The Folly of Fools
The Logic of Deceit and Self-Deception in Human Life
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The Folly of Fools
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Narrated by:
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Chris Reilly
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By:
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Robert Trivers
About this listen
Whether it's in a cockpit at takeoff or the planning of an offensive war, a romantic relationship or a dispute at the office, there are many opportunities to lie and self-deceive - but deceit and self-deception carry the costs of being alienated from reality and can lead to disaster. So why does deception play such a prominent role in our everyday lives? In short, why do we deceive?
In his bold new work, prominent biological theorist Robert Trivers unflinchingly argues that self-deception evolved in the service of deceit - the better to fool others. We do it for biological reasons - in order to help us survive and procreate. From viruses mimicking host behavior to humans misremembering (sometimes intentionally) the details of a quarrel, science has proven that the deceptive one can always outwit the masses. But we undertake this deception at our own peril.
The Folly of Fools is an ambitious investigation into the evolutionary logic of lying and the costs of leaving it unchecked.
©2011 Robert Trivers (P)2022 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about The Folly of Fools
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Joshua Kinrade
- 22-07-23
An Awful Political Rant
The first third is a mediocre popular science book. Everything is illustrated by uncomfortable anecdotes of the author womanising, taking drugs, and chasing young women. There's also too much speculation and lots of questions are left unanswered. Nonetheless, it's a passable overview.
The remaining two thirds are a political rant. And I mean rant: there's no engagement with opposing views - just the author's opinions. The book spent more time on Israel than self-deception. None of it gives insight into the book's main topic. Nor does this framework illuminate the political issues; it's only a slight improvement on name-calling.
The reader is clear and has a good voice. However, the performance is too calm and sedate - could use more energy.
If you want a book on this topic, I recommend Simler & Hanson's Elephant in the Brain. I enjoyed that and was hoping for more detail from Folly of Fools. Sadly I was disappointed.
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