Mean Genes

Why do we have so much trouble making sensible decisions about our health? 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 genes—genes that helped our distant ancestors survive, but are selfish and improper 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-and offers steps to help us lead more satisfying lives.