Jurij Fedorov Aug 03, 2016

liked it 's review

This Volume 2 is not as good as the 1st one as it tends to be about nothing too much of the time. I think some of the writers try to sell EP instead of talking about the science. Still, some chapters are really good. There is a big difference between the writers and how well they explain their field. Some just say; "My field of study is important." And leave it at that.

Another book for everyone's bookshelf. A must have if you study psychology, I wish I had it some years ago. But I don' recommend reading it end-to-end like I did for this review. It's mostly some basic thoughts on all the chapters and I won't repeat all their conclusions.



So, here are my ratings for all the chapters. I am not a professor or PhD so take it for what it is.



This is my 10 star rating system:

10 - Is the perfect chapter that will blow your mind and change the way you view the world.

9 - Amazingly good.

8 - Worth learning English for just so that you can read things like this. No matter what you usually like to read or study this chapter is extremely important to read.

7 - Good chapter that is worth looking up if you like to know the basics on the subject. Still I expect an improvement on it the the next edition.

6 - Okay chapter that does what it set out to do but is forgettable and not exiting. You can probably find a better intro to the subject in another article if you spend some time looking for it.

5 - Failed grade. Badly writing, boring and not groundbreaking science.



Table of Contents



PART V GROUP LIVING: COOPERATION AND CONFLICT 621

David M. Buss and Daniel Conroy-Beam



Intro



25 Adaptations for Reasoning About Social Exchange 625

Leda Cosmides and John Tooby



5 - The famous cheater detection mechanism chapter. But this one is way too long. Maybe nerds who have never read about it before will appreciate it. And I also did find some parts interesting. But it's not well written, too long, and way to few experiments used to explain the points. It feels very unfinished and rushed.



26 Interpersonal Conflict and Violence 669

Martin Daly



5 - It's okay. But nothing spectacular. Feels a bit too small and explains too little. It does have some great points that I didn't know about, like family not often being killed. Very interesting in this aspect. But too much loose talk at times too.



27 Women’s Competition and Aggression 684

Anne Campbell



8 - I like it. This is a great chapter on aggression and what it is and how it is different between genders. I like the few quotes from the ghetto and a few new studies on the subject. It could use some better writing that is easier and more fun to read. And it also felt good on the easy parts but a bit too complicated once some new science was discussed. Still probably the best chapter I have read on aggression anywhere.



28 Prejudices: Managing Perceived Threats to Group Life 704

Steven L. Neuberg and Peter DeScioli



5/6 - This is so simple that it feels unnecessary to write more than 3 pages about it. Most of it is explanations of why prejudices exist. Yes, it all makes very good sense but it is also things I knew already. Highly recommended for people who know nothing about it. Perfect for them actually.



29 Leadership in War: Evolution, Cognition, and the Military Intelligence Hypothesis 722

Dominic D. P. Johnson



8 - Great chapter. Finally a great discussion and even illustrative graphs. The graphs are nice and something I figured all chapters in this book should have - but somehow don't. This is a great intro to as to what war is mentally. Actually a really great intro as this is one of the chapters that I thought brought in all the science on the topic. The hypothesis about some wars not needing intelligent leaders is just ignorant. Intelligent tactics have been used to win big battles in ancient and modern age. And in small special forces attacks. Intelligence has always been key to winning fights if there was movement or hiding involved.



PART VI CULTURE AND COORDINATION 745

Daniel Conroy-Beam and David M. Buss



Intro



30 Cultural Evolution 749

Maciej Chudek, Michael Muthukrishna, and Joe Henrich



6 - It's a great chapter that describes culture in a way that everyone will understand it. But it is basic EP knowledge. For people who don't know about EP this is again a must read. For people who know a bit about everything it's not essential. What is culture? How was it created? How does it evolve? If you can't answer these questions then read this chapter. If you can then read another history book about another culture.



31 Morality 770

Robert Kurzban and Peter DeScioli



8 - At times the chapter, in some sentences, is a bit too complicated to read fast. Besides that it is really great. The best explanation on morality I have ever read. I like this topic but was not prepared to read about it, so I didn't focus 100% on it, which made some ideas go over my head - at least that could be the reason for me finding the level too steep. If you want to read about this specific topic this is a 10 star chapter for you.



32 The Evolutionary Foundations of Status Hierarchy 788

Mark van Vugt and Joshua M. Tybur



8 - Leadership explained. Again, this is leadership and EP, but in reality this is leadership only. Without EP it is not understood. The chapter is complicated at times as it is very compressed and academic. But it does have a lot of great information. As an intro chapter to leadership it works very well. This should be must-read in business schools.



33 Reputation 810

Pat Barclay



6 - Reputation. Now, I don't think this is a bad chapter on the subject. It explains reputation really well. Or at least mentions the most important studies on the area. Still, it should have had graphs and pictures. And like most other chapters is does not, which is a big minus. You cannot write an article on a complicated subject and not make it easy to understand. At the end it is the basics in boring writing. Which for knowledge alone is fine.



