How We Think - by Meredith Francesca Small (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A sweeping, thought-provoking exploration of how humans think about the world and themselves

Humans are the product of millions of years of evolution as well as various forces of culture that influence how we think. Humans also spend much of their brain power on self-reflection. We want to understand ourselves, to decide if there is a universal "human nature" or if we are cultural beings that can think our way out of everything. Can we agree on who we are and what motivates our thoughts? What is the purpose of such an enormous brain? Does it guide us or restrict us?

A sweeping, thought-provoking exploration about how humans, as a species and as individuals, think about the world and themselves, How We Think presents essays about research, questions the way humans use their minds, and considers how that information informs each of us about ourselves. This is a book for everyone--for those interested in anthropology and human behavior and the "big questions" about who we are. How We Think takes the anthropological view about the human thought process, a view that is both evolutionarily deep and widely cross-cultural, always focusing on what makes humans so different from each other, although we are also universally so much alike.

Review Quotes

"The brain is in our head, but our mind spreads out into the world, and Meredith Small has insight into how this works. How We Think invites the reader on a fun-filled romp through our minds, bodies and lives. Packed with information and written in a way that is both accessible and captivating, this book is for everyone who wonders how, and why, we do what we do."--Agustin Fuentes, Professor of Anthropology, Princeton University

"As a paleoanthropologist, I appreciate not just the science, but the humor too, in this wonderful collection of essays about one of life's biggest questions: What makes us human? Professor Small's delightful narrative, sparkling curiosity, and evocative insights into the mechanics and magic of the human brain makes this book a fun, important, very worthwhile read."--Donald Johanson, co-author of Lucy: The Beginnings of Humankind

"Meredith Small combines the best qualities of Margaret Mead and Dorothy Parker, delighting us with her witty insights into human nature. This is a wonderful collection, full of punch and enlightenment!"--Jonathan Marks, author of Understanding Human Diversity

"Meredith Small is one of anthropology's most charming, can't-put-down-whatever-she-writes authors. This collection assembles a set of treasures in one convenient space. Small writes with the wit of a comedian, the knowledge of a polymath, and the wisdom of a sage. And the super-short format of all these essays makes them oh-so-approachable. The result is irresistible."--Alma Gottlieb, co-editor of A World of Babies: Imagined Childcare Guides for Eight Societies

About the Author

Meredith F. Small is Professor Emerita, Department of Anthropology, Cornell University, and a science journalist. Her books include What's Love Got to Do With It?; Our Babies, Ourselves: How Biology and Culture Shape the Way We Parent; Kids: How Biology and Culture Shape the Way We Raise Young Children; and most recently Here Begins the Dark Sea: Venice, a Medieval Monk, and the Creation of the Most Accurate Map of the World.