Cavemen with Smartphones: how evolution shaped history and finance - Softcover

Amador, Richard

4.33 out of 5 stars

18 ratings by Goodreads

9781916008809: Cavemen with Smartphones: how evolution shaped history and finance

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1916008801 ISBN 13: 9781916008809

Publisher: Flippant Flaneur, 2019

View all copies of this ISBN edition

0 Used

1 New

From US$ 31.64

What do your dating life, financial illiteracy, and the characterisation of Mickey Mouse have in common?

These are all factors deeply affected by the environments we developed in as a species. In this thought-provoking and controversial book, financial journalist Richard Amador examines the evolution of human psychology in order to explain the development of trade, civilisation and world finance.

Whether you’re living mammoth to mammoth, or paycheque to paycheque, we have the same psychological quirks. We’re the same creatures that tamed the wild and landed on the moon. Yet we’re also the ones who gossip and go to war.

This book is all about humanity; the factors that shaped our minds and how we put our brains to use. With intelligence came knowledge. Wisdom gave us civilisation. Society brought us finance. The free markets gave us choice...

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Review

Selected Amazon reviews from around the world------------------------"Sweeping narrative that spans biology, evolution, culture, history, politics, economics and finance.

Enjoyed the book enormously. It offers myriad different lens through which to the view the world and these perspectives are not always conventional. Yet they are interconnected into a cogent chronicle that spans biology, evolution, culture, history, politics, economics and finance.

Well researched. The book is in turns fascinating, irreverent, depressing (all those future trends based on AI) but always thought provoking. I didn't agree with everything the author mentions but that is fine.

The ultimate observation is that the underlying biological forces that drive us are not very different from during our caveman days and it would be a fallacy to ignore this when we try to make sense of our modern world.

The book is not written from an ivory-tower-erudite view with abstruse language; instead it is entertaining and educational. I really liked the quotes at the beginning of each chapter along with the cheeky chapter titles too! I liked the financial planet description vs our earthly planet. Also, the observation where with removal of artificial pecking order we have gone to the other extreme and started valuing all opinions as having equal worth.

All in all - read if you want to understand the interplay of the different forces that shape our world and us" -Vdy on Amazon India
------------------------"This book is a very good introduction to the principles of evolutionary psychology, linking it to other subjects such as economy, new technologies or history. If you're interested in why humans behave the way they do, you will find it fascinating. If you're used to this subject, you will still find many new insights in this because of the connections that are made with so many things... The short chapters make it an easy read. I particularly enjoyed the notes of humour and the way the author writes, now and then, on a personal level, in an unusual and very pleasant way." - Anonymous on Amazon France------------------------"Amazing read. I actually couldn't put it down and finished the book in three days!The book talks about the role that evolutionary psychology plays in our everyday lives and how it affected civilization and our economic behavior. I especially liked the chapter that explored how a medieval pandemic created the basis for the modern dating world. Despite the fact that the book talks about complex topics, it's easy and fun to read as it's written in a light and humorous tone.Overall, you will most likely discover new ways of thinking about society and uncover facts you might not have been familiar with before - highly recommended." - Sharon on Amazon UK------------------------Further reviews are available on Goodreads and Amazon UK