出版社／著者からの内容紹介
男の出世は身長で決まる？美人は管理職に向かない？豊富な実験データから、外見に左右される人の本性を探り、「やっぱり見た目」の嘘とホントを最新科学が解く。
内容（「BOOK」データベースより）
認知科学の最新研究と、進化心理学の知見をもとに、古代の美の定義から、男女の性戦略、育児の秘密、美容整形事情にいたるまで、広範なエピソードをまじえて美の本質に迫り、美しさの謎を解く画期的な本。
内容（「MARC」データベースより）
認知科学の最新研究と、進化心理学の知見をもとに、古代の美の定義から、男女の性戦略、育児の秘密、美容整形事情にいたるまで、広範なエピソードをまじえて美の本質に迫り、美しさの謎を解く。
Amazon.com
In the latter part of the 20th century, the adage "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" has evolved far beyond its original intent as an admonition against false vanity to become a cultural manifesto used to explain phenomena as diverse as the art of Andy Warhol and the rise of a multi-billion-dollar cosmetics industry. But is there something more to human reaction to beauty than a conditioned response to social cues? Yes, says Harvard Medical School psychologist Nancy Etcoff. Survival of the Prettiest argues persuasively that looking good has survival value, and that sensitivity to beauty is a biological adaptation governed by brain circuits shaped by natural selection.
Etcoff synthesizes a fascinating array of scientific research and cultural analysis in support of her thesis. Psychologists find that babies stare significantly longer at the faces adults find appealing, while the mothers of "attractive" babies display more intense bonding behaviors. The symmetrical face of average proportions may have become the optimal design because of evolutionary pressures operating against population extremes. Gentlemen may prefer blondes not so much for their hair color as for the fairness of their skin--which makes it easier to detect the flush of sexual excitement. And high heels accentuate a woman's breasts and buttocks, signaling fertility. Is beauty programmed into our brain circuits as a proxy for health and youth? In marked contrast to other writers like Naomi Wolf (The Beauty Myth), Etcoff argues that it is, noting, "Rather than denigrate one source of women's power, it would seem far more useful for feminists to attempt to elevate all sources of women's power." --Patrizia DiLucchio
--このテキストは、絶版本またはこのタイトルには設定されていない版型に関連付けられています。
From Publishers Weekly
In riveting style, Etcoff, a psychologist at Harvard Medical School, demolishes the belief that beauty is a cultural construct, arguing instead "that beauty is a universal part of human experience, and that it provokes pleasure, rivets attention, and impels actions that help ensure the survival of our genes." By drawing widely from anthropological, psychological, biological and archeological literature, Etcoff discerns surprising similarities in the ways humans have perceived and responded to beauty across diverse cultures throughout the millennia. For example, cross-cultural research comparing two isolated Indian tribes in Venezuela and Paraguay to people in three Western cultures demonstrated a remarkable similarity in what is considered beautiful. And evidence that red pigments were used as lipstick as long ago as 5000 B.C. suggests that media images are not the sole reason that "in the United States more money is spent on beauty than on education or social services." The most important message in this book is that we cannot ignore our evolutionary past when attempting to understand our current behavior, even as we should recognize that we need not be slaves to our genes. Topics as wide-ranging as penis- or breast-enlargement surgery and the basics of haute couture are treated with wit and insight. Etcoff's arguments are certain to initiate a great deal of discussion. Photos and illustrations. Author tour.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --このテキストは、絶版本またはこのタイトルには設定されていない版型に関連付けられています。
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --このテキストは、絶版本またはこのタイトルには設定されていない版型に関連付けられています。
Book Description
In this provocative, witty, and thoroughly researched inquiry into what we find beautiful and why, Nancy Etcoff skewers one of our culture's most enduring myths, that the pursuit of beauty is a learned behavior. Etcoff, a faculty member at Harvard Medical School and a practicing psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, skewers the enduring myth that the pursuit of beauty is a learned behavior.
