Sex, Murder, and the Meaning of Life

Why do we do what we do? Especially those seemingly inexplicable behaviorsfrom the disreputable to the downright despicable?

Between what can be learned from evolutionary psychology (thinking that has developed in our species over the millenniums to ensure its propagation) and cognitive science (how our minds literally think) a picture emerges. In Sex, Murder, and the Meaning of Life, social psychologist Douglas Kenrick fuses these two fields to create a coherent story of human nature. In his analysis, many ingrained, apparently irrational behaviorsone-night stands, prejudice, conspicuous consumption, even art and religious devotionare quite explicable and (when desired) avoidable. When combined with insights from complexity theory, Kenricks argument reveals how simple mechanisms give rise to complex life.

Through an engaging blend of anecdote, analogy and research findings, Sex, Murder, and the Meaning of Life takes listeners on a singular tour of the human mind, exploring the pitfalls and promises of our biological inheritance.