Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution. - Theodosius Dobzhansky, prominent early geneticist Can evolution advance our understanding of human well-being? The emerging sciences of Darwinian Medicine, Evolutionary Psychology, and Ancestral Health certainly confirm that it can, and that it does. Bringing these and other disciplines together, science writer Kevin Holbrook tells a compelling story about our species, one that embeds scientific knowledge within the logical framework of evolution, drawing from the diverse world of evolutionary theory in order to shed light on what it means to be healthy, happy, and human. Evolution is the guiding principle of biology. It is the unifying theory of the life sciences. It is considered by many to be the most important idea to have ever occurred to anyone in the history of human thought. And like Dobzhansky’s famous dictum, nothing in life makes sense except in the light of evolution. In this far-reaching and important work, Holbrook tells a compelling story about our species that identifies the true causes of modern mental and physical disease, and lists practical strategies to attain well-being at the end of each chapter. Using the tools of science, logic, and strategy, Holbrook looks closely at diet, movement, sleep, happiness, nature, sociality, virtue, and sustainability in order to integrate these parts into a cohesive whole. Far more than a health book, this comprehensive work inspires an understanding of the nature of the world, ourselves, and the miracle of life, covering an impressive array of topics relevant to one’s well-being, including longevity, stress, muscle building, fat loss, nutrition, exercise, posture, energy, productivity, life satisfaction, bonding mechanisms, social status, attraction, beauty, and much more. In candid language, this book takes you on a journey to discover the human animal of yesterday in order to decipher what it means for the human being today.
