The Agile Gene

How Nature Turns on Nurture

Matt Ridley

Genre

Recommended By

Book Synopsis

"The Agile Gene" by Matt Ridley explores the concept of evolution and its impact on human behavior.

Ridley argues that our genes are not fixed entities, but rather flexible and capable of adapting to changing environments. He introduces the idea of "gene selectionism," which suggests that genes do not solely shape our behavior, but that our behaviors also shape the selection of genes.

Drawing on various scientific studies and examples from nature, Ridley illustrates how genes can influence traits such as intelligence, personality, and even religious beliefs. He also examines how culture and society play a role in shaping human behavior, often overriding genetic predispositions.

Ridley challenges traditional beliefs that our genes solely determine our destiny, proposing that our genetic adaptability allows us to constantly evolve and respond to our surroundings. He explores the influence of genetic mutations, the role of sexual selection, and the importance of cooperation in human evolution.

Throughout the book, Ridley sheds light on how genetics and evolution have shaped our species' extraordinary abilities to think, learn, and innovate. He highlights the importance of understanding our own genetic makeup in order to better navigate the complex world around us.

"The Agile Gene" offers a fascinating and thought-provoking exploration of genetics and evolution, presenting an optimistic view of the human potential for adaptation and change. Ridley's clear and concise writing style makes complex scientific concepts accessible to both experts and general readers alike.

Explore More Books

See All
The New Leadership Literacies
Healing
Foundation and Earth
Clocks and Culture
The Rosie Project
My Stroke of Insight
The Last Lion
The Odyssey
Faraday, Maxwell, and the Electromagnetic Field
Beyond Religion
Prepared
Getting Better
Setting The Table
Eating to Extinction
No Filter
Limitless
Mountains Beyond Mountains
How Asia Works
The Journey of Crazy Horse
Siddhartha
Harvesting the Biosphere
The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind
A Matter of Degrees
Systems Medicine
Democracy In America
The Fear Book
The Razor's Edge
On Drugs
Liberating Learning
Contrarian Investment Strategies
Farmer's Progress
Your Dad Stole My Rake
The Conquest of Gaul
Wild
Justice on Trial
A Hall of Mirrors
Slow Sex
An Everyone Culture
The Feynman Lectures on Physics
Trick Mirror
The Death and Life of Great American Cities
The Captive Mind
The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need
The Vital Question
Silently Seduced
The Story of Civilization
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
The Fear Factor
Jesse Livermore - Boy Plunger
Conspiracy of Fools
Super Mind
Thus Spoke the Plant
Einstein's Dreams
Representing Talent
If I Could Tell You Just One Thing
Good Calories, Bad Calories
Catch-22
Bad Blood
The Startup Community Way
Chasing Hillary
Women
Deep Learning
The Elements of Statistical Learning
Soon I Will Be Invincible
Making The Modern World
The Price of Tomorrow
The Act of Creation
BLITZ
The Mathematics of Politics
To Rule the Waves
Six Not-So-Easy Pieces
The Revolt of the Elites and the Betrayal of Democracy
Business Adventures
The City In History
Man, Economy, and State
A Good Man
Thai Stick
Explaining Social Behavior
The Oz Principle
The Story of Civilization: The Age of Louis XIV
The Fund
A Universe From Nothing
An Immense World
Intellectuals and Society
Naked Statistics
The Psychology of Intelligence Analysis
An Agricultural Testament
Deiter Rams
The Art of Manipulation
Longitude
A Cure for the Common Company
Applied Minds
Infinite Powers
The White Album
Valuation
The Unsettling of America
The Paleo Solution
We Learn Nothing
What You Do Is Who You Are
The Goal