PDF Ebook The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints on the Human Spirit, by Melvin Konner
Reading book The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints On The Human Spirit, By Melvin Konner, nowadays, will not require you to consistently get in the store off-line. There is a terrific location to acquire the book The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints On The Human Spirit, By Melvin Konner by online. This website is the very best website with great deals varieties of book collections. As this The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints On The Human Spirit, By Melvin Konner will remain in this book, all books that you need will be right below, as well. Just look for the name or title of guide The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints On The Human Spirit, By Melvin Konner You can locate exactly what you are looking for.
The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints on the Human Spirit, by Melvin Konner
PDF Ebook The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints on the Human Spirit, by Melvin Konner
Use the sophisticated technology that human creates today to find guide The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints On The Human Spirit, By Melvin Konner effortlessly. However first, we will ask you, how much do you like to check out a book The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints On The Human Spirit, By Melvin Konner Does it consistently till coating? Wherefore does that book check out? Well, if you really love reading, try to read the The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints On The Human Spirit, By Melvin Konner as one of your reading collection. If you just read the book based upon requirement at the time and also incomplete, you need to aim to like reading The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints On The Human Spirit, By Melvin Konner first.
Also the rate of a publication The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints On The Human Spirit, By Melvin Konner is so budget-friendly; lots of people are truly stingy to establish aside their cash to acquire the publications. The various other factors are that they feel bad as well as have no time at all to visit the publication establishment to look the publication The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints On The Human Spirit, By Melvin Konner to check out. Well, this is modern-day era; so several publications can be got easily. As this The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints On The Human Spirit, By Melvin Konner and also more publications, they can be entered very quick ways. You will certainly not have to go outside to obtain this book The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints On The Human Spirit, By Melvin Konner
By seeing this web page, you have actually done the best gazing point. This is your start to choose guide The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints On The Human Spirit, By Melvin Konner that you really want. There are great deals of referred publications to read. When you intend to get this The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints On The Human Spirit, By Melvin Konner as your publication reading, you can click the web link web page to download and install The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints On The Human Spirit, By Melvin Konner In couple of time, you have actually owned your referred books as yours.
Due to this publication The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints On The Human Spirit, By Melvin Konner is sold by on the internet, it will reduce you not to print it. you can get the soft data of this The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints On The Human Spirit, By Melvin Konner to save money in your computer, kitchen appliance, and much more devices. It depends upon your willingness where as well as where you will read The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints On The Human Spirit, By Melvin Konner One that you have to always remember is that reading book The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints On The Human Spirit, By Melvin Konner will endless. You will certainly have going to review various other book after finishing a publication, and it's continuously.
A vital updating of a seminal work of science
First published to great acclaim twenty years ago, The Tangled Wing has become required reading for anyone interested in the biological roots of human behavior. Since then, revolutions have taken place in genetics, molecular biology, and neuroscience. All of these innovations have been brought into account in this greatly expanded edition of a book originally called an "overwhelming achievement" by The Times Literary Supplement.
A masterful synthesis of biology, psychology, anthropology, and philosophy, The Tangled Wing reveals human identity and activity to be an intricately woven fabric of innumerable factors. Melvin Konner's sensitive and straightforward discussion ranges across topics such as the roots of aggression, the basis of attachment and desire, the differences between the sexes, and the foundations of mental illness.
- Sales Rank: #345720 in Books
- Published on: 2003-02-01
- Released on: 2003-02-01
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 10.00" h x 1.14" w x 7.00" l, 1.33 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 560 pages
Review
“How wonderful to have a new Tangled Wing which incorporates the rich findings made in the last twenty years in the fields of evolutionary and behavioral biology. We find the same graceful writing as in the original classic and the same facility to clarify complex issues and to come to stimulating conclusions.” ―Ernst Mayr, Professor Emeritus, Harvard University
From the Inside Flap
"The evolutionary analysis of human behavior has sometimes been referred to as the 'moral equivalent of fast food.' This is why over the years I have returned again and again to the writing of Mel Konner, for a gourmet's account, nourishing the senses and the soul as well as the intellect. — Sarah B. Hrdy, U. C. at Davis, and author of MOTHER NATURE: MATERNAL INSTINCTS AND HOW THEY SHAPE THE HUMAN SPECIES
