Why do we want-and do-so many things that are bad for us? In Mean Genes Terry Burnham and Jay Phelan argue that we need to stop looking to Sigmund Freud for answers and start looking to Charles Darwin. Mean Genes reveals that our struggles for self-improvement are, in fact, battles against our own genes-genes that helped our distant ancestors flourish, but are selfish and out of place in the modern world. Using this evolutionary lens, Mean Genes brilliantly examines the issues that most affect our lives-body image, money, addiction, violence, and relationships, friendship, love, and fidelity-and offers steps to help us lead more satisfying lives.

Mean Genes: From Sex to Money to Food Taming Our Primal Instincts

PHELAN, JAY

Burnham, Terry

Self-Help

Penguin??Books

Why do we want—and why do we do—so many things that are bad for us? And how can we stop? In Mean Genes economist Terry Burnham and biologist Jay Phelan offer advice on how to conquer our own worst enemy—our survival-minded genes. Having evolved in a time of scarcity, when our ancestors struggled to survive in the wild, our genes are poorly adapted to the convenience of modern society. They compel us to overeat, spend our whole paycheck, and cheat on our spouses. But knowing how they work, Burnham and Phelan show that we can trick these "mean genes" into submission and cultivate behaviors that will help us lead better lives. A lively, humorous guide to our evolutionary heritage, Mean Genes illuminates how we can use an understanding of our biology to beat our instincts—before they beat us.

Mean Genes: From Sex To Money To Food: Taming Our Primal Instincts

Basic Books

Mean Markets and Lizard Brains: How to Profit from the New Science of Irrationality

Everyone from journalists to market pros are turning to behavioral finance to explain, analyze, and predict market direction. In contrast to old-school assumptions of cool-headed rationality, the new behavioral school embraces hot-blooded human irrationality as a core feature of both individuals and financial markets. The 2002 Nobel Prize in Economics was awarded to scholars of this new scientific approach to irrationality. In Mean Markets and Lizard Brains, Terry Burnham, an economist who has a proven ability to translate complex topics into everyday language, reveals the biological causes of irrationality. The human brain contains ancient structures that exert powerful and often unconscious influences on behavior. This "lizard brain" may have helped our ancestors eat and reproduce, but it wreaks havoc with our finances. Going far beyond cataloguing our financial foibles, Dr. Burnham applies this novel approach to all of today's most important financial topics: the stock market, the economy, real estate, bonds, mortgages, inflation, and savings. This broad and scholarly investigation provides an in-depth look at why manias, panics, and crashes happen, and why people are built to want to buy at irrationally high prices and sell at irrationally low prices. Most importantly, by incorporating the new science of irrationality, readers can position themselves to profit from financial markets that often seem downright mean. Mean Markets and Lizard Brains skillfully identifies the craziness that is part of human nature, helps us see it in ourselves, and then shows us how to profit from a world that doesn't always make sense.

Business & Money

Economics

John Wiley&Sons, Inc.

The Secret Syllabus: A Guide to the Unwritten Rules of College Success (Skills for Scholars)

The unwritten rules of success that every student must follow to thrive in college The Secret Syllabus equips students with the tools they need to succeed, revealing the unwritten rules and cultural norms and expectations not included in the official curriculum. Left to figure out on their own how the academic world works, students frequently stumble, underperform, and miss opportunities. Without mastery of the secret syllabus, too many miss out on the full, rich experience available to them in college. Jay Phelan and Terry Burnham share the essential lessons they have learned from struggling, unfocused students as well as award-winning college instructors and researchers. The Secret Syllabus draws on Phelan and Burnham's experiences with thousands of undergraduate and graduate students. Weaving engaging storytelling with practical, actionable advice, they illustrate both productive and counterproductive approaches to achieving academic excellence, and highlight the importance of setting and attaining goals, nurturing strong relationships, developing resiliency, and more. This fresh, funny, and boldly innovative book enables students to develop the consistently winning and effective behaviors that will equip them to thrive on campus and beyond.

