The Consuming Instinct
What Juicy Burgers, Ferraris, Pornography, and Gift Giving Reveal About Human Nature
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3.8 • 4 Ratings
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- $18.99
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- $18.99
Publisher Description
In this highly informative and entertaining book, the founder of the vibrant new field of evolutionary consumption illuminates the relevance of our biological heritage to our daily lives as consumers. While culture is important, the author shows that innate evolutionary forces deeply influence the foods we eat, the gifts we offer, the cosmetics and clothing styles we choose to make ourselves more attractive to potential mates, and even the cultural products that stimulate our imaginations (such as art, music, and religion). The book demonstrates that most acts of consumption can be mapped onto four key Darwinian drives-namely, survival (we prefer foods high in calories); reproduction (we use products as sexual signals); kin selection (we naturally exchange gifts with family members); and reciprocal altruism (we enjoy offering gifts to close friends). The author further highlights the analogous behaviors that exist between human consumers and a wide range of animals. For anyone interested in the biological basis of human behavior or simply in what makes consumers tick-marketing professionals, advertisers, psychology mavens, and consumers themselves-this is a fascinating read.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Saad (The Evolutionary Bases of Consumption) argues that consumer preferences aren't only dictated by culture and socialization but also by our biological heritage. We have a "consuming instinct," often motivated by one of the "key Darwinian meta-drives: survival, mating, kin or reciprocity." For example, McDonald's popularity can be understood as an innate preference for fatty, salty, high-caloric food, an adaptation designed to help the species subsist during times of food scarcity. Saad believes that manufacturers can better cater to consumer demands if they design products in line with our biological instincts and, as an example, advocates for a shift toward green architecture and interior design because they appeal to our "innate biophilic needs." The claim that differences between male and female consumer patterns represent innate differences between the sexes might seem like unnecessary theorizing to some readers, and Saad acknowledges these concerns, but believes that recognizing "our shared biological heritage" isn't divisive, and in fact might "unite us within the proverbial global consumer village." Saad's personal approach keeps the book accessible; he uses humor and anecdotes from his own life to reinforce his theory about the biological impulses behind the hundreds of consumer choices we make each day.
