Why We Do It: Rethinking Sex and the Selfish Gene

With compelling evidence from one of nature's most fascinating activities, this book demands that we rethink the pre-eminence of genetics in determining our actions and motivations. Ever since the discovery of DNA, genes have captured the popular imagination as a sort of computer programming language for life. And this view of genetics has been used to propagate the idea that sex is just about reproduction. Niles Eldredge takes on the core principles of evolutionary biology and draws on Darwin to show that genetic reproduction cannot be the sole, or even highest, reason for sex, and reminds us that the cultures we create are just as, if not far more, determinant of our actions and motivations. (This book may contain a sharpie mark on the top or bottom edge and may show mild signs of shelfwear.)