The Social Conquest of Earth, Edward O. Wilson
The Social Conquest of Earth, Edward O. Wilson
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The Social Conquest of Earth

Author: Edward O. Wilson

Narrator: Jonathan Hogan

Unabridged: 10 hr 29 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Recorded Books

Published: 04/09/2012


Synopsis

From the most celebrated heir to Darwin comes a groundbreaking book on evolution, the summa work of Edward O. Wilson's legendary career.

Sparking vigorous debate in the sciences, The Social Conquest of Earth upends “the famous theory that evolution naturally encourages creatures to put family first” (Discover). Refashioning the story of human evolution, Wilson draws on his remarkable knowledge of biology and social behavior to demonstrate that group selection, not kin selection, is the premier driving force of human evolution. In a work that James D. Watson calls “a monumental exploration of the biological origins of the human condition,” Wilson explains how our innate drive to belong to a group is both a “great blessing and a terrible curse” (Smithsonian).

Demonstrating that the sources of morality, religion, and the creative arts are fundamentally biological in nature, the renowned Harvard University biologist presents us with the clearest explanation ever produced as to the origin of the human condition and why it resulted in our domination of the Earth’s biosphere.

"Starred review. With bracing insights into instinct, language, organized religion, the humanities, science, and social intelligence, this is a deeply felt, powerfully written, and resounding inquiry into the human condition."—Booklist

New York Times Bestseller and Notable Book of the Year • A Kirkus ReviewsBook of the Year (Nonfiction) • Longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence (Nonfiction)

About Edward O. Wilson

Edward O. Wilson (1929-2021) was the author of more than thirty books, including Anthill, Letters to a Young Scientist, and The Conquest of Nature. The winner of two Pulitzer Prizes, he was a professor emeritus at Harvard University.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Laura

When I was a teenager, I read Gilgamesh. One of my parents had a battered paperback copy from college. It was revelatory. From my mother, I had absorbed the notion that Death was the great Evil: Satan, the Lord of the Flies, Hitler, Doctor Strangelove, Darth Vader. Gilgamesh opened my eyes to the fa......more

Goodreads review by David

I am a fan of E.O. Wilson's writings, but this book is not quite as good as some of his others. I learned a few interesting things, but not as much as would be expected from a book of this type. The central concept in the book is "eusociality", which is the cooperative care of offspring and the coope......more

Goodreads review by Kevin

When E.O. Wilson writes about the social conquest of earth what he is really writing about is the evolution of culture—from ancient ants and termites who thrived in cooperative communities to modern day humans who have populated every inhabitable area on earth, tribe by tribe by tribe. “The origin of......more

Goodreads review by Riku

On Human Nature Redux. More ants and bees this time. Better constructed but not as readable and thought-provoking as the earlier book. The stages of eusociality evolution are better explained here. Readers would do well to read On Human Nature first and complement that reading with Part III of this......more