Design for a Life: How Biology and Psychology Shape Human Behavior by Patrick Bateson and Paul Martin
(out of 5 stars)
In Design for a Life, Bateson and Martin look at how the interaction of nature and nurture affect human behavior. While the book does sample many bits of interesting research covering the subjects, it feels light on details and cursory in its explorations.
Design skips around quickly from subject to subject as the authors explore various points in the debate and research into how nature (genetics) and nurture (parenting and environment) determine human behavior. They look at numerous studies involved in isolating influences and discuss whether this points toward genetic or epigenetic sourcing.
While the book does stay on message and maintains a decent narrative, the manner in which the research and details were interjected felt muddled and off-the-mark. Often, the authors jump from one study to another to another without a solid narrative bridge to keep the reader interested. At times, the authors simply describe the basic results of a study without much analysis or integration into the larger argument. I feel a more streamlined and judicious selection of included research would have left more room for a proper presentation of the data without leaving the discussion feeling underwhelming on substance and detail.
Still, Design has many good points and provides a nice overview of the landscape of the nature / nurture argument as it stood at the time of publication in 2001. While not the best book I've read on the subject, it still holds value for the interested reader of biology, genetics, psychology, and behavior. Three stars.
