Behave Audiobook By Robert M. Sapolsky cover art

Behave

The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst

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Behave

By: Robert M. Sapolsky
Narrated by: Michael Goldstrom
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New York Times bestseller • Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize • One of the Washington Post's 10 Best Books of the Year

“It’s no exaggeration to say that Behave is one of the best nonfiction books I’ve ever read.” —David P. Barash, The Wall Street Journal

"It has my vote for science book of the year.” —Parul Sehgal, The New York Times

"Immensely readable, often hilarious...Hands-down one of the best books I’ve read in years. I loved it." —Dina Temple-Raston, The Washington Post

From the bestselling author of A Primate's Memoir and Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will comes a landmark, genre-defining examination of human behavior and an answer to the question: Why do we do the things we do?

Behave is one of the most dazzling tours d’horizon of the science of human behavior ever attempted. Moving across a range of disciplines, Sapolsky—a neuroscientist and primatologist—uncovers the hidden story of our actions. Undertaking some of our thorniest questions relating to tribalism and xenophobia, hierarchy and competition, and war and peace, Behave is a towering achievement—a majestic synthesis of cutting-edge research and a heroic exploration of why we ultimately do the things we do . . . for good and for ill.

Accolades & Awards

Los Angeles Times Book Prize
2017
Human Brain Los Angeles Times Book Prize Biological Sciences Nervous System Thought-Provoking Psychology & Mental Health Psychology Biology Criminology Science Social Sciences Inspiring Crime Behavioral Psychology Evolutionary Biology
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Featured Article: The 20 Best Psychology Audiobooks


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Comprehensive Information • Interdisciplinary Approach • Excellent Narration • Accessible Explanations • Scientific Rigor

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I'm a salesman with no medical training. Not going to lie, getting through the first 1/3 of this book was TOUGH with me listening at about 20% my normal speed! BUT, the payoff was worth this investment with this being one of the most important books I've read. Surprisingly it will not help me so much in sales as its helping me understand myself, how to relate better to other people, and how to boost my compassion -- especially to those with chronic stress. Well worth the read for anyone wishing to be a better human being.

Insightful

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I generally enjoy any book dealing with psychology and/or biology, but this one is a new favorite. Concepts I struggled with as a grad student in biopsychology are masterfully deconstructed into easy to comprehend stories, and only rarely required a second reading. If you love learning about how the mind and body function together, this book will definitely satisfy that itch.

Absolutely engrossing!

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Highly detailed, granular overview of what drives behavior, from seconds before the behavior to millennia before. Fabulous resource on brain function. Gets a little political in spots, but not enough to keep me from recommending this book highly.

My only disappointment was that Sapolsky himself didn't do the reading. The reading was great, but I had hoped he would have read it.

Excellent Explanation of the Driving of Behavior

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This is one of the most ambitious and important scientific books I have ever read. My wife probably got annoyed with me mentioning it in conversation so often as I read it. But it is so pertinent to everything human that is was hard not to see the connections. In this short explanation, I will mention just a few things the book taught me.

1 - Separating US and THEM is a deeply ingrained trait of animals that has been brought to incredible sophistication in the human animal. Humans use metaphors to create this separation. And it is almost completely irrational. My differences with my European-American neighbor are often far greater than my differences with someone from the other side of the earth. For example skin color is not significantly connected with other inherited traits.

2 - Some scientists have argued that humans have become less violent. Their evidence is not conclusive. However, there is strong evidence that under the right conditions violence can be lessened.

3 - Genes do not make you who you are. Our individual genetic make-up makes us more or less likely to have certain traits. Genes + prenatal environment + childhood environment get us closer to understanding why a person behaves as she does, but still there is more to it. We are getting closer, but we will likely never fully understand.

4 - Early childhood or prenatal trauma is a significant and powerful negative impact on us which is very difficult to counteract. This has to do with how hormones affect the way our brains develop.

5 - Male hormones do not lead to violence and sexual aggression, but they can. Female hormones do not make you more loving, but they can. All hormones have different affects in different people and circumstances.

6 - Empathy is not inherently good and does not lead us to help others. Feeling someone elses pain does not lead you to be more generous toward others. Our emotions are not what motivates us to be kind and generous. Kindness and generosity are habits.

7 - Poor people in rich countries are less healthy, even when they get nearly the same health care. Being poor while surrounded by wealth has a stunning negative impact on the quality of life. Poor people in poor countries are happier and relatively healthier. Why the difference? It has to do with how we feel about ourselves.

8 - Judges who are hungry sentence defendants to significantly worse penalties. Sitting on an uncomfortable chair makes us less friendly. Our behavior and decisions are not as logical as we think.

I could go on and on. This is an incredibly powerful book which has changed my opinions on several important things. Probably the most important of these is my increased willingness to forgive and forget. What I learned is that many of our quick actions are reflexive and completely irrational. I will forgive you. And I hope you will forgive me!

I do not recommend this book to everyone. There were long passages that flew over my head. The science is pretty dense. A science book meant for a general audience has a fine line to navigate. What is the right amount of technical detail to help the reader understand. Listening to a book such as this has the advantage that I was forced to "read" every word. I could not choose to skip technical sections. And every now and then I surprised myself by comprehending the science. But what is most important is that I understood how Sapolsky came to his conclusions. And what is clear from these scientific explications of controversial issues is the author's rigor in presenting multiple points of view, even those he does not agree with.

Why I do stupid things...

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It is a bit long and much more technical than I was thinking
But it is extremely informative for knowing yourself and your behavior.
The narrator is top notch.

Long but worth it

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