Brian Hare & Vanessa Woods – Survival of the Friendliest
Summary: „Survival of the Friendliest“ by Brian Hare and Vanessa Woods challenges the traditional „survival of the fittest“ narrative by arguing that cooperation and friendliness, rather than aggression and competition, have been the key drivers of human evolution. The authors present evidence that humans evolved through a process of „self-domestication,“ where we selected for traits like reduced aggression, increased cooperation, and enhanced communication abilities – similar to how domestic animals differ from their wild counterparts. They demonstrate how our capacity for friendship, empathy, and collaboration enabled early humans to work together in large groups, share knowledge, and ultimately dominate other species including our closer relatives like Neanderthals. The book draws parallels between human evolution and the domestication of other species, showing how „friendly“ traits often emerge together as a package deal. Hare and Woods conclude that understanding our cooperative nature is crucial for addressing modern challenges, as our survival continues to depend more on our ability to work together than on individual strength or dominance.
Why we like it: In a world where elbow mentality is getting more and more common this book shows that friendliness is a strength not a weakness. Working together is not only valuable it’s the fundament for our success.