For at least the last 50,000 years, and probably much longer, people have practiced religion. Yet little attention has been given, either by believers or atheists, to the question of whether this universal human behavior might have an evolutionary basis. Did religion evolve, in other words, because it helped people in early societies survive?
In this original and controversial book, Nicholas Wade, a longtime reporter for the New York Times Science section, gathers new evidence showing why religion became so essential in the course of human evolution and how an instinct for faith has been hardwired into human nature. This startling thesis is sure to catch the attention of both believers and nonbelievers.
People of faith may not warm to the view that the mind's receptivity to religion has been shaped by evolution. Atheists may not embrace the idea that religious expression evolved because it conferred essential benefits on ancient societies and their successors. As The Faith Instinct argues, however, both groups must address the fact, little understood before now, that religious behavior is an evolved part of human nature. How did we evolve to believe? Wade shows that the instinct for religious behavior is wired into our neural circuits much like our ability to learn a language. Religion provided the earliest human societies with the equivalents of law and government, giving these societies an edge in the struggle for survival. As a force that binds people together and coordinates social behavior, religion supported another significant set of social behaviors: aggression and warfare. Religious behavior, both good and ill will remain an indelible component of human nature so long as human societies need the security and cohesion that belief provides.
Social scientists once predicted that religion would progressively fade away as societies advanced in wealth and education. They were wrong.
The world is full of problems and conflicts. So why can we not solve them? According to Edward de Bono, world thinking cannot solve world problems because world thinking is itself the problem....
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Dr. Noah Goldstein, Steve Martin, Dr. Robert B. Cialdini
Narrator
:
Clive Mantle
Publisher
:
BBC WW
Normal Retail Price
:
$ 26.34
Audible Price
:
$ 18.53
Every day we face the challenge of persuading others to do what we want. But what makes people say 'yes' to our requests? Find out....
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Your laptop mysteriously crashes. There's a fresh red wine stain on the carpet. An overhead bird targets your windshield. Sh*t, as they say, happens to all of us....
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In Science Friction, bestselling author and Skeptic magazine publisher Michael Shermer pretends to be a psychic for a day and fools everyone....
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The beauty industry which once revolved around creams and powders, subtle agents to enhance beauty has become the antiaging industry....
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Why do we want and do so many things that are bad for us? We vow to lose those extra five pounds, put money in the bank, and mend neglected relationships...
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What is Prozac? Since it was introduce in 1987, the antidepressant Prozac has been prescribed to nearly five million Americans....
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The beauty industry which once revolved around creams and powders, subtle agents to enhance beauty has become the antiaging industry....
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Susan Hepburn has helped thousands of people to achieve dramatic and lasting weight loss. In this eagerly awaited book, she shares the revolutionary yet simple method.....
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Learn how Derren astounds fans with his incredible memory. He teaches you some simple, fun systems to improve your memory, transform aspects of your life and wow an audience....
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If we could turn back the clock psychologically, could we also turn it back physically? For more than 30 years, awardwinning social psychologist Ellen Langer has studied this provocative question....
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Radio producer Dan Gediman's story about his older brother, Alex Jones, who he idolized when they were kids. After many unsuccessful attempts to become a rock star, Alex finally...
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Carole Wade, Carol Tavris, Deborah Saucier, Lorin Elias
Narrator
:
Mark Greene, Amy LeBlanc
Publisher
:
Pearson Education, Inc.
Normal Retail Price
:
$ 19.95
Audible Price
:
$ 19.95
Download a sample chapter for free now! Study on the go with VangoNotes. Just download chapter reviews from your text and listen to them on your mp3 player.
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One of the more profound implications of Sheldrake's account here is his suggestion that the brain may be more like a tuning system than a recording device....
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Renowned therapist and expert on pornogrpahy addiction, Dr. Kevin Skinner carefully walks someone struggling with pornography through the steps to recovery....
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We are accustomed to think of sociopaths as violent criminals, but in The Sociopath Next Door, Harvard psychologist Martha Stout reveals that a shocking 4 percent of ordinary people....
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In two decades of psychiatry practice, John R. Sharp has worked with many people who experienced the same emotional distresses at specific times of the year....
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Why I Recommend
Audible by Alan Twigg
Audible (an Amazon.com company) is the world's leading online
audio-book provider. Audible is responsible for supplying audio
content to Apple's ITunes service. I have been listening,
enjoying and creating audio books for many years. With
the arrival of the internet and portable digital devices,
audio-books began to become availalbe for download.
Having tried most of
the other download services myself, I finally came to
the conclusion that Audible offers the best and most
reliable service. Whether you are using an IPod, IPhone,
mobile phone, Dune or one of the many other MP3 players
availalbe, Audilbe makes downloading great quality audio
content easy and umcomplicated.
In addition to this, Audible also boasts the most comprehensive collection
of audio books anywhere. Depending on the promotion currently on
offer, you can download any audiobook of your
choice for free (including almost
certainly the title on this
page, too).
This link will take you to Audible...
All about Audiobooks and how they can make your life more
enjoyable.
Books in audio format are a fantastic alternative to reading.
Indeed, now that the digital age is upon, listening to your
favourite novel, biography or factual book has become
incredibly easy. Digital audiobooks weigh nothing and can be
easily downloaded in mp3, wma or other format to an almost
limitless number of mobile devices, including ipods, iphone,
zune, android, laptops, PCs and mobile phones.
Just imagine listening to a bestselling classic while
driving. Good audiobooks really do take the boredom out of
travel and long car journeys. Thanks to Ipod and co. you
don’t even need a CD player anymore! And there are many
thousands of great audiobooks to choose in an incredibly
diverse range of categories. From comedy to business and
from children’s to Adult, you are guaranteed to find your
downloadable favourite.
Here at Playtime Books we offer lots unabridged talking
books that can be downloaded from audible. At audible
audiobooks you get your own online library, which makes
downloading a piece of cake. You can then easily move them
over to your Ipod or mp3 player. You can also sign up for
the trial and get a
free audiobook.
