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If you are trying to understand why some
people can be so naturally mean, science finally has intriguing answers. I’ll be giving a three-hour
interview on Coast to Coast
radio beginning at 11:00 pm Pacific time tonight based on the book described
below. You can also catch one of my
talks now on Book
TV. And I'll be giving
the plenary speech for the Mountain States Genetics Foundation in
Denver, another lecture at UC Berkeley for Scientific
American’s Michael Shermer, a
colloquium at the Church of the Heavenly Rest on 5th Avenue in
New York City, and a lecture for the Center for Inquiry in
Washington DC in case you have upcoming travel plans in any of those
areas. Please just pop me an email if you have any questions. Warmly, Barbara Barbara
Oakley, Ph.D., P.E. www.barbaraoakley.com (for information about the book) Associate
Professor http://www2.oakland.edu/users/oakley Praise for the tongue-in-cheek
titled, best-selling, meticulously researched book the lecture is based on: Evil
Genes: Why Rome Fell, Hitler Rose, Enron Failed, and My Sister Stole My
Mother's Boyfriend, by Barbara Oakley, Prometheus Books, October, 2007. "A fascinating scientific and personal
exploration of the roots of evil, filled with human insight and telling
detail." "A highly-readable, entertaining,
ground-breaking, must-read study with notable insights on the rise and fall of
empires; but more importantly, it offers, perhaps for the first time, a
distinctly plausible mechanism for explaining the origin and persistence of
social inequality." "Remarkable -- and difficult to put down
... a wonderfully readable tapestry of family autobiography, historical
biography, and biological psychology. Without oversimplifying their
psychosocial complexity, Evil Genes explores new research on the genetics and
neurobiology of personality disorders. Shining this light on some of the most
problematic figures of our era, it challenges our assumptions about the roots
of terrorism, genocide, crime, corruption--and even the sinister sides of
politics, business, and religion." "Einstein once said that all important
new science would be found at the interstices of existing disciplines; if you
need proof of that, this book is it. Starting with a background in the
military, linguistics and electrical engineering, Oakley deftly moves through
psychology, functional brain imagery and molecular biology to weave a
compelling and provocative case for a genetic base for evil. 'Scientific
non-fiction' and 'page turner' aren't two phrases I'd expect in the same
sentence, but for the remarkable Evil Genes, they fit." "Whatever you might believe about the
role of genetics versus environment, Evil Genes will take you somewhere you
haven't been. Barbara Oakley brilliantly reveals the falseness of one of the
ego's evil little lies: That all our behavior is decided by us." "From historical figures, through the
science of neurotransmitters and neuroimaging, and
ultimately to events in her own life, Oakley interweaves many ideas to present
a fascinating treatise on the nature of evil in the world. Using an
exceptionally easy and readable style, Oakley challenges us to think about
evil- the interaction of complex forces of nature and the painful events of
history- in a unique way." "This story is not only good science
writing, it's also achingly personal, as Oakley recounts the story of her
selfish sister and relates it to what science is revealing about the way our
brains work and how genes influence even our ability to tell right from wrong.
It's not often that a book about science can also break your heart. Oakley's
achievement is astonishing." "Are all children born good? Are bad
people bad because of the way their parents brought them up? Barbara Oakley's
fascinating book might change your mind about the answers to these
questions." "Blending brisk studies of notorious
evil-doers with her own difficult family history, Dr. Oakley skillfully weaves
together a panoramic mix of history, psychology, and the complications of human
behavior to make a stimulating, provocative, and accessible read." "Through a fascinating blend of state of
the art science, political biography, and personal catharsis, Evil Genes
constructs a provocative blueprint for our understanding of the
"successfully sinister" among us." "As a forensic psychologist who has
spent much of my career delving into the darkest recesses of the criminal mind,
I have often wondered what roles genes and environment play in subsequent
psychopathic behavior. Barbara Oakley's outstanding Evil Genes provides the
answers." "A magnificent tour through the
sociology, psychology, and biology of evil. No one should pass up the
experience of stepping through the portals of this fascinating book to answer
Oakley's crucial question: Why are there evil people, and why are they sometimes
so successful?" "Many of us encounter people whose
reactions are puzzling. They are easily hurt and offended. Even when someone is
being generous, or kind to them they might react with anger, revengefullness, defensiveness, suspiciousness or
aloofness. These are difficult people to have as friends, relatives, colleagues
and even as patients. Dr. Oakley has written a comprehensive and compassionate
explanation for why some people are like this that will be fascinating to
anyone who has encountered this type of person and cared enough to wonder
'why?'" "This book conveys an enormous amount of
complex, up-to-date scientific information in an extremely 'digestable'
manner. Dr. Oakley manages to illustrate how, although our genetic make-up is
not our destiny, there are clearly people who have an unfortunate dose of risk
genes. These people often have impoverished social and emotional experience and
can cause suffering to those around them. Although firmly grounded in science,
this book is also compassionate and forces the reader to examine their own
beliefs and prejudices in the light of what is currently known about the nature
and nurture of 'evil'." (If you'd rather not get any more emails from
me, please just let me know.) |