Homo Mysterious: Evolutionary Puzzles of Human Nature
by David P. Barash
Oxford University Press: 2012 ($27.95)

Barash, a professor of psychology and biology at the University of Washington, has written a highly enjoyable account of things humans have yet to learn about themselves: “known unknowns” he calls them, quoting former secretary of defense Donald Rumsfeld. The evolutionary reasons behind such human characteristics as homosexuality, concealed ovulation, female orgasm, play, and social bonding still perplex scientists, and Barash shares several of the leading theories behind each one. Concealed ovulation, for example, may allow women to exercise greater control over their choice of a sexual partner.

5 Comments

1. 1. Bops 01:40 PM 7/6/12

   The book is a waste of good paper and time.
   

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2. 2. cdmsr in reply to Bops 04:55 PM 7/9/12

   What's your malfunction?
   
   Have you read the book? Or are you just one of those negativity junkies that thinks it's cool to trash something without really knowing anything about it beyond a one paragraph write-up?
   
   Do you have some pathological need to pop off with your null-content opinion -- demonstrating nothing beyond your own ignorance -- to feel better about yourself? Or maybe you're a fundy Xtian, offended by the sexual references or the idea of evolution itself.
   
   Truth is, I don't care what your problem is but it's obvious you have one.
   
   From the brief description provided, I would say "Homo Mysterious" sounds quite interesting and I'll be looking for it on my next stop at the library.
   
   

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3. 3. ChapsBoy 06:36 PM 7/9/12

   About concealed ovulation -
   
   It has been my experience that my wife was most amorous at the time of greatest fertility. To prove it, I have had a child for every known method of birth control except abstinence. Three boys and three girls, twenty one grand children, and four great grand children ... It seems to run in the family.

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4. 4. rugeirn in reply to cdmsr 10:39 PM 7/9/12

   CDMSR: Your reply is ludicrously aggressive. People are allowed to dislike books. It will not bring your world to an end.

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5. 5. Dov Henis 10:11 AM 10/22/12

   Homo Mysterious is RNA nucleotides’ non-mysterious is intelligent life naturally selecting augmented energy constraint:
   
   
   Intelliget Life
   
   Life: mass format of evolving naturally selected RNA nucleotide(s), which is life’s primal organism.
   Natural selection: ubiquitous phenomenon of material that augments its energy constraint.
   Mass-Energy: inert-moving graviton(s), the fundamental particle of the universe, inert extremely briefly at the pre-big-bang singularity .
   Intelligence: learning from experience.
   
   Intelligent Life
   Life is an evolving system continuously undergoing natural selection i.e. continuously selecting, intelligently, opportunities to augment its energy constraint in order to survive i.e. in order to avoid its own mass format being re-converted to energy.
   
   Dov Henis
   (comments from 22nd century)
   http://universe-life.com/
   

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