Demonic Males: Apes and the Origins of Human ViolenceWhatever their virtues, men are more violent than women. Why do men kill, rape, and wage war, and what can we do about it? Demonic Males offers startling new answers to these questions. Drawing on the latest discoveries about human evolution and about our closest living relatives, the great apes, the book unfolds a compelling argument that the secrets of a peaceful society may well be, first, a sharing of power between males and females, and second, a high level and variety of sexual activity, both homosexual and heterosexual. Dramatic, vivid, and sometimes shocking, but firmly grounded in meticulous scientific research, Demonic Males will stir controversy and debate. It will be required reading for anyone concerned about the spiral of violence undermining human society. |
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - philiphk - LibraryThingInteresting and convincing proposal regarding why men are violent. I had not really thought about this before. I suppose I thought that men's violent inclinations and drive to dominate and succeeed ... Read full review
DEMONIC MALES: Apes and the Origins of Human Violence
User Review - KirkusForget Rousseau. Forget Konrad Lorenz. Wrangham and Peterson say that after 40 years of gorilla and chimpanzee watching, it is hard not to conclude that human males are but evolutionary heirs of male ... Read full review
Contents
PARADISE LOST | 1 |
TIME MACHINE | 28 |
ROOTS | 49 |
RAIDING | 63 |
PARADISE IMAGINED | 83 |
A QUESTION OF TEMPERAMENT | 108 |
RELATIONSHIP VIOLENCE | 127 |
THE PRICE OF FREEDOM | 153 |
MESSAGE FROM THE SOUTHERN FORESTS | 220 |
TAMING THE DEMON | 231 |
KAKAMAS DOLL | 252 |
FAMILY TREES | 259 |
MAPS | 262 |
NOTES | 265 |
BIBLIOGRAPHY | 301 |
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS | 331 |
Other editions - View all
Demonic Males: Apes and the Origins of Human Violence Richard W. Wrangham,Dale Peterson No preview available - 1996 |
Demonic Males: Apes and the Origins of Human Violence Richard W. Wrangham,Dale Peterson No preview available - 1997 |
Common terms and phrases
adolescent adult Africa aggression American ancestors animals apes appear arms attack become behavior body bonobos called chimpanzees close continued culture death demonic described develop dominance eating effects evidence evolutionary evolved example fact females fight forced forest four girls gorillas half hand happens human hunting hyenas idea imagine important individuals infants island kill later less live look males mate matriarchies Mead means million monkeys mother move nature neighbors never observers once orangutans parties pattern peace perhaps political possible present Press primates problem produced raiding rainforest range rape reason relationships result roots Samoa selection sexual side similar social societies sometimes South species suggest thing tion traditional tree turn University village violence Western wild women woodland Yanomamö young
Bibliographic information
| Title | Demonic Males: Apes and the Origins of Human Violence A Mariner Book |
| Authors | Richard W. Wrangham, Dale Peterson |
| Edition | reprint |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1996 |
| ISBN | 0395877431, 9780395877432 |
| Length | 350 pages |
| Subjects | › › Nature / Animals / Primates |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |