The Age of Empathy: Nature's Lessons for a Kinder Society - Frans de Waal

After decades of animal research and social theories predicated on notions of competition and “survival of the fittest,” the primatologist Frans de Waal is part of a growing tide of biologists turning attention to the aspects of behavior in humans and animals that strengthen bonds between individuals. It’s now The Age Of Empathy (Harmony Books, $25.99) and time to study not aggression, but social mechanisms like the herd instinct and conflict resolution that keep it in check. In looking beyond the selfish gene to the equally ancient instinct for altruism, de Waal presents dozens of case studies and anecdotes of chimps, apes, elephants, ravens, dolphins, and people who have demonstrated trust in others or helped each other regardless of whether they themselves stood to benefit. De Waal strongly believes in community and his observations demonstrate that the successful evolution of any species depends to a high degree on cooperation.