Susan W. (Suz) reviewed The Caveman and the Bomb: Human Nature, Evolution, and Nuclear War on + 721 more book reviews
From the dust jacket: "David Barash and Judith Lipton offer a clear and urgent response to the most dangerous paradox of our time: 'Human beings are intelligent creatures, intelligent enough to have developed the concept of intelligence itself. We are by our own accounts the smartest inhabitants of this planet. How, then, can such very clever beasts be in danger of exterminating themselves? How can we be so smart and yet so suicidal? How can we allow ourselves to drift toward the unparalleled catastrophe of nuclear war?'
The authors maintain that we persist in a 'Neanderthal mentality,' a primative instinct concerning self-preservation and confrontation which promises to inevitably destroy life as we know it. Through dissecting our ancient behavior patterns, the authors show how change is possible and essential; we are not irrevocable products of our past. Most importantly, this book arrives at a hopeful conclusion-it is possible that we can escape potential nuclear annihilation."
The authors maintain that we persist in a 'Neanderthal mentality,' a primative instinct concerning self-preservation and confrontation which promises to inevitably destroy life as we know it. Through dissecting our ancient behavior patterns, the authors show how change is possible and essential; we are not irrevocable products of our past. Most importantly, this book arrives at a hopeful conclusion-it is possible that we can escape potential nuclear annihilation."
