The Social Leap

The New Evolutionary Science of Who We Are, Where We Come from, and What Makes Us Happy

By: William von Hippel

Narrated by: Michael David Axtell

In the compelling popular science tradition of Sapiens and Guns, Germs, and Steel, a groundbreaking and eye-opening exploration that applies evolutionary science to provide a new perspective on human psychology, revealing how major challenges from our past have shaped some of the most fundamental aspects of our being.

The most fundamental aspects of our lives - from leadership and innovation to aggression and happiness - were permanently altered by the "social leap" our ancestors made from the rain forest to the Savannah. Their struggle to survive on the open grasslands required a shift from individualism to a new form of collectivism, which forever altered the way our mind works. It changed the way we fight and our proclivity to make peace, it changed the way we lead and the way we follow, it made us innovative but not inventive, it created a new kind of social intelligence, and it led to new sources of life satisfaction.

In The Social Leap, William von Hippel lays out this revolutionary hypothesis, tracing human development through three critical evolutionary inflection points to explain how events in our distant past shape our lives today. From the mundane, such as why we exaggerate, to the surprising, such as why we believe our own lies and why fame and fortune are as likely to bring misery as happiness, the implications are far-reaching and extraordinary.

Blending anthropology, biology, history, and psychology with evolutionary science, The Social Leap is a fresh and provocative look at our species that provides new clues about who we are, what makes us happy, and how to use this knowledge to improve our lives.

©2018 William von Hippel (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers

When did humans start acting like humans?

This book looks to answer that question and follows human behaviors back to their evolutionary first occurrence. then comes full circle to point out how our unique evolution has guided our species over the world. very much in the vein of sapiens

eye opener!

I feel like I know so much more info about the beginning of man than I ever have. it really helped me see things outside of the box I grew up in. loved it!

Great science reading, but with some hesitations.

Great science, great telling. Obviously the focus of much of this book is on the benefits of being social as a human. I think the only drawback is perhaps a superficial treatment and unfortunate referrals to those who are introverts or perhaps suffer from depression as curmudgeons. He use that word which is unfortunate so I think there could be better treatment to the listener who simply is not an extrovert and without treating that introversion as some type of disorder. I am thinking of the book QUIET as an antidote to this type of thinking.

I Loved This Book

I saw William von Hippel on the Joe Rogan podcast and knew I had to read his book. This is an excellent book with a lot of interesting information that possibly explains the exact reasons that humans are the way that we are.

Interesting. Very well put and easy to understand

Great book. A must read for anybody that is curious about where we come from and why we are the way we are.

Didn't love the speaker, great book though!

we tend to forget that we're animals that are part of nature rather than something above or removed from it. this book is a great reminder

Will teach what you are

Those who are looking for why we behave the we do, this book give answers.

Should have read it humbled

Great book, ok audio read. A bit robotic, bland. But the material is fantastic. Bird up.

This book deserves more than 5 stars. Excellent

Reading this book is a real pleasure. Highly recommended. I also recommend the Joe Rogan Experience interview # 1201 - William von Hippe about this book.

Must read!

Found this book from William's interview on Joe Rogan's podcast. His interview was so captivating that I knew I needed to listen to his book on audible. I highly recommend this to anyone else who is curious how our evolutionary past has shaped us into who we have become today.