Survival of the Prettiest: The Science of Beauty


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    • Features:

    • ISBN13: 9780385479424
    • Condition: New
    • Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
    • Author : Nancy Etcoff
    • Binding : Paperback
    • Dewey Decimal Number : 570
    • EAN : 9780385479424
    • Edition : Reprint
    • ISBN : 0385479425
    • Is Eligible For Trade In? : Yes
    • Label : Anchor
    • List Price : $16.00 (USD)
    • Manufacturer : Anchor
    • Number Of Items : 1
    • Number Of Pages : 336
    • Package Dimensions : 0.80 inches (Height) x 8.50 inches (Length) x 0.75 pounds (Weight) x 5.20 inches (Width)
    • Publication Date : 2000-07-11
    • Publisher : Anchor
    • Release Date : 2000-07-11
    • Studio : Anchor

    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

    - Amazon.com Review

    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.

    - Product Description

    Customer Reviews:

    Rated 4.0 stars Customers rated Survival of the Prettiest: The Science of Beauty 4.0 stars out of 5.0 based on 81 reviews:

    • A pretty book

      by Marcellus B. Lima (Brazil) - 2010-06-13  Rated 5 stars
      Here's the skinny on it: - It's not similar to Naomi Wolf's Beauty Myth. So, if you read that one and didn't like it, don't apply analogy; - it takes an evolutionary approach (which to me, is the only one worth discussing), but with the necessary consideration for cultural influences; - her style is highly enjoyable. It's like a walk in the park; - it doesn't try to either justify or deny the importance of beauty for everyday affairs. Doesn't really try to coerce you into taking sides on the issue, just to explain the facts; - it does make a clear point: we may appreciate beauty. We do not have to be overwhelmed by it. All in all, I strongly recommend this book.

    • Very insightful

      by amazonada (Florida) - 2010-02-27  Rated 4 stars
      this book was packed with information and facts it made it a very solid and insighful read altho a little bit dull at times which is why i did not give it 5 stars. however it poses excellent arguments and different views to support her views. I would recommend this book if the topic interests you.

    • food for thought (but don't eat too much)

      by Judith Johnson (Albany, NY) - 2010-01-17  Rated 4 stars
      Fascinating book that is a must read in the competative environment we live in today. Pretty scary when one realizes that all species on the planet are hard wired to be attracted to the prettiest or the most tall, dark and handsome. Nonetheless, the insights on what defines male and/or female beauty, which body features are the most alluring, how important waist size, bust size and what is truly the right proportion as perceived by the mind are real eye openers. It has given me a lot of insight I didn't have before. My only complaint is some of it is superficial and not enough footnotes.

    • Interesting, but not as controversial as one might think

      by Diana Ognjan (Zagreb, Croatia) - 2009-11-12  Rated 4 stars
      After reading The Female Brain from dr. Brizendine, nothing can surprise me regarding the way that our brain works. Maybe that is the reason I did not find this book to be so mind-opening. However, it shows some very interesting aspects of human view on beauty. It seems we still think like our ancestors did when it comes to beauty, despite all the education and knowledge we have now. If you have never read something similar, I recommend you to read this book, as it could open the whole new world to you.

    • Survival of the Prettiest.

      by Sonya Blair - 2009-09-12  Rated 5 stars
      Great read. I thought the whole concept was very interesting. There is a correlation between success and the pretty and this book explains it very well. If, for nothing else, it is great to know these things and how you might be able to work it to your advantage or just know how it works. I recommend reading this one along with The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty Are Used Against Women.

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