To be a Stone Age creature in a Jet Age zoo tends to cause problems. The list of consequences are numerous -- from depression and suicide to obesity, drug use, insomnia, loneliness, violence, and wars -- to mention only a few of the 'diseases of civilisation'. Are we prisoners of an environment that is at odds with the way evolution has shaped us, and if so, can we do anything about it? Can we use our knowledge of human nature to offer people more appropriate conditions of living, and at the same time create a more peaceful world? The author is convinced that present insight into the nature of being human can help us make better choices. Our great feats of engineering, from building the pyramids to sending a man to the moon, have been the easy tasks; the real challenge in shaping the future of Planet Earth lies in dealing with human nature. We have the power to turn our planet into a living nightmare and a biological refuse dump, but it is also within our capacity to create conditions of living better than those we ever had. The principle of book is to offer a guide for living that not only benefits the individual -- and should thus be coveted -- but also works for the benefit of the society and our planet. Written for a general audience as well as for professionals interested particularly in evolutionary psychology, behavioural biology, socio-biology, and happiness studies.

Author Biography

Bjorn Grinde