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
Euclid's Elements
The Case Against Sugar
Fables
Flowers for Algernon
For The Love Of Physics
The Humane Economy
Memoirs
The Great Mental Models
Think and Grow Rich
History Has Begun
The Story of Civilization: Rousseau and Revolution
The Social Animal
The Worlds I See
Mismatch
The E-Myth Revisited
Citizen Coke
Last Chance to See
The World Without Us
A Confederacy of Dunces
It's Not How Good You Are - It's How Good You Want To Be
Pre-Suasion
The Art of Stillness
What We Owe the Future
Maverick
Letters to a Young Poet
You
Black Box Thinking
Being Nixon
The Black Book of Communism
In Patagonia
Deep Learning
Economics in One Lesson
Monetizing Innovation
Deep Learning
The Dream of Reason
Why Minsky Matters
Everything All At Once
Gay Like Me
Benjamin Franklin
Why Information Grows
The Sympathizer
Home Game
Dancing In The Glory Of Monsters
Go To
The Water Dancer
The Myth of the Strong Leader
Where Do School Funds Go?
So Good They Can't Ignore You
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Best Evidence
The Spy Who Came In From The Cold
Gang Leader for a Day
Gridiron Genius
T
Who Am I
Shook One
Letters of Note
Algorithms to Live By
The Psychology of Money
The Quest for El Cid
This Explains Everything
Spain in Our Hearts
Night Sky with Exit Wounds
Apollo's Arrow
Bitcoin
Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It
The Great Revolt
Unstoppable Prosperity
A Pattern Language
Red Star Over The Pacific
Collected Fictions
The Book of Laughter and Forgetting
Life After Power
Who Is Michael Ovitz
On Immunity
An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth
Let Your Life Speak
The End of Power
Secrets of Closing the Sale
Lincoln In The Bardo
Chaos
Well
How to Teach Your Baby Math
Dead Wake
What Technology Wants
A Universe From Nothing
Fall of Constantinople
Simple Rules
The New Jim Crow
A Very Expensive Poison
Never Eat Alone
Hold 'em Poker
Born To Run
Devouring Freedom
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
The War of Art
René Girard's Mimetic Theory
Radical Son
How To Be a No Limit Person
On Drugs