Mean Genes

BookViews – Pick of the Month

For those who love science, I highly recommend Mean Genes by Terry Burnham and Jay Phelan ($24, Perseus Publishing), a fascinating and informative book at the way our evolutionary development has shaped our various impulses and desires.

We have been told that it’s "in our genes" and the authors, both scholars, explore why our vices, overeating, smoking, drinking and gambling, infidelity and others, can be traced to genetic influences on human behavior. They also emphasize that we possess a unique ability to control our own behavior, unlike other species that cannot. We can deal with our "mean genes" for a happier, more productive life. This is just great reading!