crime rate in the 1990s, attributable in part to accessible abortion-for, as Sapolsky notes, nothing is quite so sure to lead to a life of crime as “being born to a mother who, if she could, would have chosen that you not be.” As the narrative progresses, it ascends into headier realms, examining problems both biologically and philosophically.

Some of our behavior is purely mechanical, with payoffs in dopamine, that “invidious, rapidly habituating reward.” Other aspects are located at the intersection of nature and nurture, as with the plummeting U.S. A distinguished primatologist, the author works broadly in the life and social sciences to examine human behavior, manifestations of which, he writes, belong to the nervous system and to sensory stimuli-and all of which make for a “big sprawling mess of a subject.” Thus, this fittingly long book, which opens with the problem of defining terms-aggression, sympathy, even love-and proceeds by exploring every nook and cranny. Monkeyluv: and Other Essays on Our Lives as Animals, 2005, etc.) writes, it is possible to describe some of the actions of E. Agent: Katinka Matson, Brockman Inc.A wide-ranging, learned survey of all the making-us-tick things that, for better or worse, define us as human.ĭo bacteria have moral understanding? Do fleas have emotions? Such questions are meaningful, especially when, as MacArthur Fellow Sapolsky (Biology and Neurology/Stanford Univ. Finally, he contends and demonstrates that “you don’t have to choose between being scientific and being compassionate.” Sapolsky’s big ideas deserve a wide audience and will likely shape thinking for some time.

He recognizes that this ambition may “seem hopeless” but argues that it is essential. For example, in discussing genetics he urges readers to “repeat the mantra: don’t ask what a gene does ask what it does in a particular context.” Understanding such complexity can potentially lead toward a more just and peaceful society, Sapolsky says. He weaves science storytelling with humor to keep readers engaged while advancing his main point about the complexity and interconnectedness of all aspects of behavior. Sapolsky takes complex ideas from the scientific literature, including his own research, and attempts to balance the pros and cons of every conclusion.

He predominantly focuses on exploring “the biology of violence, aggression, and competition” through the lenses of neuroscience, anthropology, psychology, genetics, evolutionary biology, political science, and communication theory. Sapolsky ( Monkeyluv), professor of biology at Stanford, looks at human behavior from myriad interrelated perspectives, endeavoring to explain humans’ strange and often contradictory behavior.

Behave by Robert M. Sapolsky