The Battle for Human Nature: Science, Morality and Modern Life

A thought-provoking analysis of how language (especially the technical vocabularies of Economics, Sociology, and Science) affects the social perception and conversation of what it means to be human. I highly highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys discussing the big contemporary social issues...

Whomever wrote the other review probably only read the first page of the book. This book provides a very comprehensive analysis of the disciplines of economic theory, sociobiology and behavior theory. Barry Schwartz does an excellent job of illustrating the continuity between the three disciplines and gives an extensive theoretical analysis of them from within a modern conceptualization of the "good life." It is a pity that the other "patron" of this book did not find it quite so helpful as he had hoped. Perhaps it would be more appreciated if it was read with a willingness to admit to that which is true and to challenge that which seemed flawed. By no means does this book provide a perfect referential framework, but it is extremely insightful and brilliantly written.

This book is well written, with a clear and compelling premise, and very thoughtful analyis. It discusses many issues that affect our day-to-day existence, at the same time that it addresses more theoretical questions of who we are and who we think we should be.