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The WEIRDest People in the World
- How the West Became Psychologically Peculiar and Particularly Prosperous
- Narrated by: Korey Jackson
- Length: 19 hrs and 3 mins
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The WEIRDest People in the World
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Summary
A bold, epic account of how the co-evolution of psychology and culture created the peculiar Western mind that has profoundly shaped the modern world.
Perhaps you are WEIRD: raised in a society that is Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic. If so, you’re rather psychologically peculiar.
Unlike much of the world today, and most people who have ever lived, WEIRD people are highly individualistic, self-obsessed, control-oriented, nonconformist, and analytical. They focus on themselves—their attributes, accomplishments, and aspirations—over their relationships and social roles. How did WEIRD populations become so psychologically distinct? What role did these psychological differences play in the industrial revolution and the global expansion of Europe during the last few centuries?
In The WEIRDest People in the World, Joseph Henrich draws on cutting-edge research in anthropology, psychology, economics, and evolutionary biology to explore these questions and more. He illuminates the origins and evolution of family structures, marriage, and religion, and the profound impact these cultural transformations had on human psychology. Mapping these shifts through ancient history and late antiquity, Henrich reveals that the most fundamental institutions of kinship and marriage changed dramatically under pressure from the Roman Catholic Church. It was these changes that gave rise to the WEIRD psychology that would coevolve with impersonal markets, occupational specialization, and free competition—laying the foundation for the modern world.
Provocative and engaging in both its broad scope and its surprising details, The WEIRDest People in the World explores how culture, institutions, and psychology shape one another, and explains what this means for both our most personal sense of who we are as individuals and also the large-scale social, political, and economic forces that drive human history.
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Critic reviews
"A fascinating, vigorously argued work that probes deeply into the way “WEIRD people” think." (Kirkus)
"Joseph Henrich has undertaken a massively ambitious work that explains the transition to the modern world from kin-based societies, drawing on a wealth of data across disciplines that significantly contributes to our understanding of this classic issue in social theory." (Francis Fukuyama, author of The Origins of Political Order and Political Order and Political Decay)
"Ambitious and fascinating...This meaty book is ready-made for involved discussions." (Publisher's Weekly)
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Ahti Tomi
- 27-02-22
Fascinating ... but how true?
His argumentation makes sense as a hypothesis. Time will tell if facts hold. I have my doubts
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mr S
- 30-12-23
Mind opening
As a migrant to the west, I've often wondered why major developments like the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution mostly occurred in the West over the past thousand years. People have various theories, from racial superiority to exploiting global wealth, but none seem truly logical.
This book offers a deep and well-reasoned analysis of Western development. If you're interested in this topic you'd find this book fascinating.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Matthew
- 07-03-21
Think game changer
This is one of the best books I have read ever. it adds so much not just to my thinking but understanding of people and the world around me. very impressed
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 02-04-21
Extraordinary book
A vast and compelling account of why we weirds are the way we are, and aren’t. A vast and convincing array of research and so many “bloody hell” lightbulb moments that may change the way you think about the world. If you love your Harari’s and Breman’s of this world you’ll love this. Essential reading and a future classic.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Daniel Holt
- 17-06-21
enlightenment puzzle
an important piece of the puzzle in solving the mystery of why the enlightenment and industrial revolution happened in western Europe.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 31-05-22
Very insightful
I would be interested to read this and Gun's Germs and Steel. This kind of cultural analysis is interesting because it not only offers explanations but also shows (or at least tries to show) causal links using study designs that are robust. Combined with other understandings of human behaviour from behavioural genetics I think you get a good understanding of our species
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- andrewjlockley
- 02-04-23
Outstandingly informative
This is a tough but exquisitely rewarding read. You'll learn why the woke narrative of all peoples being alike is such an outrageous and dangerous lie. Henrich makes meticulously evidenced claims to show why Chinese people copy, Arabs overreact to perceived insults, and why incestuous societies don't act like integrated societies at all - but rather mere groupings of families and clans. Civilisations are rare and precious things; if you've ever doubted the need to defend yours against those who regard its values with contempt or cavalier disregard, then this is the book to make you hold your nerve against the polite lie. We're not all the same, and this book shows how our deepest cultural values change with glacial pace across the generations. No amount of inculcation can turn even a Sicilian into a Berliner - let alone transform someone from an even more widely separated culture. This book offers very detailed descriptions of all the supporting evidence for its claims, making it both worthy and wordy - it's fascinating, but expect deep details, not bouncy narrative and engaging anecdotes.
One small beef: Korey Jackson is an odd choice to narrate this book; his accent and rhythmically precise, rap-like delivery is incongruous with the occasionally quasi-autobiographical perspective of the author. He's obviously not from the European-rooted culture described in personal terms by the author, so it's a bit like having a cat narrate a book written by a dog - albeit a very eloquent cat.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 27-09-21
A Fascinating Yet Overconfident New Worldview
This book presents a grand thesis - that the medieval church and its family policy are ultimately responsible for how psychologically and therefore socially peculiar Western societies are. As is the case with any overarching narrative, it is more likely to be wrong than completely right. Henrich presents compelling evidence, yet in my view, the number of chains in his causal link that he has to forge is rather large. Whether this thesis is true or not, this book has nevertheless had great impact on me. It shows the reader a completely new way of how we might explain the social world around us and its history - through the lenses of cultural evolution. Too few social scientists and historians take it seriously, yet Henrich shows it to be crucial and tears the blindfold of Western-centric views of human cognition, sociality and morality from our eyes. A must (critical) read.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- njaal foldnes
- 24-02-21
Difficult to listen to
I was seriously thinking that this was a robot reading, ie., AI reading of book. I was not able to listen, so I can not judge the contents
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Stop the lights
- 26-12-23
Interesting in parts. Narration awful.
It's an OK book.
There are some unnecessary lists (like inventions - no need for that).
Some of the theories seem like guesses more than fact based.
What takes away most from the book is the narrator. It's like listening to the fresh Prince of Belle Air reading a book.
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