ISBN: 9780674363342
What a big brain we have for all the small talk we make. It's an evolutionary riddle that at long last makes sense in this intriguing book about what gossip has done for our talkative spe… More...
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1997, ISBN: 9780674363342
Harvard University Press, Hardcover, 230 Seiten, Publiziert: 1997-12-31T00:00:01Z, Produktgruppe: Book, 0.41 kg, Verkaufsrang: 1776443, Books Global Store, Special Features, Books, Evolut… More...
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1997, ISBN: 9780674363342
Hardcover, Nieuw boek, Size: 100x16x144; New. In shrink wrap. Looks like an interesting title!, [PU: Harvard University Press]
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1997, ISBN: 0674363345
[EAN: 9780674363342], Nieuw boek, [SC: 45.15], [PU: Harvard University Press], Books
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2001, ISBN: 9780674363342
new hc, Harvard University Press, 03/11/2001, 6
Biblio.co.uk |
ISBN: 9780674363342
What a big brain we have for all the small talk we make. It's an evolutionary riddle that at long last makes sense in this intriguing book about what gossip has done for our talkative spe… More...
1997, ISBN: 9780674363342
Harvard University Press, Hardcover, 230 Seiten, Publiziert: 1997-12-31T00:00:01Z, Produktgruppe: Book, 0.41 kg, Verkaufsrang: 1776443, Books Global Store, Special Features, Books, Evolut… More...
1997
ISBN: 9780674363342
Hardcover, Nieuw boek, Size: 100x16x144; New. In shrink wrap. Looks like an interesting title!, [PU: Harvard University Press]
1997, ISBN: 0674363345
[EAN: 9780674363342], Nieuw boek, [SC: 45.15], [PU: Harvard University Press], Books
2001, ISBN: 9780674363342
new hc, Harvard University Press, 03/11/2001, 6
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What a big brain we have for all the small talk we make. It's an evolutionary riddle that at long last makes sense in this intriguing book about what gossip has done for our talkative species. Psychologist Robin Dunbar looks at gossip as an instrument of social order and cohesion--much like the endless grooming with which our primate cousins tend to their social relationships.
Apes and monkeys, humanity's closest kin, differ from other animals in the intensity of these relationships. All their grooming is not so much about hygiene as it is about cementing bonds, making friends, and influencing fellow primates. But for early humans, grooming as a way to social success posed a problem: given their large social groups of 150 or so, our earliest ancestors would have had to spend almost half their time grooming one another--an impossible burden. What Dunbar suggests--and his research, whether in the realm of primatology or in that of gossip, confirms--is that humans developed language to serve the same purpose, but far more efficiently. It seems there is nothing idle about chatter, which holds together a diverse, dynamic group--whether of hunter-gatherers, soldiers, or workmates.
Anthropologists have long assumed that language developed in relationships among males during activities such as hunting. Dunbar's original and extremely interesting studies suggest otherwise: that language in fact evolved in response to our need to keep up to date with friends and family. We needed conversation to stay in touch, and we still need it in ways that will not be satisfied by teleconferencing, email, or any other communication technology. As Dunbar shows, the impersonal world of cyberspace will not fulfill our primordial need for face-to-face contact.
From the nit-picking of chimpanzees to our chats at coffee break, from neuroscience to paleoanthropology, Grooming, Gossip, and the Evolution of Language offers a provocative view of what makes us human, what holds us together, and what sets us apart.
, Why is it that among all the primates, only humans have language? According to Professor Robin Dunbar's new book, Grooming, Gossip, and the Evolution of Language, humans gossip because we don't groom each other. Dunbar builds his argument in a lively discussion that touches on such varied topics as the behavior of gelada baboons, Darwin's theory of evolution, computer-generated poetry, and the significance of brain size. He begins with the social organization of the great apes. These animals live in small groups and maintain social cohesion through almost constant grooming activities. Grooming is a way to forge alliances, establish hierarchy, offer comfort, or make apology. Once a population expands beyond a certain number, however, it becomes impossible for each member to maintain constant physical contact with every other member of the group. Considering the large groups in which human beings have found it necessary to live, Dunbar posits that we developed language as a substitute for physical intimacy.Whether or not you accept Dunbar's premise, his book is worth reading, if only for its animated prose and wealth of scientific information. An obvious choice for science buffs, Grooming, Gossip, and the Evolution of Language is a wonderful book for anyone with an inquiring mind and an interest in what makes the world go round.
Details of the book - Grooming Gossip and the Evolution of Language
EAN (ISBN-13): 9780674363342
ISBN (ISBN-10): 0674363345
Hardcover
Paperback
Publishing year: 1997
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Book in our database since 2008-02-22T13:53:43+00:00 (London)
Detail page last modified on 2024-01-28T15:36:14+00:00 (London)
ISBN/EAN: 0674363345
ISBN - alternate spelling:
0-674-36334-5, 978-0-674-36334-2
Alternate spelling and related search-keywords:
Book author: robin dunbar
Book title: grooming gossip and the evolution language, why only language and evolution
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