Human life history evolution: new perspectives on body and brain growth
On Human Nature covers the present state of knowledge on human diversity and its adaptative significance through a broad and eclectic selection of representative chapters. This transdisciplinary work brings together specialists from various fields who rarely interact: geneticists, evolutionists, physicians, ethologists, psychoanalysts, anthropologists, sociologists, theologians, historians, linguists, philosophers. Genomic diversity will be covered in several chapters dealing with biology, including "how different are men and apes" and "genetic diversity of mankind." Top specialists, known for their open mind and broad knowledge, have been carefully selected to cover each topic. The book is therefore at the crossroads between biology and human sciences, going beyond classical science in the Popperian sense.
This work does not skip hot controversies, since the general topic itself is controversial: it is no less than human nature. Moreover, controversy is inherent in fruitful and nonconventional exchanges. The only, but strict, limits to controversy are intolerance and political extremism.
Although chapters expose the present state-of-the-art of all topics, On Human Nature is accessible not only to specialists, but also to students, professors, and the educated public. Glossaries of specialized terms and general public references help nonspecialists to understand complex notions, with contributions avoiding technical jargon.
