Sex, Murder, and the Meaning of Life

A Psychologist Investigates How Evolution, Cognition, and Complexity are Revolutionizing our View of Human Nature

Douglas Kenrick

Recommended By

Book Synopsis

"Sex, Murder, and the Meaning of Life" by Douglas Kenrick is a gripping exploration of the dark impulses that drive human behavior.

Drawing on insights from psychology, evolutionary biology, and anthropology, Kenrick delves into the primal instincts that underlie sexuality, violence, and our search for purpose. Through thought-provoking examples and research, he reveals how our desires for sex and power have shaped our evolutionary past and continue to influence our choices today.

In examining the psychological mechanisms behind murder, Kenrick argues that our propensity for violence is rooted in our ancestral past, where competition for resources and reproductive opportunities often led to lethal confrontations. He explores the complex interplay between aggression, social status, and survival instincts, shedding light on why certain individuals are more prone to commit acts of violence.

While discussing the search for meaning, Kenrick delves into the existential questions that have plagued humanity for centuries. Through evolutionary lenses, he unpacks how our innate need for purpose intertwines with our sexual and aggressive desires, shaping our values, beliefs, and the pursuit of personal fulfillment.

"Sex, Murder, and the Meaning of Life" offers readers a unique perspective on human nature, challenging conventional wisdom while providing a captivating glimpse into the dark recesses of the human psyche. Through this thought-provoking exploration, Kenrick invites us to confront the complexities of our innermost desires and contemplate the profound questions that define our existence.

Explore More Books

See All
Living With A SEAL
The Complete Stories
Range
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
The Inner Studio
Medieval Technology and Social Change
That Used To Be Us
Journey to the Center of the Earth
Savage Son
Life 3.0
The Brand Flip
All Over but the Shoutin'
The Great Crash of 1929
Something Deeply Hidden
The Great Rupture
The World
Order Without Design
Travels with Charley
That's What She Said
Powering the Future
The Unsettling of America
White Fragility
Abundance
I Wrote This Book Because I Love You
Outlive
Transmetropolitan
The House of Rothschild
Metaphors We Live By
The Secret of Fatima
The Power Broker
The Hour Between Dog and Wolf
Lean Thinking
Diffusion of Innovations
Zero to One
Longitude
No Future Without Forgiveness
History and Geography of Human Genes
Meaningful Work
Against Empathy
However Long the Night
Free Women, Free Men
Secret Sauce
Thai Stick
This Is Your Brain on Music
The Compleat Strategyst
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
Portfolios of the Poor
Dominion
We Learn Nothing
Discovering Your Personality Type
Leaving Microsoft to Change the World
The Reasonableness of Christianity
The Works
Bull by the Horns
The Alchemist
Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter
Mind-Body Problem
The Pursuit of Wow!
The Strange Death Of Europe
Call Me Ted
The Middle Kingdoms
The Courage To Be Disliked
The Future Is Faster Than You Think
Million Dollar Weekend
Let Your Life Speak
The God Proof
Walter Benjamin
Product Design for the Web
Pandemic 1918
Watchmen
Finite and Infinite Games
Rick and Morty Book Three
Your Dad Stole My Rake
James Turrell
When The Facts Change
The Prince
The Macintosh Way
Me Talk Pretty One Day
Oh, The Place You’ll Go
The Hard Thing About Hard Things
The Magic of Thinking Big
Successful Investing is a Process
The Elephant in the Brain
How Not To Be Wrong
What Technology Wants
A Conflict of Visions
The Black Book of Communism
The Essays of Schopenhauer
The Great Mental Models
Eating The Big Fish
Fate Is The Hunter
Sapiens
Slaughterhouse-Five
Letters to a Young Poet
Can't Hurt Me
Nietzsche: Beyond Good and Evil
The Utopia of Rules
The Cold Start Problem
The Grapes of Wrath
The Price of Tomorrow