At once a pioneering study of evolution and an accessible and lively reading experience, <b>The Mating Mind</b> marks the arrival of a prescient and provocative new science writer. Psychologist Geoffrey Miller offers the most convincing&#8211;and radical&#8211;explanation for how and why the human mind evolved. <br><br>Consciousness, morality, creativity, language, and art: these are the traits that make us human. Scientists have traditionally explained these qualities as merely a side effect of surplus brain size, but Miller argues that they were sexual attractors, not side effects. He bases his argument on Darwin&#8217;s theory of <i>sexual </i>selection, which until now has played second fiddle to Darwin&#8217;s theory of <i>natural </i>selection, and draws on ideas and research from a wide range of fields, including psychology, economics, history, and pop culture. Witty, powerfully argued, and continually thought-provoking, <b><i>The Mating Mind</i></b> is a landmark in our understanding of our own species.