Power

Power
Author: Richard Heinberg
Publisher: New Society Publishers
Total Pages: 322
Release: 2021-09-14
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1771423579

Impeccably researched and masterfully written, this book explains how and why humanity is driving itself off the cliff. — Dahr Jamail, author, The End of Ice Weaving together findings from a wide range of disciplines, Power traces how four key elements developed to give humans extraordinary power: tool making ability, language, social complexity, and the ability to harness energy sources ― most significantly, fossil fuels. It asks whether we have, at this point, overpowered natural and social systems, and if we have, what we can do about it. Has Homo sapiens — one species among millions — become powerful enough to threaten a mass extinction and disrupt the Earth's climate? Why have we developed so many ways of oppressing one another? Can we change our relationship with power to avert ecological catastrophe, reduce social inequality, and stave off collapse? These questions — and their answers — will determine our fate.

Survival of the Friendliest

Survival of the Friendliest
Author: Brian Hare
Publisher: Random House
Total Pages: 305
Release: 2020-07-14
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 0399590676

A powerful new theory of human nature suggests that our secret to success as a species is our unique friendliness “Brilliant, eye-opening, and absolutely inspiring—and a riveting read. Hare and Woods have written the perfect book for our time.”—Cass R. Sunstein, author of How Change Happens and co-author of Nudge For most of the approximately 300,000 years that Homo sapiens have existed, we have shared the planet with at least four other types of humans. All of these were smart, strong, and inventive. But around 50,000 years ago, Homo sapiens made a cognitive leap that gave us an edge over other species. What happened? Since Charles Darwin wrote about “evolutionary fitness,” the idea of fitness has been confused with physical strength, tactical brilliance, and aggression. In fact, what made us evolutionarily fit was a remarkable kind of friendliness, a virtuosic ability to coordinate and communicate with others that allowed us to achieve all the cultural and technical marvels in human history. Advancing what they call the “self-domestication theory,” Brian Hare, professor in the department of evolutionary anthropology and the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at Duke University and his wife, Vanessa Woods, a research scientist and award-winning journalist, shed light on the mysterious leap in human cognition that allowed Homo sapiens to thrive. But this gift for friendliness came at a cost. Just as a mother bear is most dangerous around her cubs, we are at our most dangerous when someone we love is threatened by an “outsider.” The threatening outsider is demoted to sub-human, fair game for our worst instincts. Hare’s groundbreaking research, developed in close coordination with Richard Wrangham and Michael Tomasello, giants in the field of cognitive evolution, reveals that the same traits that make us the most tolerant species on the planet also make us the cruelest. Survival of the Friendliest offers us a new way to look at our cultural as well as cognitive evolution and sends a clear message: In order to survive and even to flourish, we need to expand our definition of who belongs.

Survival by Hunting

Survival by Hunting
Author: George Frison
Publisher: Univ of California Press
Total Pages: 288
Release: 2004-08-11
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0520231902

"George Frison is an icon in American archeology. In Survival by Hunting, he describes personal experiences leading to the insights and perspectives that set him apart from the majority of his colleagues, who know of large game hunting only secondhand."—Michael B. Collins, Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, the University of Texas at Austin “This small book is a record of achievement and dedication to learning rarely seen in the profession of archaeology. It is the inspirational product of a person who fully understands the critical importance of prior knowledge about the behavior of prey to inferring the activities of ancient hunter-gatherers. Students of past hunter-gatherers need to read this book.”—Lewis R. Binford, author of In Pursuit of the Past

Attachment and Human Survival

Attachment and Human Survival
Author: Marci Green
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 180
Release: 2018-04-24
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 0429911033

What is it about childhood experiences that influence the kind of adult we become? For John Bowlby and others who developed Attachment theory, much of the answer lies in the quality of early attachments to our primary caregivers. When those attachments are secure, we can develop a safe sense of self. When insecure, we may go on seeking safety throughout our lives, in inappropriate and painful ways. Attachment, argued Bowlby, is a matter for individual and species survival.Using principles pioneered by Bowlby, this volume explores the importance of attachments to individuals and communities. Drawing on the work of leading figures in the field of Attachment research and clinical practice, this book introduces readers to the basic ideas and applications of Attachment theory. Chapters explore, for example, the role of attachment experience in brain development, the cultural and institutional contexts in which attachment systems operate, the political consequences of personal suffering and the uses of Attachment theory in psychotherapy.

