The Evolution of the Human Mind

'An enormous achievement. Wherever I landed, whether it was the origin of ‘emergence,’ Einstein’s religion, the death of Platonic views of nature, or the strangely self-contradictory worldview of Julian Huxley, I learned something new. Wise, authoritative, and entertaining!' (Richard Milner, Author of Darwin’s Universe: Evolution from A to Z)

'I think the book is excellent. Easy to read—both because of its writing style and the layout in relatively brief sections. This makes it a pleasure to read—and the subject is so exhilarating! . . . A book to read and then keep for reference.' (Ken Perrott, Open Parachute (http://openparachute.wordpress.com/))

'Carneiro traces the notion of ‘a thoroughgoing belief in unalloyed supernaturalism toward an attitude in which naturalism played an increasingly greater role’ . . . . The great debate today is between sociobiologists and cultural anthropologists to determine how much of human behavior and thought is genetically programmed and how much is culturally determined. Carneiro is firmly in the cultural camp, and longs for the day when humankind simply pursues truth and no longer seeks religious solace.' (G. M. Smith, Choice)

'[I]nteresting and informative. . . . [A] nicely written contribution to understanding the evolution of competing ideas.' (Kenneth M. Weiss, Journal of Anthropological Research)

'[A] fine example of how pure anthropology can not only be relevant but powerful! . . . The Evolution of the Human Mind is a skillfully written book that you won’t regret buying. It is destined to be a classic. Carneiro makes direct statements that writers love to cite (and readers love to read).' (Ira R. Wishoff, The Dirt Brothers (http://dirtbrothers.org/))

Prepublication praise . . .
'This insightful overview by a distinguished cultural anthropologist of how humans moved from animistic and supernatural views of the universe, spawned in the infancy of the species, to a naturalistic perspective based on science, is truly inspiring.' (Paul Kurtz, State University of New York at Buffalo)

'Does God exist? What is clear is that theistic beliefs exist, and their origin and development are brilliantly illuminated here. Carneiro’s subtle but enlightening treatment will be a breath of fresh air for all who find answerable questions more interesting than unanswerable ones.' (Robert Bates Graber, Truman State University)

'Carneiro’s erudition is breathtaking as he explores the concept of the soul, the nature of animate supernatural creatures, the emergence of polytheism, and the rise of monotheism. The evolution of the human mind is handled magnificently in this compelling and original book.' (Joyce Marcus, University of Michigan)