Etcoff puts forth that beauty is neither a cultural construction, an invention of the fashion industry, nor a backlash against feminism, but instead is in our biology. It's an essential and ineradicable part of human nature that is revered and ferociously pursued in nearly every civilizatoin--and for good reason. Those features to which we are most attracted are often signals of fertility and fecundity. When seen in the context of a Darwinian struggle for survival, our sometimes extreme attempts to attain beauty--both to become beautiful ourselves and to acquire an attractive partner--become understandable. Moreover, if we come to understand how the desire for beauty is innate, then we can begin to work in our interests, and not soley for the interests of our genetic tendencies.
--このテキストは、絶版本またはこのタイトルには設定されていない版型に関連付けられています。
Etcoff puts forth that beauty is neither a cultural construction, an invention of the fashion industry, nor a backlash against feminism, but instead is in our biology. It's an essential and ineradicable part of human nature that is revered and ferociously pursued in nearly every civilizatoin--and for good reason. Those features to which we are most attracted are often signals of fertility and fecundity. When seen in the context of a Darwinian struggle for survival, our sometimes extreme attempts to attain beauty--both to become beautiful ourselves and to acquire an attractive partner--become understandable. Moreover, if we come to understand how the desire for beauty is innate, then we can begin to work in our interests, and not soley for the interests of our genetic tendencies.
--このテキストは、絶版本またはこのタイトルには設定されていない版型に関連付けられています。
メディア掲載レビュー
Advance Praise for Survival of the Prettiest:
"Sparkling prose, dazzling insights on a subject which inherently attracts us, make this scientific page-turner irresistible."
--Paul Ekman, Professor, University of California, San Francisco
"Although I did not enjoy being called a 'genetic freak,' I did find Nancy Etcoff's book thought-provoking and a good read--yes, we can read too. Her writings explore the existence of aesthetic beauty, without placing judgments upon it. Rather, she looks at our reaction to it."
--Cindy Crawford
"Erudite, pithy, witty, and indeed beautiful, Nancy Etcoff's prose brings sense at last to the study of beauty. She demonstrates that beauty evolved in the brain of the beholder and the body of the beheld for fascinating evolutionary reasons."
--Matt Ridley, author of The Origins of Virtue and The Red Queen
"Forget the myths about beauty; it isn't skin-deep, or in the eye of the beholder, or 'culturally constructed.' Our notion of beauty is ancient and universal, embedded in our genes--a Stone Age body scan brimming with information about health and fertility. Nancy Etcoff provides a lucid, authoritative guide to these latest insights of Darwinian science. At last, a book about beauty that won't go out of fashion."
--Helena Cronin, London School of Economics, author of The Ant and the Peacock
"In this fascinating book, Nancy Etcoff makes a compelling argument that our fascination with beauty has deep roots in our genes. As a pioneer in this cutting-edge field, she writes with authority, clarity, and no little wit." --Dean Hamer, National Cancer Institute, author of Living with Our Genes and The Science of Desire
"Nancy Etcoff deftly and fatally skewers one of the most enduring pretensions of the intellectual class: that beauty is only a cultural artifact, a distraction and temptation for weaker minds. With volumes of hard data and loads of humor, she shows that the experience of beauty is on a par with that of hunger or pain--an evolutionary adaptation complete with universal attributes and interesting psychology."
--Alex P. Pentland, Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
"This is a spellbinding book. Dr. Etcoff raises--and often answers--fascinating questions about how the brain responds to the beauty of the human form."
--V.S. Ramachandran, Professor and Director, Center for Brain and Cognition, University of California, San Diego, author (with S. Blakeslee) of Phantoms in the Brain --このテキストは、絶版本またはこのタイトルには設定されていない版型に関連付けられています。
"Sparkling prose, dazzling insights on a subject which inherently attracts us, make this scientific page-turner irresistible."
