The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints on the Human Spirit

As a previous student of Dr. Konner and a student of Neuroscience and Psychology, I must say that over the years I have read many, many books on human behavior and this is the absolute best by far. There is no book that is comprable to The Tangled Wing in it's thoroughness and it's readability. I have read this book cover to cover twice and use it for reference often. His research in the field is extensive. Dr. Konner is a marvelous speaker and his writings are equally captivating. New research in the field is developed upon the information contained in this book. Anyone interested in not only neuroscience, but how people are and why they are that way should read this book. It is very enjoyable and opens your eyes to seeing the world through a whole new perspective. My second favorite book is "Childhood" by Dr. Konner. It's a must read for anyone interested in understanding children.

I don't know how I managed to miss this one for so long (there was an earlier edition from the 1980's; this one is completely updated). Konner is a physician and anthropologist. He wrote this as an attempt "to show what an integration (of evolutionary psychology into the whole of social and behavioral sciences) might look like." It consists of an in-depth survey of the literature on the "science of human nature," and research into the biology of human "frailties" such as fear, lust, and love. He provides a very useful perspective as a cultural (?) anthropologist with great knowledge of the hunter-gatherer way of life and an understanding of the varieties of cultural expression. He frequently waxes poetic and uses substantial references to literature and the arts, of which I sometimes missed the point and which was prone to cause me to become distracted from the primary narrative as well. But give him credit for trying. Also, many chapters seemed to have no internal structure and felt like a random list of findings relevant to a subject. But I was extremely impressed with the impeccable referencing (accessed online), especially his personal recommendations for further reading. What piqued me the most was his conclusion and final...tirade? His penultimate chapter starts with a tour of the dazzling new world created by the sequencing of the human genome but suddenly veers into a thorough and absolutely fact-based litany of why we are headed toward a Malthusian disaster if business continues as usual. He even updates Barrington Moore, Jr.'s targeting of "the attractive upper middle class mother, driving a station wagon full of happy sunburned children" (now it's an SUV and the kids are sunscreened) as the ultimate culprit in causing human misery. Several months ago I would have huzzah-ed him on and said "amen!" Now I'm not so sure of the utility of this exercise. I was actually personally offended by his statement that, "the deepest circle of hell certainly must be reserved for...'techno-optimists'." Such fools (as I) only have such hope because our homes are not yet "overwhelmed by floods, squatter populations, mafias, food shortages, electric grid failures, or epidemics." For all the clear exposition of the causes of our potential annihilation he leaves a very scant image of our route toward salvation. Has he no imagination? Or is it just non-"academic" or Pollyanna-ish to try to envision how a successful human world might look? He only says, "It's a no-brainer: reduce population, reduce consumption, reduce pollution. That's it. Difficult? Too bad. Be grateful it's still possible. Ayres call it `God's last offer.' Take it or leave it." I think one could write a whole book in response to that....

If you read only one book about human behavior, this should be it. If you read many books about human behavior, this should be one of them. Prof. Konner is wise, he is erudite, he is literate, and he is humane. Rather than take one-sided positions or air only politically correct view, Konner synthesizes a huge amount of information and comes to sensible conclusions. I cannot recommend this book highly enough

Although somewhat repetative at times, this book is, overall, enlightening. Evidence from a broad range of scientific disciplines is displayed clearly, and the relationships and connections between subjects are elegantly exposed. This leaves the reader with a feeling that the basis for the ideas presented is solid and tangible, making the book all the more immersive. Exposition of some lesser-known studies which never the less have incited serious scientic revalations is perhaps this book's strongest point. This book serves as a jumping-off point for many avenues of thought, and is highly recommended to anyone who seeks to further their understanding of human intellegence, social behavior, and consciousness.

This is one of the best books on the subject I have ever read. While some of the technical material may become dated (or may have already become so) the overall tone and sense of the book are of enduring value. Briefly, Konner describes the way that our biology affects and constrains our spirit. The book is free of extremist positions, and has a great deal of wisdom in it