Evolutionary Psychology 101 - Grand Format

This is a concise and reader-friendly survey of the burgeoning field of evolutionary psychology (EP) and the controversies that surround it. Firmly grounded in the theoretical and research literature of EP, the book addresses the core theories, approaches, applications, and current findings that comprise this discipline. It is unique in its interdisciplinary focus, which encompasses EP's impact within the field of psychology and on other academic disciplines.
Written in a lively, engaging style by an eminent evolutionary psychologist, the text examines psychological processes that facilitate human survival and those that may lead to reproductive benefits - sometimes even at a cost to survival. It covers a rich body of literature that provides insights into the role of sexual selection in shaping such human characteristics as the capacity for language, art, and music.
The text presents current evolution-based research on key behavioral domains within EP such as childhood development, courtship, intrasexual competition, sex, pair-bonding, parenting, familial relations, nonfamilial relations, aggression, and altruism. Considering the potential of EP to mitigate some of our greatest social problems, the book examines the ways in which EP can be applied to society and our understanding of such large-scale human areas as religion.
It also offers a thoughtful, balanced approach to controversies in EP, such as those surrounding genetic determinism, racism, and sexism.