Why Beautiful People Have More Daughters: From Dating, Shopping, and Praying to Going to War and Becoming a Billionaire-- Two Evolutionary Psychologis

by Alan S. Miller and Satoshi Kanazawa

Book Overview

A lively and provocative look at how evolution shapes our behavior and our lives. Contrary to conventional wisdom, our brains and bodies are hardwired to carry out an evolutionary mission that determines much of what we do, from life plans to everyday decisions. With an accessible tone and a healthy disregard for political correctness, this lively and eminently readable book popularizes the latest research in a cutting- edge field of study-one that...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0399533656
• ISBN13: 9780399533655
• Release Date: September 2007
• Publisher: Perigee Books
• Length: 252 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.9" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 12 and higher

Customer Reviews

Explains a Lot

This book is clearly written and a quick, easy read. Many of the main arguments are backed by solid research and logic. Some of the theories seem to be a stretch, which is to be expected in a new, rapidly expanding body of knowledge. This book provides some of the best explanations of human behavior I have come across. The world seems a little less confusing to me after reading this book.

The most fun I've had with non-fiction in some time

Although some of the theories are still in fledgling stages and research is thin, they are none the less compelling and exciting to read about. Then again, many of the other theories have been well researched, peer-reviewed and tested. The author(s) do a good job of pointing out the evidence, validity, and assumptions regarding each. The format is simple and intuitive, very well put together. This book is basically a primer for people interested in evolutionary psychology with some fascinating insight and entertaining bits of information thrown in. It's excellent and I seriously couldn't put it down. I read the book from cover to cover in less then three days. Warning: This book is not PC. The author(s) make a well argued case for this up front. Some of the material can be offensive to some people but the true message is the evidence of science, not our emotional reactions to it. If you can let go of your emotional attachments to a few social paradigms and review the evidence logically, you'll be OK. If not, this may not be the book for you. By the way, it does not confirm any particular racial biases or abilities, etc. Quite the opposite. It exposes that the cultural kit and the abilities we share are universal across all of humanity. So no, this is no eugenics revival or anything sad and unscientific like that. The other issue I've noticed with certain readers is that they apply a very egotistical view to the theories. For example, I don't personally like blonds any more than brunettes. I am a statistical anomaly, just like many other people are. Simply because I don't share the majority view point of subjects tested the world over, does not mean that the results of the testing are invalid or that a trend significant enough to warrant some explaining does not exist. I keep hearing things like 'Hey, I don't like blonds! This is wrong!' Anyway, you can see the fallacy in that. Take theories and hypotheses presented in this book for what they are based upon the research and evidence presented, not your gut reaction to the outcomes. Of course further rational explanations will evolve as further studies are taken and new evidence is uncovered. That's the nature of the scientific process! Anyway, very fun read. I really enjoyed it.

Really nice introduction to evolutionary psychology

This book is really good, because besides a few repetitions it really is interesting and presents novel ideas (at least to people like me, who are not familiar with this topic) to old questions. It is really easy to understand, not too complicated, and shows the whole picture, not just the ideas the authors think are right, but the the other side as well (even tho they try their best to point out what they believe in, but thats reasonable). It really isn't biased and is a really good book, I recommend it to anyone who isn't afraid of new ideas.

Excellent overview

This book is great fun. It is both a wide-ranging and slightly audacious romp through the field of evolutionary psychology and a compelling illustration of the explanatory power of the theory.

Getting Laid; Producing Progeny

What's the song line: is that all there is? Well, yes, pretty much according to Miller and Kanazawa in this wide ranging, interesting, and sometimes upsetting book. The Fight: are we driven by genes or by how we are raised? For them, it is the genes, no contest. Men still look for blonde women because being blonde told a man 10,000 years ago that a woman was young and thus fertile(most women with blonde hair in their youth have it turn brown as they age) and a man's brain is still wired to see it that way, ignoring the fact older women can get all sorts of cosmetic help. Same with large breasts: small ones do not sag as much as a woman ages but large ones do---thus an indication of age and less fertility. Do good looks matter? Yes they do---faces that have more symmetry are considered by our genes to be better looking(experiments with babies show they spend more time looking at these faces) and symmetry is a sign of health and a sign of health is a sign that the progeny will be healthy. And a woman will cheat for the sake of producing better looking offsping. And on it goes. A final nugget: men and women have different brains, with a man's brain big on classifying and developing systems to look at the world(thus more men and less women of science) and a woman's brain is more empathetic(thus more nurses and grade school teachers). (For a very good book on women, check out "The Female Brain,") Some of the book is likely true(genes do play a role), some of the book good only for cocktail party chatter, and some of the book destined for the dust bin. But whichever category it goes in, this is an easy to read and provocative introduction to evolutionary biology.