Bozo Sapiens: Why to Err is Human

The basic premise of Bozo Sapiens is that while it is human for us to reach for the stars, it is also human for us to shoot ourselves in the foot. The authors focus their bemused attention on the second point, examining how and why we humans repeatedly make ghastly errors in dating, at work, in investing, in politics, etc. B.S. is like a college-level survey course on human folly, taught by a team of experts, one of whom is a bit tipsy. The sober-sided experts talk about the latest research in neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, cognitive and social psychology, behavioral finance, and evolutionary biology; while the happy lush at the end of the table contributes an endless stream of hilarious anecdotes and examples that help illustrate all that dry research. The experts are highly informative; the lush is highly entertaining. B.S. has the normal advantages and disadvantages of any survey course. The range of topics covered is enormous, but few topics are covered in any real depth. Anyone looking for an in-depth discussion of neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, cognitive and social psychology, etc., is probably going to be disappointed. But if what you're looking for is an erudite, witty examination of the myriad of ways in which human folly manifests itself, then I would highly recommend this book.

When reading, I like to fold (dog-ear) the edges of a page that contains an interesting point so that I may make a note of it later at my computer or when I'm not so thoroughly entranced in an idea. After completing "Bozo Sapiens", I realized that nearly every page in the book had a dog-ear--sometimes two. The authors Michael and Ellen Kaplan make point after fascinating point throughout the book and any curious reader will find it to be a treasure trove of insight. However, the conclusions that the authors come to throughout the book and at the end leave much to be desired. The gist of the book is that we humans try to "impose consistency and purpose on a life that remains stubbornly random." This is of crucial importance to me as I am in the midst of composing book II of "Everyone Agrees", which attempts to show a universal morality based on logic and consistency. But time and time again the Kaplans show that morality is relative (try telling a Paleolithic man not to endulge in the seven deadly sins and he will laugh you out of his cave). But here's where a little more perspective might help; perhaps specific rules are arbitrary, but morality itself is not. If morality is relative and there is no right and wrong, then moral relativity (what the Kaplans are asserting as truth) is not right or wrong. So, what's the point of talking about it? The authors fall into the same hole that other authors have dug for themselves in difinitively asserting that nothing is difinitive. Near the end of the book, a friend of Michael Kaplan is introduced--someone who has diametrically opposite political and religious views as the author. Kaplan wonders how it is they can be friends and so hold each other in high esteem while disagreeing and he fails to really figure it out. I believe it's because the two people actually do agree that there is truth and part of that is that civility should be maintained in every discussion and that everyone has something to teach. That's how I can soak up the wealth of insight "Bozo Sapiens" has to offer while remaining skeptical of the skepticism that the authors profess. If you are open to stimulating ideas in sociology, psychology, and philosophy as well as a lot of dog-ears, read this book.

Why are humans the way they are? Why do we make such stupid (and obvious) mistakes all the time? Why are we so bad at estimating probability? Why do we fall for scams? As the Kaplans ask, "Is it instinctive for people - our doltish enemies, our spontaneous selves - to get things wrong?" Yes, this is another book about evolutionary psychology, and one of the most approachable that I've encountered. It casts its net wide; after a brief introduction, we get four chapters on topics as diverse as economics; perception, language and thinking; error in action; and social structures and relations. The penultimate chapter, "Fresh off the Pleistocene Bus", considers the difference and (more important) continuity between us and our ancestors from 70,000 years ago. The authors close with "Living Right": the origins of our sense of what is right, civil, moral, and just, and the way in which "we accommodate the tensions between our simple primate emotions and our bewildering world through the connective tissue of culture." This is a delightful book. It nicely complements and extends Dennis Dutton's outstanding The Art Instinct: Beauty, Pleasure, and Human Evolution. As I was reading it, I worried slightly that the Kaplans had spread themselves too thin, and were attempting to bring in too many topics. By the time I finished, those fears had disappeared. I think they've struck just the right balance. The advanced reading copy that I had did not include an index; I'm not sure if one is planned. It did, however, include copious end-notes, and they are uniformly good. Perhaps footnotes would have been better, simply because they're less easily overlooked. But this is a minor point. Highly recommended.

I love this miracle of a book. Every page has something fascinating on it, and I unded up highlighting so much that I functionally should just underline the whole book. Now, for INFORMATION on the topic--academic, scientific, clinical information, but still very well-presented--the book to get is "Kluge." But for examples, anecdotes, dizzy turns of phrase and witty asides, this is the book. Am I learning a lot? Meh. Not so much, probably. A lot of the facts within this book I have seen elsewhere, and usually with more supporting "primary source" material. But if you like the style of, say, "Mental Floss" magazine, you should enjoy this book. I was intrigued that it was written by a mother/son team, too. I mean, I love my mom and all, but if we tried to write a book like this, there would be tears, and not implausibly, blood. I'm glad they get along so well; the balance of experience and jokey vigor strikes a magical tone. My only complaint is that the book can feel pretty exhausting at times. The way to read it is probably similar to the way one might best approach a Whitman Sampler. Don't try to sit down and eat the whole box. Take a piece at a time. "Bozo" can be thought of as a heap of treats rather than a balanced and nutritious meal. And as my girlfried and I discovered on a Saturday at a coffee shop, there is material to talk about within "Bozos" for many, many hours. I can imagine some people hating the book because they find it too unsubstantial, but for fun facts junkies, it's total catnip.