Survival of the Nicest

Survival of the Nicest
Author: Stefan Klein
Publisher: Scribe Publications
Total Pages: 273
Release: 2014-06-30
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1925113337

The phrase ‘survival of the fittest’ conjures an image of the most cutthroat individuals rising to the top. But Stefan Klein, author of the international bestseller The Science of Happiness, makes the startling assertion that the key to achieving lasting personal and societal success lies in helping others. Klein argues that altruism is in fact our defining characteristic: natural selection favoured those early humans who cooperated in groups. With their survival more assured, our altruistic ancestors were free to devote brainpower to developing intelligence, language, and culture — our very humanity. As Klein puts it, ‘We humans became first the friendliest and then the most intelligent apes.’ To build his persuasive case for how altruistic behaviour made us human — and why it pays to get along — Klein brings together an extraordinary array of material: current research on genetics and the brain, economics, social psychology, behavioural and anthropological experiments, history, and modern culture. Ultimately, his groundbreaking findings lead him to a vexing question: if we’re really hard-wired to act for one another’s benefit, why aren’t we all getting along? Klein believes we’ve learned to mistrust our generous instincts because success is so often attributed to selfish ambition. In Survival of the Nicest, he invites us to rethink what it means to be the ‘fittest’ as he shows how caring for others can protect us from loneliness and depression, make us happier and healthier, reward us economically, and even extend our lives.

The Awkward Human Survival Guide

The Awkward Human Survival Guide
Author: Adam Dachis
Publisher: Sterling
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2014
Genre: Etiquette
ISBN: 9781454911647

Provides a humorous roadmap for getting through life's most awkward social situations, including dealing with noisy neighbours, asking parents for help, and managing an office affair.

Staying Alive

Staying Alive
Author: Roger N. Walsh
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
Total Pages: 158
Release: 1984
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 9780394726908

Thirst for Power

Thirst for Power
Author: Michael E. Webber
Publisher: Yale University Press
Total Pages: 246
Release: 2016-04-26
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0300221061

Although it is widely understood that energy and water are the world’s two most critical resources, their vital interconnections and vulnerabilities are less often recognized. This farsighted book offers a new, holistic way of thinking about energy and water—a big picture approach that reveals the interdependence of the two resources, identifies the seriousness of the challenges, and lays out an optimistic approach with an array of solutions to ensure the continuing sustainability of both. Michael Webber, a leader and teacher in the field of energy technology and policy, explains how energy and water supplies are linked and how problems in either can be crippling for the other. He shows that current population growth, economic growth, climate change, and short-sighted policies are likely to make things worse. Yet, Webber asserts, more integrated planning with long-term sustainability in mind can avert such a daunting future. Combining anecdotes and personal stories with insights into the latest science of energy and water, he identifies a hopeful path toward wise long-range water-energy decisions and a more reliable and abundant future for humanity.

Human Survival and Consciousness Evolution

Human Survival and Consciousness Evolution
Author: Stanislav Grof
Publisher: SUNY Press
Total Pages: 322
Release: 1988-01-01
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 9780887065279

In addition to the apocalyptic prospect of global nuclear destruction, there are other dismal scenarios involving resource and environmental issues that are less imminent but still serious in the long term. Past analyses, seeking remedies, have focused on symptoms rather than causes. They represent extensions and expressions of the same philosophies and strategies that created these situations. This book brings a fresh and optimistic perspective to the problem area. It explores modern consciousness research and transpersonal psychology for practices that accelerate the development of consciousness. It covers a wide range from laboratory techniques of experimental psychiatry, transpersonal psychotherapies, and Jungian psychology to the Oriental and Western mystical traditions.

Human Personality and Its Survival of Bodily Death

Human Personality and Its Survival of Bodily Death
Author: F. W. H. Myers
Publisher: DigiCat
Total Pages: 615
Release: 2022-05-29
Genre: Psychology
ISBN:

This work, published in the 19th century, was the culmination of more than 20 years of research into the spiritualistic matters like the survival of consciousness after death. The author was fascinated with spiritualism and mediumship which led him to examine mediumistic communications in particular and psychic functioning in general.