The Social Leap: The New Evolutionary Science of Who We Are, Where We Come From, and What Makes Us Happy

by William von Hippel

Publisher:

Harper

, 2024

Overview

A study of how evolution has forged our modern lives—from work and relationships to leadership and innovation, as well as our quest for happiness.

Human psychology is rife with contradictions: We work hard to achieve our goals, but happiness at our success is fleeting. We hope our friends will do well in life but can’t help feeling jealous if they do too well. We’re aghast at the thought of people we know being murdered but are unconcerned when our armed forces kill enemies we’ve never met. We complain about difficult bosses but are often just as bad when we’re in charge.

These inconsistencies may seem irrational, but each of them has evolved to serve a vital function in our lives. Indeed, the most fundamental aspects of our psychology were permanently shaped by the “social leap” our ancestors made from the rainforest to the savannah. In their struggle to survive on the open grasslands, our ancestors prioritized teamwork and sociality over physical prowess, creating an entirely new kind of intelligence that would forever alter our place on this planet.

A blend of anthropology, biology, history, and psychology with evolutionary science, The Social Leap traces our evolutionary history to show how events in our distant past continue to shape our lives today. From why we exaggerate to why we believe our own lies, the implications are far-reaching and extraordinary.

Praise for The Social Leap

Winner of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Book Prize

“A rollicking tour through humanity’s evolutionary past. . . . Von Hippel shows how our past explains the present and why our well-being rests on an understanding of how our minds evolved.” —Adam Alter, New York Times–bestselling author of Irresistible

“Full of insight into human character, von Hippel’s book provides a stimulating program for measuring success without material yardsticks.” —Kirkus Reviews

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Product Details

• Title: The Social Leap: The New Evolutionary Science of Who We Are, Where We Come From, and What Makes Us Happy
• Author: William von Hippel
• Publisher: Harper
• Print Publication Date: 2024
• Logos Release Date: 2024
• Pages: 294
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Ebook
• ISBNs: 9780062740410, 9780062740403, 0062740407, 0062740415
• Resource ID: LLS:9780062740410
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2025-04-21T10:54:10Z

About the Author

William von Hippel grew up in Alaska, got his B.A. at Yale and his PhD at the University of Michigan, and then taught for a dozen years at Ohio State University before finding his way to Australia, where he is a professor of psychology at the University of Queensland. He has published more than a hundred articles, chapters, and edited books, and his research has been featured in TheNew York Times, USA Today, TheEconomist, the BBC,Le Monde, El Mundo, Der Spiegel, and TheAustralian. He lives with his wife and two children in Brisbane, Australia.