The Darwinian Trap: The Hidden Evolutionary Forces That Explain Our World (and Threaten Our Future)

(Hardback)

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A provocative exploration of how humans are wired to seek short-term success at the expense of long-term survival-an evolutionary "glitch" that explains everything from toxic workplaces to climate change "Kristian R nn has written a vital and inspiring book, one that has the potential to break the spiral of self-interest. The Darwinian Trap is a must-read for anyone who cares about our collective future."-Chris Anderson, head of TED and author of Infectious Generosity A provocative exploration of how humans are wired to seek short-term success at the expense of long-term survival-an evolutionary "glitch" that explains everything from toxic workplaces to climate change "Kristian R nn has written a vital and inspiring book, one that has the potential to break the spiral of self-interest. The Darwinian Trap is a must-read for anyone who cares about our collective future."-Chris Anderson, head of TED and author of Infectious Generosity When people talk about today's biggest challenges-pollution, misinformation, artificial intelligence, inept CEOs, and politicians-they tend to frame the conversation around "bad people" doing "bad things." But is there more to the story Humans, it turns out, are intrinsically wired to seek short-term success at the expense of long-term prosperity. Kristian R nn, an entrepreneur formerly affiliated with the University of Oxford's Future of Humanity Institute, calls these deeply rooted impulses "Darwinian demons." These forces, a by-product of natural selection, can lead us to act in shortsighted ways that harm others-and even imperil our survival as a species. Left unchecked, the consequences of this evolutionary glitch will grow in magnitude as the power of technology accelerates. In this eye-opening work, R nn shows that we must learn to cooperate in new ways if we are to escape these evolutionary traps in our daily lives and solve our biggest existential threats. Evolution may be to blame for the trap-but humans need not fall for it. Our salvation, he writes, will involve the creation of new systems that understand, track, and manage what humankind values most. Bold, brilliant, and ultimately optimistic, The Darwinian Trap gives readers a powerful new lens on our world and its problems, and invites us to rethink our priorities for the sake of generations to come. "The Darwinian Trap is an important, eye-opening book that shows how evolutionary selection pressures are causing some of the most pressing global challenges we see today. R nn brilliantly makes the case that the 'bad actor' blame game fueling so much public discourse can be replaced with frameworks that draw on humanity's greatest strengths- cooperation, analysis, and reason."-William MacAskill, New York Times bestselling author of What We Owe the Future

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The Darwinian Trap is an important, eye-opening book that shows how evolutionary selection pressures are causing some of the most pressing global challenges we see today. Rnn brilliantly makes the case that the bad actor blame game fueling so much public discourse can be replaced with frameworks that draw on humanitys greatest strengths: cooperation, analysis, and reason.William MacAskill, New York Times bestselling author of What We Owe the Future

Kristian Rnn has written a vital and inspiring book, one that has the potential to break the spiral of self-interest. The Darwinian Trap is a must-read for anyone who cares about our collective future.Chris Anderson, head of TED and author of Infectious Generosity

Author Bio

Kristian R nn is the CEO and co-founder of Normative, a software tool for sustainability accounting. He has a background in mathematics, philosophy, computer science, and artificial intelligence. Before he started Normative, he worked at the University of Oxford's Future of Humanity Institute on issues related to global catastrophic risks.