Psychology and Evolution
The Origins of Mind
- Bruce Bridgeman - University of California-Santa Cruz, USA
Evolutionary Psychology
The book is organized around major life challenges and psychological functions (courtship and reproduction, child rearing, family and social interaction, language development, perception and memory) and the evolved mechanisms that have allowed humans to adapt.
Pedagogical features include:
- chapter-opening motivational quotes and outlines
- illustrations
- key terms highlighted within the text and defined both in context and in a glossary at the end of the book
- end-of-chapter discussion questions along with annotated suggestions for further reading.
"Bridgeman’s Psychology and Evolution is a superb textbook in evolutionary psychology…I see it as a landmark in the emergence of evolutionary psychology as no longer a controversial minority current but as a central aspect of the mainstream. The book reflects the state of the art in current work in evolutionary psychology…the reader is brought up-to-date about evolutionary theory, modern genetics, human prehistory, and relevant issues in modern linguistics."
"This is an important book. Readers partial to evolutionary psychology, as well as those who remain skeptical, will benefit from a careful reading of this reader-friendly book…The author endorses the core assumptions of evolutionary psychology…but, refreshingly, he includes, often with a new slant, relevant material usually overlooked by both believers and skeptics."