--Paul Ekman, Professor, University of California, San Francisco
"Although I did not enjoy being called a 'genetic freak,' I did find Nancy Etcoff's book thought-provoking and a good read--yes, we can read too. Her writings explore the existence of aesthetic beauty, without placing judgments upon it. Rather, she looks at our reaction to it."
--Cindy Crawford
"Erudite, pithy, witty, and indeed beautiful, Nancy Etcoff's prose brings sense at last to the study of beauty. She demonstrates that beauty evolved in the brain of the beholder and the body of the beheld for fascinating evolutionary reasons."
--Matt Ridley, author of The Origins of Virtue and The Red Queen
"Forget the myths about beauty; it isn't skin-deep, or in the eye of the beholder, or 'culturally constructed.' Our notion of beauty is ancient and universal, embedded in our genes--a Stone Age body scan brimming with information about health and fertility. Nancy Etcoff provides a lucid, authoritative guide to these latest insights of Darwinian science. At last, a book about beauty that won't go out of fashion."
--Helena Cronin, London School of Economics, author of The Ant and the Peacock
"In this fascinating book, Nancy Etcoff makes a compelling argument that our fascination with beauty has deep roots in our genes. As a pioneer in this cutting-edge field, she writes with authority, clarity, and no little wit." --Dean Hamer, National Cancer Institute, author of Living with Our Genes and The Science of Desire
"Nancy Etcoff deftly and fatally skewers one of the most enduring pretensions of the intellectual class: that beauty is only a cultural artifact, a distraction and temptation for weaker minds. With volumes of hard data and loads of humor, she shows that the experience of beauty is on a par with that of hunger or pain--an evolutionary adaptation complete with universal attributes and interesting psychology."
--Alex P. Pentland, Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
"This is a spellbinding book. Dr. Etcoff raises--and often answers--fascinating questions about how the brain responds to the beauty of the human form."
--V.S. Ramachandran, Professor and Director, Center for Brain and Cognition, University of California, San Diego, author (with S. Blakeslee) of Phantoms in the Brain --このテキストは、絶版本またはこのタイトルには設定されていない版型に関連付けられています。
From the Back Cover
Advance Praise for Survival of the Prettiest:
"Sparkling prose, dazzling insights on a subject which inherently attracts us, make this scientific page-turner irresistible."
--Paul Ekman, Professor, University of California, San Francisco
"Although I did not enjoy being called a 'genetic freak,' I did find Nancy Etcoff's book thought-provoking and a good read--yes, we can read too. Her writings explore the existence of aesthetic beauty, without placing judgments upon it. Rather, she looks at our reaction to it."
--Cindy Crawford
"Erudite, pithy, witty, and indeed beautiful, Nancy Etcoff's prose brings sense at last to the study of beauty. She demonstrates that beauty evolved in the brain of the beholder and the body of the beheld for fascinating evolutionary reasons."
--Matt Ridley, author of The Origins of Virtue and The Red Queen
"Forget the myths about beauty; it isn't skin-deep, or in the eye of the beholder, or 'culturally constructed.' Our notion of beauty is ancient and universal, embedded in our genes--a Stone Age body scan brimming with information about health and fertility. Nancy Etcoff provides a lucid, authoritative guide to these latest insights of Darwinian science. At last, a book about beauty that won't go out of fashion."
--Helena Cronin, London School of Economics, author of The Ant and the Peacock
"In this fascinating book, Nancy Etcoff makes a compelling argument that our fascination with beauty has deep roots in our genes. As a pioneer in this cutting-edge field, she writes with authority, clarity, and no little wit." --Dean Hamer, National Cancer Institute, author of Living with Our Genes and The Science of Desire
"Nancy Etcoff deftly and fatally skewers one of the most enduring pretensions of the intellectual class: that beauty is only a cultural artifact, a distraction and temptation for weaker minds. With volumes of hard data and loads of humor, she shows that the experience of beauty is on a par with that of hunger or pain--an evolutionary adaptation complete with universal attributes and interesting psychology."