34 The Evolution and Ontogeny of Ritual 829

Cristine H. Legare and Rachel E. Watson-Jones



5 - I am not impressed. Yes, it has the basics about rituals and what they are. But this is very basic. Just things such as: giving something up or suffering makes you value the ingroup more and freeloaders are found out as they won't do these things. They should have explored the topic much more and used many more experiments. This is an intellectual topic that should have deeper layers.



35 The Origins of Religion 848

Ara Norenzayan



7 - It has some good points. A few good points. Like the idea that religion is used to create someone who watches you and make you follow rules. And this is why religion is not as useful in rich and well-functioning societies. Besides the fact that we don't need it to guard us. But, this is all ideas. And it should have been much better presented. It's all over the place and it seems like the writer doesn't really understand this concept fully.



36 The False Allure of Group Selection 867

Steven Pinker



8 - Well, of course this chapter does not actually add anything. It just explains why group selection does not explain anything and is not a well defined term that doesn't even try to explain anything concrete. It's not that I think people don't know this already, but it is still an interesting read. It is interesting to see a hypothesis shred to pieces. And Steven Pinker has written a good Edge.com post that demolishes the hypothesis. But, of course we cannot have too many of these kind of chapters in a book about a scientific field. Otherwise there should be a chapter on god, patriarchy, communism and whatnot.



PART VII INTERFACES WITH TRADITIONAL PSYCHOLOGY DISCIPLINES 881

David M. Buss



Intro



37 Evolutionary Cognitive Psychology 885

Peter M. Todd, Ralph Hertwig, and Ulrich Hoffrage



4/5 - not a chapter I liked at all. It was very boring and super technical. I don't mind technical parts but this was explanation after explanation. It contains a lot of information for people interested in what cognitive psychology is though. I always acknowledge this in my reviews when the information is good but the chapter is boring to me personally. At least to me these kind of technical chapters are terrible for my learning, as I just don't seem to "get" the things they are talking about - I am stupid like that. When I think about the human beings acting out things I get it magically fast. For me EP has to be accessible and fun. And it's not impossible to make it fun - at least add pictures, graphs, and stories.



38 Evolutionary Developmental Psychology 904

David F. Bjorklund, Carlos Hernández Blasi, and Bruce J. Ellis



3/4 - A really boring chapter. I disliked reading it. It was too technical and dry for my taste. Will it inform people who are really interested in this topic? Possibly yes, if they have the experience with reading these kind of articles. If you already study developmental psychology you should know that EP is a basic for the field. Personally I haven't discovered new things here - possibly because I am too stupid, or maybe because it was terribly written. But the fact is that I was bored and not educated here.



39 Evolutionary Social Psychology 925

Douglas T. Kenrick, Jon K. Maner, and Norman P. Li



6 - What's the point of this chapter? Yes, I understand now and before how we live in groups. But this just seems extremely basic knowledge that most other chapters also explain in many ways. It's something I would love reading if I was on my bachelor in psychology. Today chapters like this are pointless to me. But I guess this is what we know on the topic.



40 The General Factor of Personality: A Hierarchical Life History Model 943

Aurelio José Figueredo, Michael A. Woodley of Menie, and W. Jake Jacobs



6 - Crazy but fresh chapter. Does the K-factor exist? It is supposed to be the factor behind fast or slow reproduction. Well, I am a bit confused. Firstly, why spend space on talking about old and badly aged philosophy and not explain what that trait exactly is? I like the fact that this chapter tries new things. But I am not convinced they are talking about anything besides reproduction rate in groups.



41 The Evolution of Cognitive Bias 968

Martie G. Haselton, Daniel Nettle, and Damian R. Murray



7/8 - A bias chapter from the EP point of view. Actually, bias always has an EP point of view because there is no other theory on the area - unlike for example male/female size differences caused by not feeding girls enough due to patriarchy. I don't think even extreme SSSM people have a different opinion on the topic of bias today. Seems like bias science is a thing that really shows the value of EP. So chapters like this one are great for an introduction into the topic. It was a bit dry and only new examples and studies were illustrated - not new frameworks, but I still like it - mostly because I love the topic and the science on the area. It's a clear illustration of what bias is. But why are so many chapters here a bore to read? I do come for the science as we all do, but I also want to feel that I want to read it for my pleasure too. Luckily this just seems like a chapter worth it for the ideas alone.



42 Biological Function and Dysfunction: Conceptual Foundations of Evolutionary Psychopathology 988

Jerome C. Wakefield



5/6 - I give it 6 stars because it does explain what EP can add to clinical psychology, but it's still not an exiting chapter or a chapter that describes scientific findings or concludes anything. It's too plain, simple and boring. And I feel like it ended at the beginning. All this should have been explained on 5 pages.



43 Evolutionary Psychology and Mental Health 1007

Randolph M. Nesse



8 - Again clinical psychology. One of the least scientific fields in psychology. Here we are guessing and testing by asking directly about things. Still, this is actually a good chapter. While we don't get many specific answers we get an idea of how mental illnesses can exist. It's not his fault the science is not there yet. Also, Neisser apparently writes about mental illnesses? I knew he knew a bit about EP and mental illnesses but I didn't know he actually studied the subject. Interesting.



