At once a pioneering study of evolution and an accessible and lively reading experience, **The Mating Mind** marks the arrival of a prescient and provocative new science writer. Psychologist Geoffrey Miller offers the most convincing–and radical–explanation for how and why the human mind evolved.Consciousness, morality, creativity, language, and art: these are the traits that make us human. Scientists have traditionally explained these qualities as merely a side effect of surplus brain size, but Miller argues that they were sexual attractors, not side effects. He bases his argument on Darwin’s theory of *sexual *selection, which until now has played second fiddle to Darwin’s theory of *natural *selection, and draws on ideas and research from a wide range of fields, including psychology, economics, history, and pop culture. Witty, powerfully argued, and continually thought-provoking, ** *The Mating Mind* ** is a landmark in our understanding of our own species.*From the Trade Paperback edition.*words : 147231