The Mating Mind: How Sexual Choice Shaped the Evolution of Human NatureDoubleday, 2000 - 503 pages "Evolutionary psychologist Geoffrey Miller shows the evolutionary power of sexual choice and the reasons why our ancestors became attracted not only to pretty faces and healthy bodies, but to minds that were witty, articulate, generous, and conscious. The richness and subtlety of modern psychology help to reveal how the human mind evolved, like the peacock's tail and the elk's antlers for courtship and mating." "Drawing on new ideas from evolutionary biology economics, and psychology, Miller illuminates his arguments with examples ranging from natural history to popular culture, from the art of New Guinea's bowerbirds to the sexual charisma of South Park's school chef. Along the way, he provides insights into the inarticulacy of teenage boys, the diversity of ancient Greek coins, the reasons why Scrooge was single, the difficulties of engaging with modern art, and the function of sumo wrestling."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved |
From inside the book
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Page 5
... asked , for example , " If music confers no survival advantage , where does it come from and why does it work ? " Lacking any manifest survival function , he concluded that art and music must be like cheesecake and pornography ...
... asked , for example , " If music confers no survival advantage , where does it come from and why does it work ? " Lacking any manifest survival function , he concluded that art and music must be like cheesecake and pornography ...
Page 135
... asked not what a brain can do for its owner , but what fitness information about the owner a brain can reveal . Are Fitness Indicators Immoral ? The idea that the human mind evolved as a bundle of fitness indicators does not sit ...
... asked not what a brain can do for its owner , but what fitness information about the owner a brain can reveal . Are Fitness Indicators Immoral ? The idea that the human mind evolved as a bundle of fitness indicators does not sit ...
Page 322
... asked in addition to meet the high overhead costs incurred by the giver . Yet many contributors show an odd lack of interest in the efficiency of charities . Some of the largest charities have high administrative overheads , a large ...
... asked in addition to meet the high overhead costs incurred by the giver . Yet many contributors show an odd lack of interest in the efficiency of charities . Some of the largest charities have high administrative overheads , a large ...
Other editions - View all
The Mating Mind: How Sexual Choice Shaped the Evolution of Human Nature Geoffrey Miller Limited preview - 2001 |
The Mating Mind: How Sexual Choice Shaped the Evolution of Human Nature Geoffrey Miller Limited preview - 2011 |
Common terms and phrases
ability adaptations advertise aesthetic ancestors animals apparent attractive beauty behavior benefits better biological biologists birds body brain called capacities competition consider costs courtship creativity cultural Darwin developed differences display effects energy evidence evolution evolutionary evolved example explain favor female fitness indicators function genes genetic give happen heritable hominid human human evolution idea important individuals intelligence interest kindness language living look male mate choice means mental mind moral mutations natural selection offspring origins parents Perhaps physical play pleasure Pleistocene possible predict preferences primates principle probably problem produce psychology random reason reciprocity relationships relatives reproductive runaway seems sense sex differences sexual choice sexual ornaments sexual partners sexual reproduction sexual selection shaped signals social species status strategy suggests tails tend theory traits understand University Press usually verbal women York
References to this book
Not By Genes Alone: How Culture Transformed Human Evolution Peter J. Richerson,Robert Boyd Limited preview - 2008 |
Cognition and Emotion: From Order to Disorder Michael J. Power,Tim Dalgleish No preview available - 2008 |