Author: Orrin H. Pilkey File Type: pdf The consequences of twenty-first-century sea level rise on the United States and its nearly 90,000 miles of shoreline will be immense Miami and New Orleans will disappear many nuclear and other power plants, hundreds of wastewater plants and toxic waste sites, and oil production facilities will be at risk port infrastructures will need to be raised and over ten million Americans fleeing rising seas will become climate refugees. In Sea Level Rise Orrin H. Pilkey and Keith C. Pilkey argue that the only feasible response along much of the U.S. shoreline is an immediate and managed retreat. Among many topics, they examine sea level rises effects on coastal ecosystems, health, and native Alaskan coastal communities. They also provide guidelines for those living on the coasts or planning on moving to or away from them, as well as the steps local governments should take to prepare for this unstoppable, impending catastrophe.

Author: Steve Stewart-Williams File Type: pdf The Ape that Understood the Universe is the story of the strangest animal in the world the human animal. It opens with a question How would an alien scientist view our species? What would it make of our sex differences, our sexual behavior, our child-rearing patterns, our moral codes, our religions, our languages, and science? The book tackles these issues by drawing on ideas from two major schools of thought evolutionary psychology and cultural evolutionary theory. The guiding assumption is that humans are animals, and that like all animals, we evolved to pass on our genes. At some point, however, we also evolved the capacity for culture - and from that moment, culture began evolving in its own right. This transformed us from a mere ape into an ape capable of reshaping the planet, travelling to other worlds, and understanding the vast universe of which were but a tiny, fleeting fragment. **Review In The Ape that Understood the Universe, evolutionary psychologist Steve Stewart-Williams provides a masterful account of how the mind and culture evolve. Stewart-Williams is an exceptionally good writer, a witty and learned guide through challenging but exciting terrain that includes psychology, biology, anthropology, philosophy, and animal behavior. The Ape that Understood the Universe is a rare accomplishment equal parts intellectual exhilaration and beautifully crafted narrative. Read this book for its literary grace, and learn along the way why you are an ape that can understand the universe. Todd Shackelford, Oakland University, Michigan A great introduction to human nature - whether youre a member of our species or an alien scientist puzzled by this planets dominant life-form. Stewart-Williams shows how genes and memes entwine to explain our deepest concerns and our highest aspirations. This fun, easy-going, science-savvy book will make you smarter about your emotions, your relationships, and your society. Geoffrey Miller, author of The Mating Mind, Spent, and Mate This is a highly imaginative (and solidly informed) book about the nature of human nature - who we really are. Stewart-Williams has a firm grip on the latest data in evolutionary psychology and cultural evolution, all elegantly woven into a fine narrative packed with provocative (and astute) ideas. Its an insightful, accurate and refreshingly amusing read. Helen Fisher, author of Anatomy of Love and Why Him? Why Her? An eloquent and elegant exploration of human nature in the light of evolution, illuminating many modern social and political dilemmas. Matt Ridley, author of The Red Queen and Nature via Nurture If you hate the idea of selfish genes, this book should change your mind. With vivid examples and fascinating evidence, Stewart-Williams provides a powerful challenge to the culture is all lobby. The best update of the genes-eye view I have seen for a long time. This book will turn your view of human nature inside out and upside down. Susan Blackmore, author of The Meme Machine and Consciousness An Introduction In The Ape that Understood the Universe, Steve Stewart-Williams takes the reader from first principles to a deep understanding of the evolutionary and cultural underpinnings of human behavior. Not only has Stewart-Williams produced a work of deep understanding, he has also produced one which is a real page turner. A twenty-first-century successor to The Selfish Gene. Lance Workman, co-author of Evolutionary Psychology An Introduction Although there are many books covering evolutionary approaches to the human mind and behavior, this is one of the best, in terms of its choice of topics, insightful coverage, knowledge of the subject-matter, and quality of writing. I enthusiastically recommend it both to those familiar with the area and to newcomers. John Archer, University of Central Lancashire This is a fantastically comprehensive, clear, and highly entertaining sweep of every important facet of evolutionary psychology. It does something other books do not do it presents the opposing arguments to various evolutionary theories and then objectively lays out the evidence for why they dont hold up. If you want to debate the evolution deniers, this is the book for you. I loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone who wants to understand evolutionary psychology or understand it far better. Amy Alkon, science-based syndicated columnist and author of Unf*ckology A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence The premise of Steve Stewart-Williams magnificent contribution to the scientific study of human nature - an anthropologist from an alien planet visits Earth and tries to make sense of this bipedal ape called Homo sapiens - is one of those perspective-shifting thought experiments that results in readers gaining hitherto unknown insights into our peculiar species, and buries once and for all the fatuous blank slate model of humanity that discounts our deep connectedness to all other animals. A compelling read - I learned something new on every page. Michael Shermer, Publisher of Skeptic, columnist for Scientific American, Presidential Fellow of Chapman University and author of Heavens on Earth The Scientific Search for the Afterlife, Immortality, and Utopia This book is nothing short of brilliant, unpacking both the profound and the ridiculous in our emerging picture of human nature and cultural evolution. We wont really be the ape that understood the universe until we understand ourselves, and Steve Stewart-Williams has drawn us an irreplaceable roadmap. Baba Brinkman, Science Rapper Book Description The Ape that Understood the Universe is the story of the strangest animal in the world the human animal. Looking at our species through the eyes of an alien scientist, the book is framed as answer to the aliens questions about how our minds and culture evolved.