The secret of our success
by Joseph Patrick Henrich · first published 2016
57% recommend43% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Argues that humans thrive through culture, copying and refining innovations over generations, rather than individual brilliance. Rich examples like manioc and seal hunting suit readers curious about cultural evolution.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
"Humans are a puzzling species. On the one hand, we struggle to survive on our own in the wild, often failing to overcome even basic challenges, like obtaining food, building shelters, or avoiding predators. On the other hand, human groups have produced ingenious technologies, sophisticated languages, and complex institutions that have permitted us to successfully expand into a vast range of diverse environments. What has enabled us to dominate the globe, more than any other species, while remaining virtually helpless as lone individuals? This book shows that the secret of our success lies not
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There's a great book, The Secret of Our Success, about many things including how humans have adapted to many environments and Manioc is a fascinating example in that. If you just soak Manioc until it no longer tastes bitter you'll still be slowly…
on “Cassava crisis: the deadly food that doubles as a vital Venezuelan crop (2017)” ↗Nice to see the PR campaign for Secret of Our Success getting some traction. It's a fantastic book and Joe Henrich's stuff is super interesting, his thesis is that humans are pretty dumb on our own and culture is like an enormous shared brain that allows…
on “How do people learn to cook a poisonous plant safely?” ↗…trial and error what can be eaten when and how, and then transmitting that information reliably to the next generation is what let humans spread all over this planet. I highly recommend the book The Secret of Our Success covering this and several other topics.
on “Lychee identified as cause for mystery deadly childhood illness in India” ↗The Secret of Our Success on the co-evolution of humans and human culture. The Origins of Political Order: From Prehuman Times to the French Revolution on what are states, where do they come from, and how do they work? The Vital…
on “Ask HN: What are your favorite non-fiction books of all time?” ↗…and hierarchy played a fundamental role in shaping the mechanics of human culture, starting at the beginning of the distinguishing of Homo sapiens. A mind-blowing book on the subject I recommend: “The Secret of our Success: How culture is driving human evolution, domesticating our species, and making us smarter” by Joseph Henrich.
on “You weren't meant to have a boss (2008)” ↗I'm surprised that no one has mentioned "The Secret of Our Success" by Joseph Henrich yet. It discusses this line of research in more detail, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
on “Researchers: Culture drives human evolution more than genetics” ↗…the first point again. If you only want that first point, there is also a "My Octopus Teacher" on Netflix, which is great in its own way. If you wanted to read about human intelligence, I suggest "The Secret of Our Success" by Henrich instead.
on “Octopuses caught on camera throwing things at each other” ↗Two by Joeseph Henrich: 1. The Secret of Our Success https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/9474901 2. The Weirdest People in the World https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/26726468 The first explores the extent to which humans are dependent on culture. It also underscores…
on “Ask HN: Which books have made you a better thinker and problem solver?” ↗That's quite a good book but I think that The Secret of Our Success did an even better job of zeroing in on what we can do that distinguishes us from other animals. http://smile.amazon.com/Secret-Our-Success-Evolution-Domesti...
on “We don't know which species should be classed as 'human'” ↗The author is simplifying or possibly over-simplifying. About a third of The Secret of Our Success was devoted to how human social norms are different from those of our primate relatives and really the whole book is worth reading if you found the article interesting.
on “Tears” ↗For more on cultural evolution and the impact on evolution of our brain, check out Joseph Henrich's "The Secret of Our Success: How Culture Is Driving Human Evolution". There are many youtube videos of the author discussing the book as well. The ideas in the book give deeper context to cultural evolution discussed in the Wait…
on “Why our outdated brains are making us unhappy” ↗Sapiens was a pretty decent book but if you want take that's both deeper and more scientifically informed I'd go for The Secret of Our Success instead.
on “Why We Dominate the Earth” ↗Societies are full of random stuff we learned just by trial and error and we don't even know why we do it. Can't recommend enough this book The Secret of Our Success: How Culture Is Driving Human Evolution, Domesticating Our Species, and Making Us Smarter (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25761655-the-secret-of-o...)
on “How do people learn to cook a poisonous plant safely?” ↗…about halfway through it seemed like he was just giving thoughts and theories on various things, without any references. Though more focused on cultural evolution, I much preferred Joseph Henrich's "The Secret of Our Success".
on “Ask HN: Best books you read in the past decade?” ↗…smart at figuring out new tools. But we are excellent at copying innovations from others, remembering them and fine-tuning them over generations. On this I highly recommend Joseph Henrich's book: "The Secret of Our Success: How Culture Is Driving Human Evolution, Domesticating Our Species, and Making Us Smarter".
on “A whale who tried to mimic human speech (2014)” ↗