"How wonderful to have a new TANGLED WING which incorporates the rich findings made in the last twenty years in the fields of evolutionary and behavioral biology. We find the same graceful writing as in the original classic and the same facility to clarify complex issues and to come to stimulating conclusions. — Ernst Mayr, Professor Emeritus, Harvard University
"Indecently elegant—a beautifully written book by any standard—and it's about language, love, lust, learning and all the rest of our apes-and-beyond nature…. Every behavioral biology topic reflects the enlightenment of the past two decades since this classic book first appeared." — William H. Calvin, author of THE CEREBRAL CODE, co-author of LINGUA EX MACHINA and CONVERSATIONS WITH NEIL'S BRAIN
"The word 'masterpiece' almost never springs to mind about a work in biosocial science. It does about THE TANGLED WING. This is a jewel of virtuoso scholarship written with lustrous and punctilious warmth. It's a remarkable accomplishment." — Lionel Tiger, Charles Darwin Professor of Anthropology, Rutgers University, author of THE DECLINE OF MALES
"Melvin Konner is. . . the nearest we have to a poet laureate of behavioral biology. This is an indispensable book." — Robert Sapolsky, Stanford University, author of WHY ZEBRAS DON'T GET ULCERS and THE TROUBLE WITH TESTOSTERONE
"The Tangled Wing is a magnificent synthesis of the latest knowledge of biology, psychology, and anthropology. No one is better qualified than Melvin Konner to illuminate the complex workings of the mind. This volume should be on the bookshelf of anyone interested in human nature - - and who is not. " — Aaron T. Beck, M.D., University Professor of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania
"Mel Konner has a breath-taking set of skills. I do not think anyone else could have put together this synthesis, ranging from rigorous medicine, to cutting-edge psychology, to some funky field anthropology. He also has a rare command of language and knows how to tell a story. THE TANGLED WING is heavy-weight scholarship, rendered in an attractive and readable style." — Mark Ridley, Professor of Zoology, Oxford University, author of MENDEL'S DEMON
"Mel Konner has taken on the most fundamental question-what is our nature?-and provided a beautifully written, original account, as broad as it is deep. It is rare for a book by a scientist to be a page-turner, but Konner keeps the reader ever alert to his rare insights and profound understanding of our nature. Konner joins Lewis, Gould, and Pinker-a scientist who can write, who teaches us without realizing we are being taught. — Paul Ekman, Professor of Psychology, U. of California, San Francisco
This new edition of THE TANGLED WING updates and expands a seminal work on human nature. Mel Konner is a gifted synthesizer and a great teacher. . . Whether describing studies of single gene mutations or hunter-gatherer societies, he tells us not only what is known but what is not yet known and what may not be knowable. With clarity, insight, and, at times, poetry, he simultaneously explores and demonstrates the wonders of human nature. This is a superb book. — Thomas Insel, M.D., Director, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Emory University
If you read the breathtaking first edition of THE TANGLED WING and were mesmerized, your pleasures have just begun. Now Konner does it again, with a vastly new account of our nature. Each sentence is a pleasure to read, and the powerful points he makes about the human condition can leave one sleepless. — Michael Gazzaniga, David T. McLaughlin Distinguished Professor, Director, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Dartmouth College
In the great tradition of Charles Darwin and Thomas Henry Huxley, Konner updates the argument for a biological basis of the human mind and spirit with force , clarity and eloquence. — J. Allan Hobson, Director of the Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Harvard Medical School, author of CONSCIOUSNESS
In the upcoming postgenomic era, linking basic biology and behavior is likely to be the most important challenge of the life sciences, demanding an ability to move with poetic creativity yet with rigor from the humanities to molecules. THE TANGLED WING is the finest such effort I have seen. Konner has penetrating insight into hitherto unappreciated difficulties of Darwinian and Skinnerian approaches to sociobiology. He comes up with novel, creative formulations. All of this in a volume that is as gripping as a mystery novel. — Solomon H. Snyder, M.D., Director, Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins U.
". . .it is rare to find an author with a depth of knowledge in both the biological and social sciences, combined with superb writing skills sufficient to provide readers with a breathtaking new understanding of human behavior. Mel Konner did that twenty years ago in the first edition of THE TANGLED WING. The updated and revised edition of this book is an even greater achievement . . . . THE TANGLED WING is sure to be among the most important books published in the first decade of the new millennium. — Alice S. Rossi, Harriet Martineau Professor Emeritas of Sociology, University of Massachusetts (Amherst)
Anyone, scholar or general reader, who is seriously interested in the human ought to engage this thorough revision of THE TANGLED WING. Konner's general erudition, his comprehensive research, his combination of deeply moral and humanistic sensitivity with scientific rigor, his wonderful prose, his critical analytical prowess, but most important his brilliant synthetic capacities provide a powerful and distinctive interpretation. This new version will, like the first, become a point of orientation for many persons in the coming decades. — James M. Gustafson, Former Henry R. Luce Professor of Humanities and Comparative Studies, Emory University.
About the Author
Melvin Konner, M.D., Ph.D., is the Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of Anthropology and an associate professor of neurology at Emory University. He is the author of Becoming a Doctor and Why the Reckless Survive and Other Secrets of Human Nature. A Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, he lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
Most helpful customer reviews
33 of 35 people found the following review helpful.
