Fatherhood:
Evolution and Human Paternal Behavior
Selected by Choice as a 2010 Outstanding Academic Title
 | Out
now! Fatherhood:
Evolution and Human Paternal Behavior, by Peter B. Gray
and Kermyt G. Anderson. Published by Harvard University Press
(Cambridge, MA, 2010) See the official flyer. Fatherhood has been selected by Choice as a 2010 Outstanding Academic Title. |
New! The paperback edition has just been released!
The aim of this book is to provide a summary of current research on fatherhood, drawing on evolutionary and cross-cultural perspectives. We address such question as:
- How important are men in the lives of their children?
- How much involvement do men typically have with their children, how have these patterns changed recently, and how do they vary across cultures?
- What roles do fathers play in models of human evolution?
- To what extent are we similar to, and different from, other primate fathers such as chimpanzees?
- What factors influence whether men become fathers?
- How many men are unknowingly raising children who are not theirs?
- How involved are men with their stepchildren?
- How does fatherhood affect men's sexual behavior and their health?
- Does having children actually rewire men's brains?
The book is written with several audiences in mind. We hope it will be useful in both graduate and undergraduate teaching, as it provides cutting-edge summaries of current research into several dimensions of fatherhood which cannot be found anywhere else. But it is also meant to be accessible to general-interest readers, people who just want to know more about current scientific perspectives on fathers. If any of the questions listed above piqued your interest, you might enjoy this book.
Hardcover:
You can buy Fatherhood in hardcover directly from the publisher, Harvard University Press. You can also buy it from these sites, or ask your local bookstore to order it:
Outside the US:
Paperback:
You can buy Fatherhood in paperback directly from the publisher, Harvard University Press. You can also buy it from these sites, or ask your local bookstore to order it:
News and reviews:
- July 2011: Contemporary Sociology calls the book "a good, accessible, scholarly read, and it is consistently provocative as it wrestles with tough questions that are certain to forever occupy scientific inquiry into human existence."
- December 2010: The American Journal of Human Biology calls Fatherhood "a new ‘go-to’ source for those wishing to learn about evolutionary, anthropological approaches to human and hominin fatherhood"
- December 2010: Ethos has published a favorable review of the book.
- October 2010: Choice has a very enthousiastic review of the book (about halfway down the page), noting that it should be "required reading for all fathers and potential fathers," that it "will become the standard reference for years to come," and that it "will appeal to all levels of readers." Wow!
- 06/25/10: Evolutionary Psychology has published the first review of the book. (And it's positive!)
- 06/18/10: UNLV News Center interviews Peter about the book.
- 06/18/10: News 3 in Las Vegas has a brief video interview with Peter posted on their website.
- 06/18/10: The Book of Odds mentions the book in their discussion of the 100th anniversary of Father's Day.
- 06/18/10: The Harvard University Press blog pushes the book.
- 06/17/10: Seven Magazine (Las Vegas) has an interview with Peter.
- 06/16/10: Dadwagon has a brief appreciation of the book.
- 06/16/10: Parenting Science discusses the evolution of fatherhood, and mentions the book.
- 06/14/10: Peter has a Q&A about the book in the Boston Globe.
- 06/14/10: I have a Q&A about the book in the Huffington Post.
- 05/25/10: I've written a guest blog entry for Psychology Today (on the fertility of older women) that touches on many topics (fertility patterns, repartnering, stepfamilies, reproductive assistance technology) that we discuss in more detail in the book.
- 05/09/10: The Chronicle of Higher Education has run an extract from the book, adapted from the Introduction and Chapter One. (The title, Darwin's Daddies, comes from their
editors, not the book.)
Last updated: 03-21-12