The Selfish Ape: Human Nature and Our Path to Extinction

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Weaving together stories of science and sociology, The Selfish Ape offers a refreshing response to common fantasies about the ascent of humanity. Rather than imagining modern humans as a species with godlike powers, or Homo deus, Nicholas P. Money recasts us as Homo narcissus, paragons of self-absorption. This exhilarating story takes in an immense sweep of modern biology, leading readers from earth's unexceptional location in the cosmos, to the story of our microbial origins, and the workings of the human body. It explores human genetics, reproduction, brain function and ageing, creating an enlightened view of humans as a brilliantly inventive, yet self-destructive animal.

This is a book about human biology, the intertwined characteristics of human greatness and failure, and the way that we have plundered the biosphere. Written in a highly accessible style, it is a perfect read for those interested in science, human history, sociology and the environment.

Reviews

This Dawkins-inspired book is a tour de force of life on Earth. Money eloquently describes the dynamics of life and the quite insignificant place of humans in the grand scheme of existence. Charting important biological discoveries, he describes life from all angles, including our molecular complexity and our genetic makeup . . . the book brings together many perspectives on human existence to create a beautiful but damning picture of humankind. * The Biologist *
Here, the depth of Moneys biological knowledge (and good storytelling) shines, as he is able to fluidly connect us to our deepest evolutionary and genetic history. Through tales of the biological ubiquity of cilia and the developmental centrality of Hox genes, the author seamlessly embeds Homo narcissus in a much richer Linnaean fabric. * Quarterly Review of Biology *
if you enjoy an apt reference to Paradise Lost then you will find much to admire in The Selfish Ape, as I did . . . Early chapters unleashed waves of nostalgia for my undergraduate biology courses. It is a real achievement to have condensed so much material into so few words, and to have made each chapter such a pleasure to read . . . Moneys big claim, however, is not just that human beings are cosmically deluded. It is that human nature the essence of humanity resides in our genes, and that this essence makes the demise of our species natural and inevitable. * Metascience *
Money mostly takes the reader on a tour of human biology to show how we are little different from our fellow creatures, spicing up his writing with bleak observation . . . Money takes the reader on a brief tour through deep time, charting how our planet became habitable and how life evolved, before settling on human biology. These chapters see him explain our physiology, neurobiology, genetics, reproduction, embryology, ageing, and dying. He does so with admirable brevity and sometimes exquisitely compact definitions and metaphors . . . Money livens up his writing with quotes from literature and poetry, such as Shakespeares work and Miltons Paradise Lost, and seemingly revels in casting humans back amongst the animals. * NHBS.com *
So what can we do Usually Id save discussion of an authors conclusion for the end of a review, but Moneys solution is so striking its worth discussing up front. Though Money seems fairly sceptical about the value of religion, his conclusion isnt that far removed from a Christian credo: because our time as a species is limited, the important thing is for us to be nicer to each other. If we are nicer, Money suggests, the universe may survive longer than we expect. * Catholic Herald *
I learned much from Nicholas Moneys book. I love his vivid, prose-poetic imagery. Reading him is pure literary pleasure. He knows what to say and, more importantly, he knows how to say it. * Professor Richard Dawkins FRS, author of The Selfish Gene and Outgrowing God *
Nicholas Moneys The Selfish Ape delivers much more than its title promises. It is a wide-ranging reflection on humans and humanity: how we, both as individuals and as a species, came to be, how we function, and how we (will) cease to be. Professor Money presents scientific, literary and philosophical insights into these questions. He does so with clarity, honesty and good humour. * David Benatar, Professor of Philosophy, University of Cape Town *
This entrancing and sobering collection of thoughts is a worthy successor to The Amoeba in the Room, which opened our eyes to so much. * Robin Hanbury-Tenison, explorer *

Author Bio

Nicholas P. Money is Professor of Biology and Western Program Director at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He is the author of popular science books on fungi and other microorganisms including, The Amoeba in the Room: Lives of the Microbes (2014), Mushrooms: A Natural and Cultural History (Reaktion, 2017) and The Selfish Ape: Human Nature and Our Path to Extinction (Reaktion, 2019).