The hare and the tortoise - David P Barash

A BOOK INTENDED FOR THE INTELLIGENT LAYPERSON, 'THE HARE AND THE TORTOISE' PRESENTS A NEW WAY OF THINKING ABOUT HUMAN BEINGS AND THEIR PLACE IN THE WORLD, DEVELOPING THE THESIS THAT MOST OF OUR CURRENT PROBLEMS ARE DUE TO THE CONFLICT BETWEEN RAPIDLY MOVING CULTURE (THE HARE) AND SLOW MOVING BIOLOGY (THE TORTOISE). FOLLOWING A DESCRIPTION OF THE FUNDAMENTALS OF BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION, BARASH SHOWS HOW THE PARADIGM OF BIOLOGY/CULTURE CONFLICT ILLUMINATES CURRENT ISSUES RELATED TO SEX, FEMINISM AND SEXISM, FAMILY STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION, AGGRESSION; THE NUCLEAR ARMS RACE, POPULATION ENVIRONMENTAL ABUSE AND ALIENATION. IN MAKING THIS ARGUMENTS BARASH RANGES WIDELY FROM EARLY JAWLESS FISH TO THE WORK OF BARBARA EHRENREICH, FROM THE SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR OF CHIMPANZEES TO THE ABUSE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS.'THE HARE & THE TORTOISE'ABUNDANTLY ILLUSTRATED WITH EXAMPLES FROM HISTORY, CURRENT EVENTS & THE LIVES OF ANIMALS, IS A COMPELLING AND HIGHLY READABLE EXAMINA- TION OF THE COMPLEX INTERPLAY BETWEEN CULTURAL BEHAVOIOUR AMD TRADITION.