Book
Supernormal stimuli : how primal urges overran their evolutionary purpose / Deirdre Barrett.
In this book, a Harvard evolutionary psychologist explains how our once-helpful instincts get hijacked in our garish modern world. Our instincts--for food, sex, or territorial protection--evolved for life on the savannahs 10,000 years ago, not in today's world of densely populated cities, technological innovations, and pollution. We now have access to a glut of larger-than-life objects, from candy to pornography to atomic weapons--that gratify these gut instincts with often-dangerous results. Animal biologists coined the term "supernormal stimuli" to describe imitations that appeal to primitive instincts and exert a stronger pull than real things, such as soccer balls that geese prefer over eggs. The author applies this concept to the alarming disconnect between human instinct and our created environment, demonstrating how supernormal stimuli are a major cause of today's most pressing problems, including obesity and war.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780393068481
- Physical Description: 216 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: New York : W.W. Norton & Company, [2010]
- Copyright: ©2010
Content descriptions
| Formatted Contents Note: |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Evolutionary psychology. Behavior evolution. |
Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at Consortium of Ohio Libraries. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at Community Library (Sunbury).
Holds
- 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community Library (Sunbury) | 155.7 Bar (Text) | 30210313169616 | Nonfiction | Available | - |
