ASU Book Group: 'Solving Modern Problems with a Stone-Age Brain' by Douglas Kenrick and David Lundberg-Kenrick

The ASU Book Group's November 2023 reading selection is "Solving Modern Problems with a Stone-Age Brain: Human Evolution and the Seven Fundamental Motives” by Douglas Kenrick and David Lundberg-Kenrick. The book group is open to all in the ASU community and meets monthly from noon–1 p.m. with two different options for attendance: either in-person at the Piper Writers House or virtually on Zoom (registration required for online attendance). In-person attendees are invited to join the author for lunch after at the University Club, no-host.

Haven't read the book? Come anyway! Authors are always present.

Synopsis:

The focus of this book is “how many of the problems we face in our daily lives stem from the fact that our brains evolved to deal with problems our ancestors faced but that are no longer major factors in our lives,” Kenrick says. “Self-driving cars, homes with air conditioning and plush mattresses, and supermarkets stocked with fresh fruit, pre-made meals and some chocolate ice cream for dessert. The hunter-gatherers would probably be shocked to learn that people living amid all of these luxuries are often miserably depressed, anxious and lonely.”

The book is available on amazon.com or from local bookstores.

Both authors are members of the ASU Department of Psychology: Douglas Kenrick is President's Professor and David Lundberg-Kenrick is a creative director.

About the book group:

The ASU Book Group meetings and selections for 2023–24 are:

• Sep. 28 - “Lupine” by Jenny Irish
• Oct. 19 - “The Circle That Fits” by Kevin Lichty
• Nov. 16 - "Solving Modern Problems with a Stone-Age Brain" by Douglas Kenrick and David Lundberg-Kenrick
• Dec. - no meeting
• Jan. 25 - “Survival Math” by Mitchell S. Jackson
• Feb. 29 - “To Name the Bigger Lie” by Sarah Viren
• Mar. 28 - “There She Goes Again” by Aviva Dove-Viebahn
• Apr. 25 - "At the Hour Between Dog and Wolf" by Tara Ison

The ASU Book Group is sponsored as a community outreach initiative by the Department of English and organized in partnership with the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing.