Race, Monogamy, and Other Lies They Told You: Busting Myths about Human Nature - Softcover

"The author masterly conveys his knowledge in an informative way... If you are willing to enhance your worldview by sleuthing to discover 'who we are and why we do what we do,' Race, Monogamy, and Other Lies They Told You is for you. Whether you agree with Fuentes or not, it will at least engage your critical thinking skills and encourage you to be a more active and discerning consumer of information." Science (AAAS) "This book is a must for anyone looking to explore where the lines of human nature and artificial class structure are, and where Fuentes says they've been artificially created." Charleston Post & Courier "Accessible, compelling, and original, this book is a rich and nuanced account of how nature, culture, experience, and choice interact to influence human behavior." -- Ian Paulsen Birdbooker Report/The Guardian "Recommended." -- J. Stauder, University of Massachusetts--Dartmouth Choice "Fuentes dismantles persistent fallacies about the validity of biological races, innateness of aggression, nature of monogamy and differences between sexes." Living Anthropologically "Useful... [Fuentes] debunks some popular misconceptions about evolutionary change and provides a basic primer on evolutionary theory." -- Joan C. Stevenson, Western Washington University American Jrnl Of Human Biology "Engaging... Fuentes's work goes a long way toward burying some of the most pervasive myths about human beings." -- Stefano B. Longo and Nicholas Malone Monthly Review

There are three major myths of human nature: humans are divided into biological races; humans are naturally aggressive; and men and women are truly different in behavior, desires, and wiring. In an engaging and wide-ranging narrative, Agustin Fuentes counters these pervasive and pernicious myths about human behavior. Tackling misconceptions about what race, aggression, and sex really mean for humans, Fuentes incorporates an accessible understanding of culture, genetics, and evolution, requiring us to dispose of notions of nature or nurture. Presenting scientific evidence from diverse fields including anthropology, biology, and psychology Fuentes devises a myth-busting toolkit to dismantle persistent fallacies about the validity of biological races, the innateness of aggression and violence, and the nature of monogamy and differences between the sexes. A final chapter plus an appendix provide a set of take-home points on how readers can myth-bust on their own. Accessible, compelling, and original, this book is a rich and nuanced account of how nature, culture, experience, and choice interact to influence human behavior.