{"product_id":"a-theory-of-everyone-isbn-9780262048378","title":"A Theory of Everyone","description":"\u003cb\u003eGet a science-based introduction to cultural and human evolution—and discover a blueprint for a better future—in this fascinating book for fans of \u003ci\u003eSapiens\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eGuns, Germs, and Steel\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eWho are we, and what makes us different from other species?\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePlaying on the phrase “a theory of everything” from physics, Michael Muthukrishna’s ambitious, original, and deeply hopeful book \u003ci\u003eA Theory of Everyone\u003c\/i\u003e draws on the most recent research from across the sciences, humanities, and the emerging field of cultural evolution to paint a panoramic picture of who we are and what exactly makes human beings different from all other forms of life on the planet.\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMuthukrishna argues that it is our unique ability to create culture, a shared body of knowledge, skills, and experience passed on from generation to generation, that has enabled our current dominance. But it is only by understanding and applying the laws of life—the need for energy, innovation, cooperation, and evolution—that we can solve the practical and existential challenges we face as a species.\u003ci\u003e A Theory of Everyone\u003c\/i\u003e attempts to provide solutions for the most pressing problems of our collective future, such as polarization, inequality, the “great stagnation” in productivity, and the energy crisis.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCasting a bold and wide net, Muthukrishna’s book is a must-read for anyone interested in a better future for ourselves and for generations to come.Introduction 1\u003cbr\u003e PART I: Who We Are and\u003cbr\u003e  How We Got Here 11\u003cbr\u003e 1. Laws of Life 21\u003cbr\u003e 2. The Human Animal 65\u003cbr\u003e 3. Human Intelligence 97\u003cbr\u003e 4. Innovation in the Collective Brain 141\u003cbr\u003e 5. Created by Culture 162\u003cbr\u003e 6. Cooperation 181\u003cbr\u003e PART II: Where We’re Going 211\u003cbr\u003e 7. Reuniting Humanity 219\u003cbr\u003e 8. Governance in the Twenty-first Century 261\u003cbr\u003e 9. Shattering the Glass Ceiling 283\u003cbr\u003e 10. Triggering a Creative Explosion 314\u003cbr\u003e 11. Improving the Internet 334\u003cbr\u003e 12. Becoming Brighter 344\u003cbr\u003e  Conclusion 373\u003cbr\u003e  Acknowledgments 379\u003cbr\u003e  Further Reading 383\u003cbr\u003e  Index 427\"A deep humanism lurks implicitly under the surface of every chapter. Muthukrishna presents a fundamentally optimistic narrative, brimming with ideas and concepts. \u003ci\u003eA Theory of Everyone\u003c\/i\u003e serves as a reality-based check on overly pessimistic or bearish works that see the end of human civilization and the diminution of our creative energies.\"\u003cbr\u003e—\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eQuillette\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e“A wildly ambitious romp toward a ‘periodic table for people.’”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eHarvard Magazine\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e“A fabulous book.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eThe Economist\u003c\/i\u003e’s \u003ci\u003eBabbage\u003c\/i\u003e podcast\u003c\/b\u003e“Mind expanding – this book will change your view of the world forever. Michael Muthukrishna is one of our greatest and most creative thinkers.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Matthew Syed, author of \u003ci\u003eRebel Ideas\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e“Michael brings the reader up to date on this powerful theoretical framework—including much of his own innovative work on corruption, cooperation, and collective intelligence—and thoughtfully discusses how this framework can be applied to address pressing societal issues, ranging from diversity to taxation to free speech.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Moshe Hoffman, Visiting Lecturer on Economics, Harvard University; coauthor of \u003ci\u003eHidden Games\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“Muthukrishna has a heart as big as his intellect, which is saying something. In this original, fascinating, and provocative book he dives deep into who we humans are and what makes us tick. His hopeful message is that once we understand ourselves better we’ll coexist better. Let’s prove him right.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Andrew McAfee, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Geek Way\u003c\/i\u003e and coauthor of \u003ci\u003eThe Second Machine Age\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eA Theory of Everyone\u003c\/i\u003e is your guide to some of the most important advances in the social sciences, written by a foremost researcher, beautifully illustrated, and positively overflowing with fascinating facts and ideas.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Erez Yoeli, Director, Applied Cooperation Initiative, MIT; coauthor of \u003ci\u003eHidden Games\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Do you know your own species? You might think so, but Muthukrishna\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003ewill make you think again. With clarity, humor, and energy, he opens new vistas on how genes and cultures shaped who we are and how we can improve our lives together. \u003ci\u003eA Theory of Everyone\u003c\/i\u003e is for everyone.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Walter Sinnott-Armstrong, Chauncey Stillman Professor of Practical Ethics, Duke University; author of \u003ci\u003eThink Again: How to Reason and Argue\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eA Theory of Everyone \u003c\/i\u003euses the latest social science research to answer the critical question of how all human communities can be made to work better. Magisterial in scope and practical in application, this book should be required reading for CEOs, community organizers, head teachers, and presidents.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Jamie Heywood, CEO, zolar; Former Head, Uber, Northern and Eastern Europe\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“The best book I’ve read in a decade. A sprightly page-turner that entertains with specifics, astonishes with universals, and reframes the big issues facing humanity.