The human animal in all its fascinating quirks of nature is showcased in this thoughtful and entertaining essay collection from America’s most beloved neurobiologist cum primatologist. In these essays, updated for this volume, the author applies his curiosity, compassion, and generous insight into the human condition.

The first section of the book addresses the physiology of genes. He goes on to explain the invisible genetic warfare that takes place between men and women as they conceive a baby.

The second half focuses on our physical natures and dwells on diverse topics as why dreams are in fact dreamlike, why we are sexually attracted to one another, and why Alzheimer’s disease tends to be a postmenopausal phenomenon.

In the third section, the author takes his interdisciplinary curiosity out into the wilds of civilisation.

This book is a rich understanding of the complexities of human and animal life; a sensitivity to the relationship between our biological nature and our environmental context; a humility in the face of still-to-be-understood facets of the human condition.