An essential guide to human existence..with a preachy ending
By Gordon C. McCarter
I don't know how I managed to miss this one for so long (there was an earlier edition from the 1980's; this one is completely updated). Konner is a physician and anthropologist. He wrote this as an attempt "to show what an integration (of evolutionary psychology into the whole of social and behavioral sciences) might look like." It consists of an in-depth survey of the literature on the "science of human nature," and research into the biology of human "frailties" such as fear, lust, and love. He provides a very useful perspective as a cultural (?) anthropologist with great knowledge of the hunter-gatherer way of life and an understanding of the varieties of cultural expression. He frequently waxes poetic and uses substantial references to literature and the arts, of which I sometimes missed the point and which was prone to cause me to become distracted from the primary narrative as well. But give him credit for trying. Also, many chapters seemed to have no internal structure and felt like a random list of findings relevant to a subject. But I was extremely impressed with the impeccable referencing (accessed online), especially his personal recommendations for further reading.
What piqued me the most was his conclusion and final...tirade? His penultimate chapter starts with a tour of the dazzling new world created by the sequencing of the human genome but suddenly veers into a thorough and absolutely fact-based litany of why we are headed toward a Malthusian disaster if business continues as usual. He even updates Barrington Moore, Jr.'s targeting of "the attractive upper middle class mother, driving a station wagon full of happy sunburned children" (now it's an SUV and the kids are sunscreened) as the ultimate culprit in causing human misery. Several months ago I would have huzzah-ed him on and said "amen!" Now I'm not so sure of the utility of this exercise. I was actually personally offended by his statement that, "the deepest circle of hell certainly must be reserved for...'techno-optimists'." Such fools (as I) only have such hope because our homes are not yet "overwhelmed by floods, squatter populations, mafias, food shortages, electric grid failures, or epidemics."
For all the clear exposition of the causes of our potential annihilation he leaves a very scant image of our route toward salvation. Has he no imagination? Or is it just non-"academic" or Pollyanna-ish to try to envision how a successful human world might look? He only says, "It's a no-brainer: reduce population, reduce consumption, reduce pollution. That's it. Difficult? Too bad. Be grateful it's still possible. Ayres call it `God's last offer.' Take it or leave it." I think one could write a whole book in response to that....
37 of 42 people found the following review helpful.
Outstanding
By Peter Flom
If you read only one book about human behavior, this should be it. If you read many books about human behavior, this should be one of them. Prof. Konner is wise, he is erudite, he is literate, and he is humane. Rather than take one-sided positions or air only politically correct view, Konner synthesizes a huge amount of information and comes to sensible conclusions. I cannot recommend this book highly enough
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful.
Human behaviors are influenced by both Nature & Nurture
By W. Cheung
This is a long thick book. The main text is close to 500 pages. Reading it is not easy. I find it necessary to make serious attempts to stay focussed in reading the book. At times it can be repetitive. But if you are lucky enough to read it through back to back, the gain will be immense.
The plan of the book is as follows:
An introduction warns the reader not to romanticize exotic cultures.
Part 1 (Ch. 1 to 8) explains clearly that at least the foundation or scaffolding of our behaviors are determined by our genes. BUT at the same time, genetically related wirings of the brain CAN be modified by the environment. In this part of the book some basic neurology related to human behavior is discussed.
Part 2 (Ch. 9 to 15) explores basic human emotions, urges and behaviors. The psychology, neurology and biochemistry are all discussed. I am a practising physician, and I am most rewarded by the chapter on "Gluttony". I now know why my patients have difficulties in losing weight. I am surprised that I was not taught about all these in medical school! These chapters can at times read tedious but as I have said they are very rewarding indeed.
Part 3 (Ch. 16 and 17) reminds the reader (even though grounds have been covered throughout the earlier chapters) that in spite of the importance of genes in influencing over behavior, NURTURE is also important. The author somehow seems to change the focus of the book and speculates upon the future of human beings and whether we are still able to save ourselves from self-destruction through follies.
Part 4 (Ch. 18) gets even further away from the earlier chapters. It is very moving. It is about social justice and the thesis is that human selfishness can be modified because of the importance of NURTURE upon our behvior.
Pert 5 (Ch. 19) is very short, only 4 pages long. To me it's about spirituality.
So what have you got here? A long book on human behavior and the author's manifesto on how to save the world. I do not necessarily agree with him, but the book does teach me a lot. Some of it may even be useful for my clinical practice. My only slight disappointment is that this book, a book on human behavior, almost leaves religion out. It only mentions it tangentially (pg 481 - 482).
The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints on the Human Spirit, by Melvin Konner PDF
The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints on the Human Spirit, by Melvin Konner EPub
The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints on the Human Spirit, by Melvin Konner Doc
The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints on the Human Spirit, by Melvin Konner iBooks
The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints on the Human Spirit, by Melvin Konner rtf
The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints on the Human Spirit, by Melvin Konner Mobipocket
The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints on the Human Spirit, by Melvin Konner Kindle
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar