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Survival of the Prettiest: The Science of Beauty

Nancy L. Etcoff

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Survival of the Prettiest: The Science of Beauty

by Nancy L. Etcoff
Compare to estimated retail price: S$24.08  

The item you've got your eye on is secondhand. You probably already know that, but just in case!

The estimated retail price shown next to any listed item represents the first-hand prices we've seen elsewhere, or the estimated original retail price of a comparable item of the same quality, construction and material offered elsewhere in new condition.

Survival of the Prettiest: The Science of Beauty
Survival of the Prettiest: The Science of Beauty

Uncovering the biological roots of beauty’s allure.

"Survival of the Prettiest" is a compelling dive into understanding our perceptions of beauty. Nancy Etcoff combines her expertise in psychology with evolutionary biology to unravel the intrinsic value of beauty in human behavior. If you've ever wondered why certain features captivate us or how beauty has shaped our evolution, Etcoff's approachable yet scholarly narrative promises an enlightening read. It's a book that might change the way you see beauty, arguing that our pursuit of it is more than skin deep.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

Survival of the Prettiest: The Science of Beauty

by Nancy L. Etcoff
Compare to estimated retail price: S$24.08  

The item you've got your eye on is secondhand. You probably already know that, but just in case!

The estimated retail price shown next to any listed item represents the first-hand prices we've seen elsewhere, or the estimated original retail price of a comparable item of the same quality, construction and material offered elsewhere in new condition.

Condition guide

Book Condition Guide

Books in Like New Condition

This book may contain very minor cosmetic defects, but it is in pristine condition. There should be no yellowing, no foxing, no water damage, and no annotations of any kind on the cover and the pages. For paperbacks, there should not be any crease marks on the spine. This book is good as new — lucky you!

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Very Good Condition

This book has been used, but it is still in a clean condition. There should be no foxing or annotations of any kind on the inner pages, but a sparse amount may be present on the cover, title pages, or outside edges of the book. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be light crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Good Condition

We do our best to ensure the quality of our books, but there is no escaping the wear and tear that comes with time. Slight foxing and some annotations may be present on the pages and the cover. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be several crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Well Read Condition

This is a well-read book, which means that the previous owner probably really enjoyed it! The cover and pages may include moderate foxing and annotations, but the text is not obscured and still readable. Moderate cosmetic defects and minor water damage may be present on the edges of the book. For paperbacks, there may be multiple crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

 

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ISBN: 9780385479424
Author: Nancy L. Etcoff
Publisher: Anchor
Date of Publication: 2000-07-11
Format: Paperback
Related Collections: Science, Sociology, History
Related Topics: Biology, Psychology, Evolution, History, Womens, Feminism
Goodreads rating: 3.79
(rated by 1890 readers)

Description

A provocative and thoroughly researched inquiry into what we find beautiful and why, skewering the myth that the pursuit of beauty is a learned behavior. In Survival of the Prettiest, Nancy Etcoff, a faculty member at Harvard Medical School and a practicing psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, argues that beauty is neither a cultural construction, an invention of the fashion industry, nor a backlash against feminism—it’s in our biology. Beauty, she explains, is an essential and ineradicable part of human nature that is revered and ferociously pursued in nearly every civilization—and for good reason. Those features to which we are most attracted are often signals of fertility and fecundity. When seen in the context of a Darwinian struggle for survival, our sometimes extreme attempts to attain beauty—both to become beautiful ourselves and to acquire an attractive partner—suddenly become much more understandable. Moreover, if we understand how the desire for beauty is innate, then we can begin to work in our own interests, and not just the interests of our genetic tendencies.
 

Uncovering the biological roots of beauty’s allure.

"Survival of the Prettiest" is a compelling dive into understanding our perceptions of beauty. Nancy Etcoff combines her expertise in psychology with evolutionary biology to unravel the intrinsic value of beauty in human behavior. If you've ever wondered why certain features captivate us or how beauty has shaped our evolution, Etcoff's approachable yet scholarly narrative promises an enlightening read. It's a book that might change the way you see beauty, arguing that our pursuit of it is more than skin deep.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

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