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suryanii's review
2.0
i was genuinely excited to read this, intriguing topic, but the writing wasn’t able to keep me interested
ameliatmoss's review
5.0
If you like Sapians by Yuval Noah Harari, you will love this book. It dives really deep into both the chemical and social science of the self-domestication of humans. My favorite parts were the chapters on Semianization, which I knew NOTHING about but is absolutely the most important thing I've learned about in the last 5 years. It's just a great mix of science and history and psychology. Really really really good. I will ABSOLUTELY be forcing my children to read this one day.
thejejo's review
5.0
I must have found some sort of list with science-y books and put a bunch on hold because I've read three non-fiction-science books in the past several weeks. ALL AMAZING (Vagina Obscura, Butts, and now Survival of the Friendliest).
This book explored the history of domestication among dogs, foxes, chimps, binobos, and humans. It was increadibly interesting. I found myself sharing interesting facts I learned with folks as I read this.
They described an 80 yr study, domesticating foxes by determining who bred based on their friendliness towards humans. Holy cow, evolution on fast forward?!
This one blew my mind. I thought it might be one I'd listen to a chapter or two between other books, but I was engrossed.
Really good, very accessible for those that aren't very science-inclined. This was not dry at all.
This book explored the history of domestication among dogs, foxes, chimps, binobos, and humans. It was increadibly interesting. I found myself sharing interesting facts I learned with folks as I read this.
They described an 80 yr study, domesticating foxes by determining who bred based on their friendliness towards humans. Holy cow, evolution on fast forward?!
This one blew my mind. I thought it might be one I'd listen to a chapter or two between other books, but I was engrossed.
Really good, very accessible for those that aren't very science-inclined. This was not dry at all.
thestoryowl's review
4.0
I liked how much science and research are presented to support the value of friendship and cooperation as a species.
The danger of “othering” or dehumanizing people is definitely in the forefront of my mind and this book does a good job addressing the effects.
The danger of “othering” or dehumanizing people is definitely in the forefront of my mind and this book does a good job addressing the effects.
bonkish's review
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
A very pleasant read. I enjoyed learning all about dogs and bonobos and human psychology.
dobermaier's review
informative
reflective
medium-paced
2.0
First of all, everything I read/learn about chimps makes me hate them more...and everything I read/learn about bonobos makes me love them more.
I really loved the more evolutionary anthropology and self-domestication theory parts of the book. Really fascinating stuff. There's a lot of value in thinking about "friendliness" as a core aspect of human nature and how it also relates to our capacity for cruelty. However, once they started connecting it too specifically to the 2016-2020 political climate, the book lost me. Lots of "both sides" rhetoric going on (right-wing extremists & ANTIFA, Israel & Palestine). I also got the impression that they were blaming today's polarized society on everything EXCEPT capitalism and ineffective political systems. In just a few years, this part of the book will already feel outdated - they went too specific with their comparisons. More general comparisons (or at least more comparisons across history) would've been sufficient to get the reader to compare their findings to the environment they currently live in.
In the end, the book was a little too obviously white-neo-liberal for me to take seriously.
Wow, god forbid people criticize American Democracy. The authors are not historians or sociologists, and that much is incredibly obvious. What started off as very interesting had me rolling my eyes by the end. If they were going to go a more history/sociology route with things, I would've much rather heard about how human behavior has been framed via chimps (rather than bonobos) and what impact that has had on our conception of human nature (and the inevitability of our cruelty).
Interesting that they liked to point out examples of cruelty in non-white cultures more than anything (and pretty much ignored slavery), while singing the Founding Fathers praises for creating the only "correct" political system.......sure, guys. Sure. Just ended up going a weird direction. One of those books that, after finishing it, I just got more angry the more I thought about it. At least they covered eugenics and how intentional/genetically focused "breeding" among humans always leads to that. But, on the whole, their politics and historical understanding did not strike me as particularly nuanced.
Two stars for the genuinely great parts of the book. Self-domestication theory and bonobos are subjects I plan on pursuing further. It's a shame it turned into neo-lib scolding by the end akin to "stop being angry and questioning things and just vote." You can be angry and question systems and still be friendly and care for your community. The latter half of the book seems especially tonedeaf in light of the American government's support (from both parties) of genocide.
I really loved the more evolutionary anthropology and self-domestication theory parts of the book. Really fascinating stuff. There's a lot of value in thinking about "friendliness" as a core aspect of human nature and how it also relates to our capacity for cruelty. However, once they started connecting it too specifically to the 2016-2020 political climate, the book lost me. Lots of "both sides" rhetoric going on (right-wing extremists & ANTIFA, Israel & Palestine). I also got the impression that they were blaming today's polarized society on everything EXCEPT capitalism and ineffective political systems. In just a few years, this part of the book will already feel outdated - they went too specific with their comparisons. More general comparisons (or at least more comparisons across history) would've been sufficient to get the reader to compare their findings to the environment they currently live in.
In the end, the book was a little too obviously white-neo-liberal for me to take seriously.
Wow, god forbid people criticize American Democracy. The authors are not historians or sociologists, and that much is incredibly obvious. What started off as very interesting had me rolling my eyes by the end. If they were going to go a more history/sociology route with things, I would've much rather heard about how human behavior has been framed via chimps (rather than bonobos) and what impact that has had on our conception of human nature (and the inevitability of our cruelty).
Interesting that they liked to point out examples of cruelty in non-white cultures more than anything (and pretty much ignored slavery), while singing the Founding Fathers praises for creating the only "correct" political system.......sure, guys. Sure. Just ended up going a weird direction. One of those books that, after finishing it, I just got more angry the more I thought about it. At least they covered eugenics and how intentional/genetically focused "breeding" among humans always leads to that. But, on the whole, their politics and historical understanding did not strike me as particularly nuanced.
Two stars for the genuinely great parts of the book. Self-domestication theory and bonobos are subjects I plan on pursuing further. It's a shame it turned into neo-lib scolding by the end akin to "stop being angry and questioning things and just vote." You can be angry and question systems and still be friendly and care for your community. The latter half of the book seems especially tonedeaf in light of the American government's support (from both parties) of genocide.
lori_na's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
I went into this thinking I already had a pretty good idea of some of the concepts this book presented, and sure I knew of them, I knew the basic mechanics of some. But this book really presents such a holistic, inspiring, hopeful presentation of facts, that I learned so much still. Thank you for this new-ish incredibly positive outlook and reinvigorated motivation!