PART VIII INTERFACES ACROSS TRADITIONAL ACADEMIC DISCIPLINES 1027

David M. Buss



Intro



44 Evolutionary Psychology and Evolutionary Anthropology 1029

Daniel M. T. Fessler, Jason A. Clark, and Edward K. Clint



4 - Another chapter where I felt I was either to stupid to get a deeper point or to knowledgeable to get anything out of it. I actually understand a lot of this chapter, so it is not terribly written. But it is badly written, boring, and talks and discusses a lot without really explaining anything new or interesting. I always try to read the chapters both as someone who just started on a psychology degree and as someone who just wants as much knowledge as possible. I don't think chapters like this fit in any of these categories but I do feel that every single chapter in both books have their own worth as they all explain some things in EP. But why write so boringly?



45 Evolutionary Genetics 1047

Ruben C. Arslan and Lars Penke



4 - Very short explanations about the different genetic topics. I don't think any newcomer has any chance of understanding this chapter. And besides that it is also boring and overly technical. The human aspect in the chapter is the writer stating that genetics is oh so important. This is of course true, but 99% of all EP scientists already know this. Yes, this is a very important topic. But this chapter should not be something anyone should read to understand the topic. It jumps from topic to topic not really explaining anything fully.



46 Evolutionary Psychology and Endocrinology 1067

James R. Roney



7 - How hormones guide our behavior. Interesting but dry chapter. It is very scientifically minded and does explain mostly testosterones role in mating. But I think chapters like this are crucial to really understand how the brain works. This is biological psychology improved by really focusing on the EP aspect of it. It makes the whole biological psychology get much deeper. But in the end this deserves a full book. A chapter is great but I need to know more, we all do.



47 Evolutionary Political Psychology 1084

Michael Bang Petersen



8 - As you probably have guessed by the topic name alone this is a really good chapter. It is about the basics of mass politics. This is really exiting and informative stuff. A lot of these studies I have never even heard about. Some of the studies were really interesting. The basics were spot on and this is a great intro chapter. With cons, it did have quite a few explanations of things without sources. Like a list of what EP political science is. Well, nice list but why not a point fewer or more? Also, there was not a single word about looks and voting habits or height and voting habits! Not a single word on gender differences either. And very little on conservatives, libertarians and democratic socialists. All this is so important that a chapter on just that could be written with the same title! So why is it not here? Why spend a lot of energy on explaining basic things if you could have included actual science?



48 Evolutionary Literary Study 1103

Joseph Carroll



3 - Pointless chapter in this book. Not terrible for people specifically from the arts and literature departments, maybe, but pointless for EP people. It doesn't present any studies, analyses or ideas. It just says: use EP. This is like the 30 min lecture he has online. I always support and like people who want to spread science and scientific understanding. But this chapter doesn't really try to explain anything.



PART IX PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 1121

David M. Buss



49 Evolutionary Psychology and Public Policy 1123

Nicolas Baumard



8 - I love it. Great chapter. Wanted to give it a 9, but the only thing I wanted to look up was this statement:

"...while a one-third drop in income reduces happiness by 2 points, being widowed, divorced, or separated reduces happiness by 4, 5, and 8 points, respectively (Layard, 2006)." I found out that this is a book. And I cannot find a PDF file of it online so I cannot check if the statement is correct. What study is he alluding too? I tried to find it online but couldn't. I don't even know what page in the book the study is on. But the chapter is so good that I am now looking for his new book. It is released but I don't want to own books and don't want to spend $75 on a book. This chapter is a breath of fresh air after a lot of really badly written chapters. This is so weird. It looks like the editing on this book was lacking and that even bad chapters were accepted to the book. It makes it a very uneven read with too many repetitions.



50 Evolution and Consumer Psychology 1143

Gad Saad



7-8 - Gad Saad is a good writer. He is very passionate about consumer behavior and his youtube series shows how much of a fight he thinks it is fighting blank slaters. It is, but it also makes the chapter part consumer behavior part salesmanship about selling EP to the masses. It's a mix. But probably a fifth of the articles in these 2 books spend time on explaining why EP is such a cool science. It is, but why exclaim it again and again in the same book? But, Saad explains it excellently. And the chapter is also a great chapter on consumers. Highly recommended read.



51 Evolution and Organizational Leadership 1161

Nigel Nicholson



5 - All over the place with no good explanation for things. Not much science.



52 Evolutionary Psychology and the Law 1180

Owen D. Jones



4/5 - Not at all what I wanted to read about law and EP. It's a very crude introduction to the topic. No science is explained or presented but a lot of articles are mentioned with just a few words. Really not worth reading.



Afterword 1205

Richard Dawkins



6 - Short outtro. Not bad but not really saying that much. Still nice to read Dawkins acknowledging the field.