War, Peace, and Human Nature

By Douglas P. Fry,

Book cover of War, Peace, and Human Nature: The Convergence of Evolutionary and Cultural Views

Book description

Have humans always waged war? Is warring an ancient evolutionary adaptation or a relatively recent behavior-and what does that tell us about human nature? In War, Peace, and Human Nature, editor Douglas P. Fry brings together leading experts in such fields as evolutionary biology, archaeology, anthropology, and primatology to answer…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked War, Peace, and Human Nature as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

From anthropology and archeology, Douglas Fry and his co-contributors tell us that our ancestors were hunter-gatherers, in small bands, on a five-million-year camping trip around the globe. We had to have adaptations for harmonious communal living. Wary of strangers, we would realize that wanting to fight them was stupid. Man the “killer ape” is fiction. Then, 10,000 years ago, came agriculture, with a population explosion producing abundant goods that others would covet. The consequence was war and prejudice and other vile beliefs and behaviors. Ex-Quaker as I am, I have written a book, Why We Hate: The Roots of Human…

From Michael's list on human evolution and the human story.

Want books like War, Peace, and Human Nature?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like War, Peace, and Human Nature.

Browse books like War, Peace, and Human Nature

Book cover of The Time Machine
Book cover of The Descent Of Man
Book cover of Lucy: The Beginnings of Humankind

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,355

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in social evolution, war, and human behavior?

Social Evolution 15 books
War 2,066 books
Human Behavior 34 books