The Social Instinct

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What to expect

Brought to you by Penguin.

Why cooperate? This may be the most important scientific question we have ever, and will ever, face.

The science of cooperation tells us not only how we got here, but also where we might end up. Cooperation explains how strands of DNA gave rise to modern-day nation states. It defines our extraordinary ecological success as well as many of the most surprising features of what make us human: not only why we live in families, why we have grandmothers and why women experience the menopause, but also why we become paranoid and jealous, and why we cheat.

Nichola Raihani also introduces us to other species who, like us, live and work together. From the pied babblers of the Kalahari to the cleaner fish of the Great Barrier Reef, they happen to be some of the most fascinating and extraordinarily successful species on this planet. What do we have in common with these other species, and what is it that sets us apart?

Written at a time of global pandemic, when the challenges and importance of cooperation have never been greater, The Social Instinct is an exhilarating, far-reaching and thought-provoking journey through all life on Earth, with profound insights into what makes us human and how our societies work.

© Nichola Raihani 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

Critics Review

  • A phenomenally important book. The story of why we humans evolved to become such a wonderfully cooperative, social species, and what that means for the world today. Nichola Raihani will change the way we think about ourselves.

    Lewis Dartnell, author of Origins: How the Earth Shaped Human History

  • This is a superb book about how important cooperation is in biology, from molecules and cells to families and whole societies.

    Alice Roberts

  • The Social Instinct is surprising, thoughtful and, best of all, endlessly entertaining, examining the puzzle and power of co-operation from the decks of the HMS Bounty to the babbling birds of the Kalahari. Absolutely loved it.

    Will Storr, author of The Science of Storytelling

  • Excellent and illuminating

    Wall Street Journal

  • A well-written book, easy to read – a pleasing juxtaposition of insightful scientific theory with illuminating anecdotes

    Richard Dawkins

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