INHERITANCE

Insightful and breathtaking Yuval Noah Harari author of Sapiens Bold and sweeping Peter Frankopan author of The Silk Roads Profoundly thought provoking Kate Raworth author of Doughnut EconomicsHow our evolved psychology has shaped the past present and future of humanity Each of us is endowed with an inheritance A set of ancient biases forged through countless millennia of natural and cultural selection which shape every facet of our behaviour For generations this inheritance has taken us to ever greater heights driving the rise of more sophisticated technologies more organized religions more expansive empires But now for the first time it is failing us We find ourselves careering towards a future of unprecedented political polarization deadlier wars and environmental destruction In Inheritance renowned anthropologist Harvey Whitehouse offers a sweeping account of how our evolved biases have shaped humanity s past and imperil its future Unveiling a pioneering new way of viewing our collective history one that weaves together psychological experiments on the ground fieldwork and big data Whitehouse introduces three biases that shape human behaviour everywhere conformism religiosity and tribalism These biases have catalysed the greate