Education & Teaching

Higher & Continuing Education

Princeton University Press

Review\n“The Secret Syllabus is unlike any other book I’ve read on preparing for college success. The stories and conversations are enjoyable and the authors don’t just give advice, they explain how to do it. If you have questions about the culture of your college before you even get started, this book is a must-read.”―Shellee Howard, CEO of College Ready\n“Uniquely personal and exquisitely readable. Navigating the ‘secret curriculum’ of higher education is nebulous and difficult, but aspiring college students should look no further than The Secret Syllabus to set themselves up for a successful (and happy) journey forward. This is a book I wish I had when I was starting out in college.”―Sagar Desai, MD, Teach For America\n“The Secret Syllabus should have been titled Rules for Life. The authors take us on a tour of student life in academia and distill the skills necessary for freshmen to thrive. At a time when students seem increasingly ridden with anxiety, this book throws them a lifeline they can grasp. I will definitely recommend this book to my freshmen.”―Daniele Struppa, President of Chapman University\n“I speak with many college students who are interested in the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit. I will add this book to the list of must-reads. Phelan and Burnham have written a dynamic road map for successfully navigating the challenging college years. From setting goals to career planning and every step in between, they are there guiding you with specific, actionable behaviors you should do to achieve your goals and dreams.”―Kristen Slater, Special Agent and Unit Chief of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit\n“The Secret Syllabus covers it all, from the big ideas for living life fully to the small navigations of daily college life. It’s a great read for students looking for the ‘secrets’ for success in college and choosing a career path that is the right fit for them. Who wouldn’t want that?”―Roxanne G. Neal, Assistant Dean and Director of the New Student and Transition Programs at UCLA\n“I know from my twenty years of experience teaching at Harvard that academic excellence requires far more than acing the material. The Secret Syllabus will teach you how to create positive and effective relationships with your faculty. You will learn how to talk to your professors, what to do in office hours, how to stay in touch without being a burden, and much, much more.”―Carole Hooven, Codirector of Undergraduate Studies, Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University\nThe unwritten rules of success that every student must follow to thrive in college\nThe Secret Syllabus equips students with the tools they need to succeed, revealing the unwritten rules and cultural norms and expectations not included in the official curriculum. Left to figure out on their own how the academic world works, students frequently stumble, underperform, and miss opportunities. Without mastery of the secret syllabus, too many miss out on the full, rich experience available to them in college.\nJay Phelan and Terry Burnham share the essential lessons they have learned from struggling, unfocused students as well as award-winning college instructors and researchers. The Secret Syllabus draws on Phelan and Burnham’s experiences with thousands of undergraduate and graduate students. Weaving engaging storytelling with practical, actionable advice, they illustrate both productive and counterproductive approaches to achieving academic excellence, and highlight the importance of setting and attaining goals, nurturing strong relationships, developing resiliency, and more.\nThis fresh, funny, and boldly innovative book enables students to develop the consistently winning and effective behaviors that will equip them to thrive on campus and beyond.

Short, sassy, and bold, Mean Genes uses a Darwinian lens to examine the issues that most deeply affect our lives: body image, money, addiction, violence, and the endless search for happiness, love, and fidelity. But Burnham and Phelan don't simply describe the connections between our genes and our behavior; they also outline steps that we can take to tame our primal instincts and so improve the quality of our lives.Why do we want (and do) so many things that are bad for us? We vow to lose those extra five pounds, put more money in the bank, and mend neglected relationships, but our attempts often end in failure. Mean Genes reveals that struggles for self-improvement are, in fact, battles against our own genes--genes that helped our cavewoman and caveman ancestors flourish but that are selfish and out of place in the modern world. Why do we like junk food more than fruit? Why is the road to romance so rocky? Why is happiness so elusive? What drives us into debt? An investigation into the biological nature of temptation and the struggle for control, Mean Genes answers these and other fundamental questions about human nature while giving us an edge to lead more satisfying lives.

Mean Genes: From Sex to Money to Food: Taming Our Primal Instincts

Perseus Publishing

What Is Life? A Guide to Biology (Loose leaf), Prep U Access Code& Mean Genes

Science & Math

Biological Sciences

W.H.Freeman

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Burnham, Terry. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Burnham, Terry

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Burnham, Terry. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Mean Genes: From Sex to Money to Food Taming Our Primal Instincts

Mean Genes: From Sex To Money To Food: Taming Our Primal Instincts

Mean Genes: From Sex To Money To Food: Taming Our Primal Instincts

Mean Markets and Lizard Brains: How to Profit from the New Science of Irrationality

The Secret Syllabus: A Guide to the Unwritten Rules of College Success (Skills for Scholars)

The Secret Syllabus: A Guide to the Unwritten Rules of College Success (Skills for Scholars)

Mean Genes: From Sex to Money to Food: Taming Our Primal Instincts

What Is Life? A Guide to Biology (Loose leaf), Prep U Access Code& Mean Genes