Machiavellian Intelligence: Social Expertise and the Evolution of Intellect in Monkeys, Apes, and Humans (Oxford Science Publications)
Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1988.
Paperback. 9 1/4" X 6 1/4". xiv, 413pp. Mild rubbing and shelf wear to covers, corners, and edges of pictorial paper wraps. Wraps have been covered in clear, protective plastic. Bump to head of spine. Toning and faint dust-spotting to edges of text block. Price sticker to rear cover. Penciled notation to verso of half-title page. Pages are clean and unmarked. Binding is sound.
ABOUT THIS BOOK:
This book presents an alternative to conventional ideas about the evolution of the human intellect. Instead of placing top priority on the role of tools, the pressure for their skillful use, and the related importance of interpersonal communication as a means for enhanced cooperation, this volume explores quite a different idea-- that the driving force in the evolution of human intellect was social expertise--a force which enabled the manipulation of others within the social group, who themselves are seen as posing the most challenging problems faced by primitive humans. The need to outwit one's clever colleagues then produces an evolutionary spiraling of "Machiavellian intelligence." The book forms a complete and self-contained text on this fast-growing topic. It includes the origins of the basic premise and a wealth of exciting developments, described by an international team of authors from the fields of anthropology, psychology, and zoology. An evaluation of more traditional approaches is also undertaken, with a view to discovering to what extent Machiavellian intelligence represents a complementary concept or one that is truly an alternative. Readers and students will find this fascinating volume carries them to the frontiers of scientific work on the origin of human intellect.(Publisher). Good +. Item #11385
ISBN: 0198521758
Price: $75.00