How Evolution Shapes Our Lives: Essays on Biology and Society
Buy at: Princeton University Press | Amazon
It is easy to think of evolution as something that happened long ago, or that occurs only in “nature,” or that is so slow that its ongoing impact is virtually nonexistent when viewed from the perspective of a single human lifetime. But we now know that when natural selection is strong, evolutionary change can be very rapid. In this book, some of the world’s leading scientists explore the implications of this reality for human life and society. With some twenty-three essays, this volume provides authoritative yet accessible explorations of why understanding evolution is crucial to human life—from dealing with climate change and ensuring our food supply, health, and economic survival to developing a richer and more accurate comprehension of society, culture, and even what it means to be human itself. Combining new essays with essays revised and updated from the acclaimed Princeton Guide to Evolution, this collection addresses the role of evolution in aging, cognition, cooperation, religion, the media, engineering, computer science, and many other areas. The result is a compelling and important book about how evolution matters to humans today.
Praise for the book
“A compelling and important book about how evolution matters to humans today.”
— Biotechnology, Agronomy, Society, and Environment
“This is a collection to be savored and handed out to students, friends, and critics. Evolution is terrific science, a true testament to the human spirit, and this volume shows why.”
— Michael Ruse, Quarterly Review of Biology
“From understanding the consequences of climate change to understanding the spread of infectious diseases around the globe, the science of evolution has increasing relevance to our lives. Jonathan Losos and Richard Lenski have pulled together a roster of leading scientists to show the many ways that our culture, behavior—even our future—depend vitally on understanding Darwinian evolution.”
— Neil Shubin, author of Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body
“Drawing on recent discoveries to illuminate how evolution impinges on all aspects of our lives, this is a marvelously informative, stimulating, and inspiring book.”
— B. Rosemary Grant, Princeton University
“Have you ever wondered why it’s important for everyone to understand evolution? This masterful book presents a clear and approachable picture of evolution and what it tells us about our lives and interactions with other species. Compelling examples of the ever-present impact of evolution in many, often unexpected, facets of our lives provide a broad new perspective on its meaning and relevance. If you’ve ever doubted that evolution matters to your life, this book will convince you that it does.”
— Marvalee H. Wake, University of California, Berkeley
“From human evolution to the evolution of antibiotic resistance, from cultural evolution to the cultural importance of evolutionary thought, this is a wonderful and essential volume.”
— Simon Levin, Princeton University
