Stunning.  I wish I had read this all in one sitting, or in a span of a few days instead of putting such a gap between reads.   David Livingstone Smith has a knack for choosing words that flow together ever so eloquently.  I really enjoyed this one.

My favorite part of the entire book were the discussions about creatures in nature that use deception to achieve.  One of the most notable examples was a species of Orchid, a flower, which mimics the body of a female wasp, thereby deceiving the male wasp to get his freak on.  Once he realizes this is no full figured cutie, the flower’s mission has already been completed:  pollination.

I love to learn about animals that deceive others, and humans are no different.

Admittedly, some of Smith’s theories in the end of the book were a bit far out, but I think I should emphasize the standpoint of not instantly dismissing them for being so.  I think there may be something to his Machiavellian model, and perhaps in time we will know more.

He opened my eyes to a lot of psychological things I hadn’t previously thought about, and I am thankful for that.   I love a book that can widen the scope of my vision a bit, so that when I think about things I’ll be sure to include its particular aspect.  Smith’s book did exactly that for me.

I enjoyed it so much I bought another book by him yesterday.  The Most Dangerous Animal: Human Nature and the Origins of War.   I’ll let you know when I finish that one (: