Book Review: Why We Do What We Do Michael Carson Bridgewater State University, [email protected]
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Bridgewater Review Volume 36 | Issue 2 Article 14 Nov-2017 Book Review: Why We Do What We Do Michael Carson Bridgewater State University, [email protected] Recommended Citation Carson, Michael (2017). Book Review: Why We Do What We Do. Bridgewater Review, 36(2), 39-40. Available at: http://vc.bridgew.edu/br_rev/vol36/iss2/14 This item is available as part of Virtual Commons, the open-access institutional repository of Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Why We Do What We Do Michael Carson Robert M. Sapolsky, Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst (New York: Penguin Random House, 2017). was 74 pages into Robert Sapolsky’s new book, Behave, when its section on gambling and the Idopamine reward system became personally relevant. I was at the Orient Point Ferry Terminal at the eastern tip of Long Island, cruelly misdirected by my GPS and without a reservation. Backtracking towards New York City, my originally intended route, The why is also strongly influenced by the brain’s intrinsic reward system. would have lengthened my trip substantially. But if Studying behaviors such as pathological I could get on a ferry, it would be a shorter and more gambling, addiction, or even catching a ferry on standby, show that “dopa- enjoyable journey. Fortunately, my decision to wait mine is more about the anticipation of paid off and I felt extremely happy when, as a standby reward, than about reward itself” (73). passenger, I was finally directed onto the boat. Having “Why did that behavior occur?” read Sapolsky, I understood this burst of happiness remains the central question for the next eight chapters as Sapolsky guides at various levels, including brain anatomy, the the reader progressively back in time physiology of neurotransmitters, the connections from when the behavior occurred. between various parts of the brain, and, in my case, In the chapters “Seconds to Minutes Before” and “Hours to Days Before,” the dopamine reward system. I even understood the author examines the sensory stimu- why I felt much happier than if I had had a ferry lation that prompts or cues a behavior and the effects of hormones, such reservation in the first place. as testosterone, on the brain and on In Behave, Sapolsky provides a multifac- helps readers achieve a sophisticated behaviors. Sapolsky explores the areas eted and detailed understanding of how and comprehensive understanding of of the brain that are targeted by outside and why different human behaviors behavioral causation. stimuli, including subliminal stimuli. occur. He achieves this for a non-spe- Of special interest is the brain’s very In the chapter, “One Second Before,” cialist audience using a clever organi- quick response (less than a tenth of a the reader looks at human behavior zational approach. In the first chapter, second) to the face of a person from a through the lens of sensory stimula- “The Behavior,” Sapolsky posits that different “race,” along with activation tion and the neural circuitry that affects a behavior has just occurred then takes of the amygdala, an area of the brain communication between various parts the reader on a journey back in time associated with “fear conditioning.” of the brain. Although the behavior through all of that behavior’s precipi- By clarifying popular perceptions, itself may be described in very simple tating events. He leads readers from Sapolsky provides a nuanced view of terms, the real challenge is in the ques- “prior second,” to “prior seconds to the effects of stimuli and hormones tion: why did that behavior occur? This minutes,” to “prior hours to days,” and, on behavior while emphasizing their chapter explores the why at the level of ultimately, to evolutionary forces in the importance. As an example, he writes neural communication between areas “prior millions of years.” This approach that testosterone “increases whatever of the brain involved in automatic is needed to maintain status. In a responses, emotion and cognition. November 2017 39 world in which status is awarded for development of morality, the ability that influence behavior could be acted the best of behaviors, testosterone to regulate emotions and behavior as upon by evolutionary forces. It remains would be the most prosocial hormone shown by the very interesting “marsh- uncertain, however, whether any recent in existence” (135). mallow test,” childhood adversity, and human behavioral adaptations are the the effects of male and female hor- result of evolutionary, as opposed to In the chapter titled “Adolescence; or mones on development are some of the cultural, factors. The end of this chapter Dude, Where’s My Frontal Cortex?,” more interesting topics covered. introduces the “sociobiology debate” we learn that the adolescent brain really over the evolutionary underpinnings of does work differently. Specifically, the The remainder of the first part of the human behaviors, including violence “limbic, autonomic and endocrine book considers the roles of genes, cul- and war-mongering. systems are going full blast while the ture and evolutionary factors in shaping frontal cortex is still working out the behaviors. Sapolsky’s chapter on genet- The final part of the book explores assembly instructions” (155). Sapolsky’s ics is comprehensive and accurate. He some of these most important human behaviors, including “human clan- nishness and xenophobia,” hierarchy, obedience to authority, and morality. As Sapolsky puts it, when Sapolsky also examines free will and the criminal justice system, ending recognizing people such as the book with a chapter on “War and Peace.” Sapolsky’s wonderful synthesis Nelson Mandela or even far less of neuroscience, built progressively through the book, provides a strong well-known individuals whose foundation from which to examine these influential forms of behavior. behavior has made an enormous Although human behavior is compli- difference in this world: cated, “hellishingly” so, and includes the most horrendous acts, ultimately, “Individuals no more exceptional Sapolsky gives us hope. As he puts it, when recognizing people such as than the rest of us provide Nelson Mandela or even far less well- known individuals whose behavior stunning examples of our finest has made an enormous difference in this world: “Individuals no more moments as humans.” exceptional than the rest of us pro- vide stunning examples of our finest moments as humans.” (674). argument is that the frontal cortex is recognizes the complexities of gene and the brain region “least constrained by environment interaction and refutes the genes and most sculpted by experience” idea of genetic determinism in the case (173). This is the most monumental of human behaviors. However, genes idea in the book, for it helps explain are clearly important for brain develop- how humans function in remarkably ment; genetic variation in neurotrans- complex social environments, environ- mitters, hormone responses, and other ments that are extremely variable even aspects of brain biology does occur. over recent time periods and among The role of culture on behavior is simi- different societies living today. The larly nuanced. A comprehensive chapter Michael Carson is Professor in the chapter “Back to the Crib, Back to the on evolution of behavior provides the Department of Biological Sciences. Womb” seeks the roots of adult behav- basic science of evolutionary processes, ior in childhood. Brain development, recognizing that variation in genes 40 Bridgewater Review.