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Author:

Gregg, Justin, author.

Title:

If Nietzsche were a narwhal : what animal intelligence reveals about human stupidity / Justin Gregg.

Edition:

First edition.

Publisher:

Little Brown & Company

Copyright Date:

2022

Description:

308 pages ; 25 cm.

Subject:

Animal intelligence.
Intellect.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages (269-291) and index.

Contents:

Introduction -- The why specialists: a story of hats, bets, and chicken butts -- To be honest: the power and pitfalls of lying -- Death wisdom: the downside of knowing the future -- The gay albatross around our necks: the problems with human morality - The mystery of the happy bee: it's time to talk about the "c" word -- Prognostic myopia: our shortsighted farsightedness -- Human exceptionalism: are we winning? -- Epilogue: Why save a slug?

Summary:

If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal overturns everything we thought we knew about human intelligence, and asks the question: would humans be better off as narwhals? Or some other, less brainy species? There's a good argument to be made that humans might be a less successful animal species precisely because of our amazing, complex intelligence. All our unique gifts like language, math, and science do not make us happier or more "successful" (evolutionarily speaking) than other species. Our intelligence allowed us to split the atom, but we've harnessed that knowledge to make machines of war. We are uniquely susceptible to bullshit (though, cuttlefish may be the best liars in the animal kingdom); our bizarre obsession with lawns has contributed to the growing threat of climate change; we are sexually diverse like many species yet stand apart as homophobic; and discriminate among our own as if its natural, which it certainly is not. Is our intelligence more of a curse than a gift? As scientist Justin Gregg persuasively argues, there's an evolutionary reason why human intelligence isn't more prevalent in the animal kingdom. Simply put, non-human animals don't need it to be successful. And, miraculously, their success arrives without the added baggage of destroying themselves and the planet in the process.

ISBN:

0316388068
9780316388061 (hardcover)

OCLC:

(OCoLC)1313483158

Locations:

BOPG851 -- Ames Public Library (Ames)

USUX851 -- Iowa State University - Parks Library (Ames)

GBPF771 -- Ankeny Kirkendall Public Library (Ankeny)

TCPG826 -- Bettendorf Public Library Information Center (Bettendorf)

KSPG296 -- Burlington Public Library (Burlington)

YTPG232 -- Clinton Public Library (Clinton)

CBPF522 -- Coralville Public Library (Coralville)

XXPH787 -- Council Bluffs Public Library (Council Bluffs)

FXPH314 -- Carnegie-Stout Public Library (Dubuque)

JSPB572 -- Ely Public Library (Ely)

ALPE516 -- Fairfield Public Library (Fairfield)

CAPH522 -- Iowa City Public Library (Iowa City)

OVUX522 -- University of Iowa Libraries (Iowa City)

S1PD771 -- Johnston Public Library (Johnston)

KAPF566 -- Keokuk Public Library (Keokuk)

LAPH975 -- Sioux City Public Library (Sioux City)

WXPD305 -- Spirit Lake Public Library (Spirit Lake)

GDPF771 -- Urbandale Public Library (Urbandale)

SFPH074 -- Waterloo Public Library (Waterloo)