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Robert Klitgaard, Professor, Claremont Graduate University; author of \u003ci\u003ePolicy Analysis for Big Issues\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“Buzzing with ideas, \u003ci\u003eA Theory of Everyone \u003c\/i\u003eencourages us to rethink what it is to be human. A compelling and essential read for anyone interested in building a better, more sustainable future.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—David Bodanis, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Art of Fairness\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“This book, which I read with great fascination, shows how we can move beyond neoclassical economics with a firmer foundation in the natural sciences and energy. This is extremely important as the world will soon face, and Europe already faces, increasingly urgent energy shortages. I hope this book helps more people understand the critical importance of energy in generating our current affluence, and its diminution as a probable root cause of future inflation. A failure to understand these relations is likely to cause our societies to become impossible to govern.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Charles Hall, ESF Foundation Distinguished Professor, State University of New York; inventor of the EROI metric; author of \u003ci\u003eEnergy and the Wealth of Nations\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eA Theory of Everyone\u003c\/i\u003e delivers both an overarching theory and a practical toolkit for understanding and improving the human condition. What could be more important than that?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—David Sloan Wilson, author of \u003ci\u003eThis View of Life: Completing the Darwinian Revolution\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“I loved this book. \u003ci\u003eA Theory of Everyone \u003c\/i\u003eis a ‘big book’ bustling with ‘big ideas,’ taking on some of humanity’s most intractable issues—securing energy abundance, fostering innovation, increasing human cooperation between different groups, and figuring out how to leverage godlike technologies for good. The book lays out a path, along with various evidence-based strategies, for us humans to resolve these wicked problems so that together we can create a more prosperous, abundant, and flourishing future. Required reading for anyone interested in the most important questions of our time.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Kurtis Lochart, Executive Director, Charter Cities Institute\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“One of today’s most brilliant minds weighs in on what ails us and how to fix it. Muthukrishna breaks life’s biggest questions down into their component parts, then reveals how artificial intelligence, physics, history, evolutionary biology, and psychology can together answer them, in a way that will keep you up at night. The most important book you will read this year—good luck not telling your friends about it!”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Brian Hare, Professor, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“An astonishing book that will change the way you think about human history and our future.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Nichola Raihani, Professor of Evolution \u0026amp; Behaviour, University College London; author of \u003ci\u003eThe Social Instinct\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e“If you hear the engine of human prosperity sputtering and see the world going dark, Michael Muthukrishna is knocking on your door with a lantern and a toolbox. With wisdom and precision, \u003ci\u003eA Theory of Everyone\u003c\/i\u003e makes sense of our historical moment and gives credible hope that, after some retooling, human energy and ingenuity can prevail.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Joshua Greene, Professor, Harvard University; author of \u003ci\u003eMoral Tribes: Emotion, Reason, and the Gap Between Us and Them\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“The world is breaking and society is becoming ever more polarized—yet a better realm is around the corner, if only we can stimulate our collective brains. In his magnificent \u003ci\u003eA Theory of Everyone\u003c\/i\u003e, polymath Michael Muthukrishna teaches us how to govern in the twenty-first century, how to address inequalities, and how to trigger creative explosions, improve the internet, and become brighter—all by harnessing the power of cultural evolution. A marvelous, rich, and entertaining read.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Kevin N. Lala, Professor, Centre for Biological Diversity, University of St Andrews\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e“Rooted in a new theory of human nature, \u003ci\u003eA Theory of Everyone \u003c\/i\u003eflavorfully mixes a stunning breadth of scholarship with an impressive knowledge of pop culture and current issues, boldly going where most social scientists fear to tread. Lucidly discussing ideas surrounding IQ, race, sex differences, inheritance taxes, religion, Microsoft, and even monogamy, Muthukrishna treats readers to a fascinating intellectual flight that thoughtfully offers many new perspectives on old issues. Buckle up!”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Joseph Henrich, Professor of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University; author of \u003ci\u003eThe WEIRDest People in the World\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Secret of Our Success\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eMichael Muthukrishna is Associate Professor of Economic Psychology in the Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science and Affiliate in Developmental Economics and Data Science at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). His work on cultural evolution focuses on answering three big questions: why humans are so different from other animals, what are the psychological and evolutionary processes that underlie culture and social change, and how the answers to these questions can be used to tackle some of the biggest challenges we face as a species.","brand":"The MIT Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46304827900133,"sku":"NP9780262048378","price":32.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780262048378.jpg?v=1767720850","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/a-theory-of-everyone-isbn-9780262048378","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}