbacks
Manufacturer: Holt Paperbacks
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 560
Printing Date: February 01, 2003
Publishing house: Holt Paperbacks
Sale Popularity Level: 84157
Studio: Holt Paperbacks
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A vital updating of a seminal work of science First published to great acclaim twenty years ago, The Tangled Wing has become required reading for anyone interested in the biological roots of human behavior. Since then, revolutions have taken place in genetics, molecular biology, and neuroscience. All of these innovations have been brought into account in this greatly expanded edition of a book originally called an 'overwhelming achievement' by The Times Literary Supplement. A masterful synthesis of biology, psychology, anthropology, and philosophy, The Tangled Wing reveals human identity and activity to be an intricately woven fabric of innumerable factors. Melvin Konner's sensitive and straightforward discusion ranges across topics such as the roots of aggression, the basis of attachment and desire, the differences between the sexes, and the foundations of mental illness.
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Rated by buyers -
As a previous student of Dr. Konner and a student of Neuroscience and Psychology, I must say that over the years I have read many, many books on human behavior and this is the absolute best by far. There is no book that is comprable to The Tangled Wing in it's thoroughness and it's readability. I have read this book cover to cover twice and use it for reference often. His research in the field is extensive. Dr. Konner is a marvelous speaker and his writings are equally captivating. New research in the field is developed upon the information contained in this book. Anyone interested in not only neuroscience, but how people are and why they are that way should read this book. It is very enjoyable and opens your eyes to seeing the world through a whole new perspective.
My second favorite book is "Childhood" by Dr. Konner. It's a must read for anyone interested in understanding children.
Rated by buyers -
I don't know how I managed to miss this one for so long (there was an earlier edition from the 1980's; this one is completely updated). Konner is a physician and anthropologist. He wrote this as an endeavor "to show what an integration (of evolutionary psychology into the whole of social and behavioral sciences) might look like." It consists of an in-depth survey of the literature on the "science of human nature," and research into the biology of human "frailties" such as fear, lust, and love. He provides a very useful perspective as a cultural (?) anthropologist with great knowledge of the hunter-gatherer way of life and an understanding of the varieties of cultural expression. He frequently waxes poetic and uses substantial references to literature and the arts, of which I sometimes missed the point and which was prone to cause me to become distracted from the primary narrative as well. But give him credit for trying. Also, many chapters seemed to have no internal structure and felt like a random list of findings relevant to a subject. But I was extremely impressed with the impeccable referencing (accessed online), especially his personal recommendations for further reading.
What piqued me the most was his conclusion and final...tirade? His penultimate chapter starts with a tour of the dazzling new world created by the sequencing of the human genome but suddenly veers into a thorough and absolutely fact-based litany of why we are headed toward a Malthusian disaster if business continues as usual. He even updates Barrington Moore, Jr.'s targeting of "the attractive upper middle class mother, driving a station wagon full of happy sunburned children" (now it's an SUV and the kids are sunscreened) as the ultimate culprit in causing human misery. Several months ago I would have huzzah-ed him on and said "amen!" Now I'm not so sure of the utility of this exercise. I was actually personally offended by his statement that, "the deepest circle of hell certainly must be reserved for...'techno-optimists'." Such fools (as I) only have such hope because our homes are not yet "overwhelmed by floods, squatter populations, mafias, food shortages, electric grid failures, or epidemics."
For all the clear exposition of the causes of our potential annihilation he leaves a very scant image of our route toward salvation. Has he no imagination? Or is it just non-"academic" or Pollyanna-ish to try to envision how a successful human world might look? He only says, "It's a no-brainer: reduce population, reduce consumption, reduce pollution. That's it. Difficult? Too bad. Be grateful it's still possible. Ayres call it `God's last offer.' Take it or leave it." I think one could write a whole book in response to that....
Rated by buyers 
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This is probably the most complete book I've read regarding the biology of behavior. It is well updated on its previous foundation. At times it is very drawn out, but for true students of behavior it is indispensable. My one real complaint with MK's prose is his at times reliance on this concept of "spirit" as if he is trying for the old Gould tactic of appealing to the "non-overlapping magisteria" style of writing about science and "spirituality". It really, for me, takes away from the key points at times in this book. His further acceptance of the "religion is ok by me" stance in later debates is really an example of the backwards thinking of certain scientists when religion is given its pedastool on which to guard it from the taboo criticism of truly progressive thinkers (Dawkins et al) Good book anyway.
Rated by buyers -
If I were asked to recommend only one book for everyone in the world to read, this would be the one.
It is a book about ourselves, written with compassion, humor, and great erudition in the sciences and the arts. Not light reading by any means, but infinitely worth the effort.
Rated by buyers -
If you read only one book about human behavior, this should be it. If you read many books about human behavior, this should be one of them. Prof. Konner is wise, he is erudite, he is literate, and he is humane. Rather than take one-sided positions or air only politically correct view, Konner synthesizes a huge amount of information and comes to sensible conclusions. I cannot recommend this book highly enough
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