--Alex P. Pentland, Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
"This is a spellbinding book. Dr. Etcoff raises--and often answers--fascinating questions about how the brain responds to the beauty of the human form."
--V.S. Ramachandran, Professor and Director, Center for Brain and Cognition, University of California, San Diego, author (with S. Blakeslee) of Phantoms in the Brain
--このテキストは、絶版本またはこのタイトルには設定されていない版型に関連付けられています。
"Sparkling prose, dazzling insights on a subject which inherently attracts us, make this scientific page-turner irresistible."
--Paul Ekman, Professor, University of California, San Francisco
"Although I did not enjoy being called a 'genetic freak,' I did find Nancy Etcoff's book thought-provoking and a good read--yes, we can read too. Her writings explore the existence of aesthetic beauty, without placing judgments upon it. Rather, she looks at our reaction to it."
--Cindy Crawford
"Erudite, pithy, witty, and indeed beautiful, Nancy Etcoff's prose brings sense at last to the study of beauty. She demonstrates that beauty evolved in the brain of the beholder and the body of the beheld for fascinating evolutionary reasons."
--Matt Ridley, author of The Origins of Virtue and The Red Queen
"Forget the myths about beauty; it isn't skin-deep, or in the eye of the beholder, or 'culturally constructed.' Our notion of beauty is ancient and universal, embedded in our genes--a Stone Age body scan brimming with information about health and fertility. Nancy Etcoff provides a lucid, authoritative guide to these latest insights of Darwinian science. At last, a book about beauty that won't go out of fashion."
--Helena Cronin, London School of Economics, author of The Ant and the Peacock
"In this fascinating book, Nancy Etcoff makes a compelling argument that our fascination with beauty has deep roots in our genes. As a pioneer in this cutting-edge field, she writes with authority, clarity, and no little wit." --Dean Hamer, National Cancer Institute, author of Living with Our Genes and The Science of Desire
"Nancy Etcoff deftly and fatally skewers one of the most enduring pretensions of the intellectual class: that beauty is only a cultural artifact, a distraction and temptation for weaker minds. With volumes of hard data and loads of humor, she shows that the experience of beauty is on a par with that of hunger or pain--an evolutionary adaptation complete with universal attributes and interesting psychology."
--Alex P. Pentland, Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
"This is a spellbinding book. Dr. Etcoff raises--and often answers--fascinating questions about how the brain responds to the beauty of the human form."
--V.S. Ramachandran, Professor and Director, Center for Brain and Cognition, University of California, San Diego, author (with S. Blakeslee) of Phantoms in the Brain
--このテキストは、絶版本またはこのタイトルには設定されていない版型に関連付けられています。
著者について
Nancy Etcoff has an M.Ed. from Harvard, a Ph.D. in psychology from Boston University, and held a postdoctoral fellowship in brain and cognitive sciences at MIT. She is currently a faculty member at Harvard Medical School and a practicing psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
--このテキストは、絶版本またはこのタイトルには設定されていない版型に関連付けられています。
著者略歴 (「BOOK著者紹介情報」より)
エトコフ,ナンシー
ハーヴァード大学で教育学修士、ボストン大学で心理学博士の資格をとり、その後マサチューセッツ工科大学で脳と認知科学の研究をおこなう。現在はハーヴァード医科大学で教えるかたわら、マサチューセッツ総合病院で心理学者として臨床にあたっている(本データはこの書籍が刊行された当時に掲載されていたものです)
ハーヴァード大学で教育学修士、ボストン大学で心理学博士の資格をとり、その後マサチューセッツ工科大学で脳と認知科学の研究をおこなう。現在はハーヴァード医科大学で教えるかたわら、マサチューセッツ総合病院で心理学者として臨床にあたっている(本データはこの書籍が刊行された当時に掲載されていたものです)
