SKU: 15933810051

The Evolution of Beauty: How Darwin's Forgotten Theory of Mate Choice Shapes the Animal World - And Us

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The Evolution of Beauty: How Darwin's Forgotten Theory of Mate Choice Shapes the Animal World - And UsNAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW, SMITHSONIAN, AND WALL STREET JOURNAL A major reimagining of how evolutionary forces work, revealing how mating preferences what Darwin termed "the taste for the beautiful" create the extraordinary range of ornament in the animal world. In the great halls of science, dogma holds that Darwin's theory of natural selection explains every branch on the tree of life: which species thrive,

NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW, SMITHSONIAN, AND WALL STREET JOURNAL

A major reimagining of how evolutionary forces work, revealing how mating preferences--what Darwin termed "the taste for the beautiful"--create the extraordinary range of ornament in the animal world.

In the great halls of science, dogma holds that Darwin's theory of natural selection explains every branch on the tree of life: which species thrive, which wither away to extinction, and what features each evolves. But can adaptation by natural selection really account for everything we see in nature?
Yale University ornithologist Richard Prum--reviving Darwin's own views--thinks not. Deep in tropical jungles around the world are birds with a dizzying array of appearances and mating displays: Club-winged Manakins who sing with their wings, Great Argus Pheasants who dazzle prospective mates with a four-foot-wide cone of feathers covered in golden 3D spheres, Red-capped Manakins who moonwalk. In thirty years of fieldwork, Prum has seen numerous display traits that seem disconnected from, if not outright contrary to, selection for individual survival. To explain this, he dusts off Darwin's long-neglected theory of sexual selection in which the act of choosing a mate for purely aesthetic reasons--for the mere pleasure of it--is an independent engine of evolutionary change.
Mate choice can drive ornamental traits from the constraints of adaptive evolution, allowing them to grow ever more elaborate. It also sets the stakes for sexual conflict, in which the sexual autonomy of the female evolves in response to male sexual control. Most crucially, this framework provides important insights into the evolution of human sexuality, particularly the ways in which female preferences have changed male bodies, and even maleness itself, through evolutionary time.
The Evolution of Beauty presents a unique scientific vision for how nature's splendor contributes to a more complete understanding of evolution and of ourselves.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Anchor Books
Published: 04/03/2018
ISBN: 9780345804570
Pages: 448
Weight: 0.95lbs
Size: 7.90h x 5.10w x 1.00d
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SKU: 15933810051

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THelms
Belleville, US
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Size: 2 Big Kid, Color: Blue
My 7yo loves doing his "magic trick" and stepping into his shoes. They slide on easy and stay on, they fit as expected. He says they are very comfortable and make him go very fast. Stylish as well
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Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2026
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Kourtney H.
Lexington, US
★★★★★ 5
Comfy and Cute (but run small)
Size: 3 Big Kid, Color: Black, Size: 3 Big Kid, Color: Black
I wanted black shoes for my kids’ Halloween costumes, but specifically ones they liked and would wear again. I let my three daughters (9, 10 and 11 y/o) scroll Amazon and they chose these, saying their friends had similar ones. These were only $20 a pair, which is a steal for kids tennis shoes so I didn’t expect much. They seem pretty solid. Two of my kids have worn them for a couple weeks and they’re holding up well and seem comfortable-no kid complaints. However, they do run about one size too small. All 3 girls had to size up one size. One of them has a taller and slightly wider foot and she struggles a bit to put them on, but they are comfortable one she does. You can loosen and tighten the elastic laces, but the shoe itself is one piece and doesn’t really stretch so if you have a fat footed kid I’d suggest another shoe, otherwise these are great.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2025
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Amy Capozziello
Lexington, US
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Good enough
Size: 13.5 Little Kid, Color: Gradient Pink
These are comfy and my daughter loves wearing them. The plastic piece that moves on the laces has ripped up the laces after about a month making it tricky to move. These are a good fill in shoe, but won't last a whole school year.
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Minniequa Johnson
Lexington, US
★★★★★ 5
Good shoes for growing rough boys
Size: 4.5 Big Kid, Color: All Black/Without Strap
Bought these for my son and he loves them. He so rough on shoes I refuse to pay over $30 on him a pair. I still wanted him to have comfort and stability to support his growing body. These seemed perfect. He can put them on by himself and the fit is true to size. I appreciate when I can find half sizes.
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Jodie Cunningham
Alexandria, US
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Size: 2 Big Kid, Color: White
My daughter loves these shoes. Very well made and stylish! I don’t want to spend a lot of money on shoes the last few weeks of school and these were perfect.
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