Everyday Survival, Laurence Gonzales
Everyday Survival, Laurence Gonzales
List: $25.95 | Sale: $18.16
Club: $12.97

Everyday Survival
Why Smart People Do Stupid Things

Author: Laurence Gonzales

Narrator: Kevin T. Collins

Unabridged: 15 hr 26 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/09/2008

Synopsis

Laurence Gonzales turns his talent for gripping narrative, knowledge of the way our minds and bodies work, and bottomless curiosity about the world to the topic of how we can best use the lessons of our evolutionary history to overcome the hazards of everyday life. He finds that natural laws profoundly affect our actions, and he reveals the hidden causes and costs of our behavior, whether as individuals or as a species whose decisions may be leading to darker times. Whether you are climbing a mountain or the corporate ladder, Everyday Survival will change the way you view your choices in our complex, dangerous, and quickly changing world.

About Laurence Gonzales

Laurence Gonzales is an award-winning author and a contributing editor at National Geographic Adventure. He has written for Outside, Harpers, and Men's Journal, among other magazines. He has won two National Magazine Awards and the Distinguished Service Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. He lives in Evanston, Illinois.

About Kevin T. Collins

Kevin T. Collins, an Audie Award–winning audiobook narrator, is an actor, singer, recording artist, and director who can be seen off Broadway, on television, and in films.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Kater on January 04, 2010

I expected this to be a book about psychology, peppered with anecdotes about how common decision-making errors caused smart people to die. I'd hoped also for maybe a little advice about how to avoid making stupid mistakes. Alas, what I got was something completely different. Not that there weren't in......more

Goodreads review by David on October 13, 2011

This is a really fun book, and parts are fascinating. So why just two stars? I still don't know what the book is about. The first six or so chapters are truly about "why smart people do stupid things". But then the book becomes practically a free-for-all. I just never knew what subject would come up......more

Goodreads review by Lianne on November 01, 2018

As a huge fan of Deep Survival, I looked forward to this book despite the warnings from other readers that it might go off-topic. Yes, the book wanders through many subjects, always turning the lens in the author's attempts to make sense of the subtitle, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. My curio......more

Goodreads review by Kevin on September 29, 2008

Okay it's not the audio cd version of the book, but that was all I could find. He gets really into depth with evolution of both the body and the brain and for some it could get a little overwhelming... but it is a short book unlike say Jared Diamond who he refers to several times... so it is much ea......more

Goodreads review by Katherine on March 10, 2019

The subtitle of the book is "Why Smart People Do Stupid Things," and the tl;dr answer is "because they're not paying attention." Gonzales is arguing that there are a lot of things in our lives that we* aren't paying enough attention to--he talks about what he calls a "vacation state of mind"--and di......more

Quotes

“Well-written and fascinating…this is the kind of book you want everyone to read.” Cleveland Plain Dealer

“A cornucopia of cutting-edge ideas from science and philosophy, a page-turner that’s by turns exhilarating and deeply disquieting.” Charleston City Paper

“Mixing recent scientific findings with compelling anecdotes, he describes how we have turned off or muted the evolutionary sensors that helped save our ancestors from extinction and offers telling glimpses into why we really act and react the ways we do.” Barnes & Noble, editorial review

“A plea for heightened awareness of our surroundings, and good reading for the how-things-work set.” Kirkus Reviews

Add to Cart
Add to Wish List