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Reviews
If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal: What Animal Intelligence Reveals About Human Stupidity by Justin Gregg
sunny_with_0_chance's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
pcdbigfoot's review
3.75
"So instead of looking at the cows and chickens and narwhals in your life with pity because they lack human cognitive capacities, think first about the value of those capacities. Do you experience more pleasure than your pets because of them? Is the world a better place thanks to our species’ intelligence? If we are honest about the answers to those questions, then there’s good reason to tone down our smugness. Because, depending on where we go from here, human intelligence may just be the stupidest thing that has ever happened."
Learning about "prognostic myopia" made this book worthwhile for me. Our human tendency to overfit patterns we see, so they may agree with our perception of 'order' is one of the key themes in this book. That, and the emotionally-wrought by-products of our perceptions and desires.
There are numerous directions Gregg in which Gregg can send his readers after they finish this one. Nihilism is one, but so are Zen acceptance and non-attachment. Good food for thought.
Learning about "prognostic myopia" made this book worthwhile for me. Our human tendency to overfit patterns we see, so they may agree with our perception of 'order' is one of the key themes in this book. That, and the emotionally-wrought by-products of our perceptions and desires.
There are numerous directions Gregg in which Gregg can send his readers after they finish this one. Nihilism is one, but so are Zen acceptance and non-attachment. Good food for thought.
jodihannah's review
informative
fast-paced
4.5
This book was very thought provoking. He feels like the inheritor of some of de Waal's work. Loved it.