William von Hippel

In the compelling popular science tradition of Sapiens and Guns, Germs, and Steel, The Social Leap offers a groundbreaking and eye-opening exploration that applies evolutionary science to provide a new perspective on human psychology. It reveals how major challenges from our past have shaped some of the most fundamental aspects of our being. The most fundamental aspects of our lives—from...

Our chimpish ancestors were superbly adapted to a life of leaping through the trees. To survive on the savannah, they had to make a social leap - a change that drives us still today. Human psychology is rife with contradictions. We work hard to achieve our goals, but when we succeed, our happiness is fleeting compared with our efforts. We...

From the author of The Social Leap comes this thought-provoking exploration into humans’ two core evolutionary needs, for connection and autonomy, how the modern world has thrown them out of whack, and how we can rebalance them to improve our lives. Why do people who have so much—leading comfortable lives filled with unprecedented freedom, choice, and abundance—often feel so unhappy...