Behave

The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst

By: Robert M. Sapolsky

Narrated by: Michael Goldstrom

New York Times bestseller • Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize • One of the Washington Post's 10 Best Books of the Year

“It’s no exaggeration to say that Behave is one of the best nonfiction books I’ve ever read.” —David P. Barash, The Wall Street Journal

"It has my vote for science book of the year.” —Parul Sehgal, The New York Times

"Immensely readable, often hilarious...Hands-down one of the best books I’ve read in years. I loved it." —Dina Temple-Raston, The Washington Post

From the bestselling author of A Primate's Memoir and Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will comes a landmark, genre-defining examination of human behavior and an answer to the question: Why do we do the things we do?

Behave is one of the most dazzling tours d’horizon of the science of human behavior ever attempted. Moving across a range of disciplines, Sapolsky—a neuroscientist and primatologist—uncovers the hidden story of our actions. Undertaking some of our thorniest questions relating to tribalism and xenophobia, hierarchy and competition, and war and peace, Behave is a towering achievement—a majestic synthesis of cutting-edge research and a heroic exploration of why we ultimately do the things we do . . . for good and for ill.

A Magnum Opus

What a work! This book ties together insights ranging from so many disciplines that it defies categorization. Factors influencing human behavior but not determining per se - a major theme) are reviewed and illustrated with countless experimental examples ranging from molecular to societal -with everything in between. Some may find it repetitive but that is the essence of learning. So much detail is included that you should sign up for 15 Medical School credits if you make it to the end. And very importantly the narrator dealt with the big words in a manner was much appreciated by this reviewer - a retired professor of pharmacology.

Very cool book!

I listen to the author's TED Talk and was inspired to listen to the audio book and I wasn't disappointed.

A how to on making the world a better place.

It's dense, but fascinating. A wealth or knowledge from various fields related to behavior.

Drone view of behavioral psychology

The book is very much a Psychology 101 course designed to give the reader an overview of the field, and frankly, it's a haul. Sapolsky covers a lot of ground and frankly, if you don't have some background in biopsychology, you can find yourself bogged down pretty quickly. Nevertheless, there is a lot of information here that has very practical uses and opens the reader to a better understanding of the world around them.

What surprised me, is how literary the book is. Sapolsky is a very fine writer. Clever, humorous and inventive. That was unexpected, but not unappreciated. The narrative is very good, and even though the book is very long, every chapter is satisfying.

My one criticism lies with his political analyses which are media friendly, but unsophisticated and unnecessary. Jonathan Haidt is not as good a writer as Sapolsky, but a better psychologist I think.

Brilliant

I am in academic neuroscientist and I found this book absolutely stellar – a perfect mix of rigorous academics and digestible synthesis.