Behave

The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst

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Behave

By: Robert M Sapolsky

Narrated by: Michael Goldstrom

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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

The audiobook edition of Behave by Robert Sapolsky, read by Michael Goldstrom.

The New York Times best seller

Winner of the 2017 LA Times Book Prize

Why do human beings behave as they do?

We are capable of savage acts of violence but also spectacular feats of kindness: is one side of our nature destined to win out over the other?

Every act of human behaviour has multiple layers of causation, spiralling back seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, years, even centuries, right back to the dawn of time and the origins of our species.
In the epic sweep of history, how does our biology affect the arc of war and peace, justice and persecution? How have our brains evolved alongside our cultures?

This is the exhilarating story of human morality and the science underpinning the biggest question of all: what makes us human?

© Robert M Sapolsky 2018 (P) Penguin Audio 2018

Biological Sciences

Biology

Psychology

Psychology & Mental Health

Science

Thought-Provoking

Mental Health

Health

Human Brain

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Critic reviews

Awe-inspiring … This is the best scientific book written for non-specialists that I have ever read. You will learn more about human nature than in any other book I can think of, and you will be inspired (Henry Marsh, author of Do No Harm)

It’s no exaggeration to say that Behave is one of the best nonfiction books I’ve ever read

Behave is the best detective story ever written, and the most important. If you've ever wondered why someone did something – good or bad, vicious or generous – you need to read this book. If you think you already know why people behave as they do, you need to read this book. In other words, everybody needs to read it. It should be available on prescription (side effects: chronic laughter; highly addictive). They should put Behave in hotel rooms instead of the Bible: the world would be a much better, wiser place (Kate Fox, author of Watching the English)

Magisterial … This extraordinary survey of the science of human behaviour takes the reader on an epic journey … Sapolsky makes the book consistently entertaining, with an infectious excitement at the puzzles he explains … a miraculous synthesis of scholarly domains (Steven Poole)

Truly all-encompassing … detailed, accessible, fascinating

Rarely does an almost 800-page book keep my attention from start to finish, but Behave is exceptional in its scale, scope, detail and writing style ... Sapolsky places what makes us special in the wider context of humans as animals with brains that are fundamentally similar to those of other species. It is the first book that does so comprehensively enough to qualify as a guide to human behaviour (Frans de Waal)

A miraculous book, by far the best treatment of violence, aggression, and competition ever. Its depth and breadth of scholarship are amazing, building on Sapolsky’s own research and his vast knowledge of the neurobiology, genetic, and behavioral literature. All this is done brilliantly with a light and funny touch that shows why Sapolsky is recognized as one of the greatest teachers in science today (Paul Ehrlich, author of Human Natures)

A great writer and a superb guide to human nature, Sapolsky shows you how all the perspectives and systems connect, and he makes you laugh and marvel along the way. A beautifully crafted work about the biology of morality (Jonathan Haidt, author of The Righteous Mind)

One of the best scientist-writers of our time (Oliver Sacks)

Behave is like a great historical novel, with excellent prose and encylopedic detail. It traces the most important story that can ever be told (E O Wilson)

Most relevant

I'm very impressed by the narration! It's not easy to remain entertaining and bubbly on a science book. The book itself is entertaining and bubbly overall but there are some passages that are more technical and still the narration is really easy to listen to. The content is absolutely fascinating!