Sex, Genes and Rock 'n' Roll: How evolution has shaped the modern world - Softcover

Brooks, Rob

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1742231608 ISBN 13: 9781742231600

Publisher: Newsouth Pub., 2011

Synopsis

Why are people getting fatter? Why do so many rock stars end up dead at 27? Is there any hope of curbing population growth, rampant consumerism and the environmental devastation they wreak? Rob Brooks argues that the origins of these twenty-first century problems can be found where the ancient forces of evolution collide with modern culture and economics. He explores a tasting platter of topics, from the frivolous to the tragic, illustrating how evolution stands alongside economics, anthropology, psychology and political science in shaping our world.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

Nature and nurture interact to produce behavior - but how, exactly? In this engaging and witty book, biologist Rob Brooks shows how human nature interacts with social and economic conditions to explain some of the most troubling aspects of modern human life - obesity, environmental degradation, over-population, sexual conflict, polygyny, female-biased abortion, and heavy metal music. His science is good, his writing is clear, and his policy suggestions would make the world a better place. A must-read for the evo-curious.- Geoffrey Miller, author of The Mating Mind and Spent: Sex, Evolution, and Consumer Behavior
Evolution is much more than a history lesson; properly employed, it is an illuminating guide to the present and a powerful prophet of the future. And Rob Brooks uses evoutionary thinking not just properly, but superbly. Whether illuminating the obesity crisis, world population, the ever-fascinating panorama of sex and love, or the adaptive value of music (especially rock and roll), "Sex, Genes and Rock 'n' Roll" offers up a humane, accessible and scientifically informed vision of how evolution is always with us. - David P. Barash, Professor of Psychology, University of Washington and co-author of Payback: why we retaliate, redirect aggression and seek revenge

About the Author:

Rob Brooks lectured and finished his PhD at Wits University and is now Professor of Evolution and Director of the Evolution & Ecology Research Centre at University of South Wales, Sydney. He is the author of more than a hundred scientific papers, mostly on how sex and reproduction impacts the lives of animals and humans. In 2010 he was awarded the Australian Academy of Science's Fenner Medal. You can read some of his articles on www.robbrooks.net.

About this edition

• Publisher: Newsouth Pub.
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1742231608
• ISBN 13: 9781742231600
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 312