Human life, scientific journalist Matt Ridley suggests, is a complex balancing act: we behave with self-interest foremost in mind, but also in ways that do not harm, and sometimes even benefit, others.

This behavior, in a strange way, makes us good.

It also makes us unique in the animal world, where self-interest is far more pronounced.

"The essential virtuousness of human beings is proved not by parallels in the animal kingdom, but by the very lack of convincing animal parallels," Ridley writes.

How we got to be so virtuous over millions of years of evolution is the theme of this entertaining book of popular science, which will be of interest to any student of human nature..

For more information about the title The Origins of Virtue: Human Instincts and the Evolution of Cooperation, read the full description at Amazon.com, or see the following related books:

Primates and Philosophers: How Morality Evolved (The University Center for Human Values Series) — "It's the animal in us," we often hear when we've been bad. But why not when we're good? Primates and Philosophers tackles this question by exploring ...  > read more

Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters (P.S.) — Science writer Matt Ridley has found a way to tell someone else's story without being accused of plagiarism. Genome: The Autobiography of a Species ...  > read more

All Creatures Great and Small — Take an unforgettable journey through the English countryside and into the homes of its inhabitants-- four-legged and otherwise-- with the world's ...  > read more

The First Word: The Search for the Origins of Language — A compelling look at the quest for the origins of human language from an accomplished linguist Language is a distinctly human gift. However, because ...  > read more

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Author: Matt Ridley

Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)

Date: Apr. 1, 1998

List Price:

$15.00

Discount Price:

$7.98

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