Book of the Month: July 2009
by Melvin Konner
2nd revised edition, 2002 (first published in 1982)
Henry Holt, New York
First published to great acclaim twenty years ago, The Tangled Wing has become required reading for anyone interested in the biological roots of human behavior. Since then, revolutions have taken place in genetics, molecular biology, and neuroscience. All of these innovations have been brought into account in this greatly expanded edition of a book originally called an "overwhelming achievement" by The Times Literary Supplement.
A masterful synthesis of biology, psychology, anthropology, and philosophy, The Tangled Wing reveals human identity and activity to be an intricately woven fabric of innumerable factors. Melvin Konner's sensitive and straightforward discussion ranges across topics such as the roots of aggression, the basis of attachment and desire, the differences between the sexes, and the foundations of mental illness.
Read a comprehensive book review by Richard Wrangham:
Wrangham, R. (2004). Review of The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints on the Human Spirit by Melvin Konner. Evolutionary Psychology, 2:3-6.
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