Sex and War: How Biology Explains Warfare and Terrorism and Offers a Path to a Safer World

Anyone interested in understanding human nature, warfare, and terrorism at their most fundamental levels will find Sex and War to be an illuminating work, and one that might change the way they see the world. As news of war and terror dominates the headlines, authors take a step back to explain it all. In the spirit of Guns, Germs and Steel, this book asks the basic questions: Why is war so fundamental to our species? And what can we do about it?

Combining their own experience with scientific findings in primatology, genetics and anthropology, Potts and Hayden explain war’s pivotal position in the human experience and how men in particular evolved under conditions that favored gang behavior, rape and organized aggression. Drawing on these new insights, they propose a rational plan for making warfare less frequent and less brutal in the future.

Authors explores questions from the frontlines, as a witness to war-torn countries around the world. As a scientist and obstetrician, Potts has worked with governments and aid organizations globally, and in the trenches with women who have been raped and brutalized in the course of war.

Table of Contents
Praise
Chapter 1 - SEX AND VIOLENCE
Competition
Team Aggression
Women
Civilization at Its Best
Chapter 2 - THE WAR OF NATURE
Explaining Evolution
Consilience
Chapter 3 - THE MISSING LINK
The Troop
Team Aggression
Outgroups
Hunting
Aggression Within the Group
Honor and Chivalry
Evolution and Choice
Chapter 4 - WE BAND OF BROTHERS
The Joy of War
Camaraderie
Killing
The Reivers and the Hoplites
Boot Camp
Courage
Surrogate Wars
Revenge
Child Soldiers
The Importance of Population Size and Structure
Animal Lessons
A Universal Emotion
Chapter 5 - TERRORISTS
What Is a Terrorist?
Terror Emerges
Suicidal Killings
Gangs
Can There Be a “War on Terror”?
Responding to Terror
Chapter 6 - WOMEN AND WAR WITH MARTHA CAMPBELL
The Battle Between the Sexes
Women on the Firing Line
Sex and War
How Many Children?
Stumbling Toward Solutions
Chapter 7 - RAIDS INTO BATTLES
Fossil Evidence
Archaeological Evidence
Anthropological Evidence
Fighting Back
An Unbroken Chain
Chapter 8 - WAR AND THE STATE
Agriculture and Industry
Despots and Democracy
Bluff and Blunders
Conscription and Coercion
Patriotism
Slavery and Racism
The Cost of War
The Utility of War
Holy Wars
Chapter 9 - WAR AND TECHNOLOGY
Slings, Swords, and Barbed Wire
Symmetrical Wars
War Without Limits
Asymmetrical Wars
Machines and Men
War and Disease
The Pain of War
Chapter 10 - WAR AND THE LAW
“Just” Wars
Civilians and Combatants
War Crimes
Collateral Damage
Reconciliation and Rebuilding
Supranational Forces
Ambivalence and Progress
Chapter 11 - EVIL
The Fall
“Virtuous Citizens Acting in the Name of Righteous Causes”
A World Ruled by Houyhnhnms and Yahoos
“Who Is Willing to Destroy a Piece of His Own Heart?”
Chapter 12 - THE FUTURE OF WAR
Poison Gas
Nuclear Weapons
Germ Warfare
Manufacturing Destruction
The Battle for Resources
Lessons
Chapter 13 - WOMEN AND PEACE WITH MARTHA CAMPBELL
Men Controlling Women
The Fight for Reproductive Freedom
The Central Question
Family Planning, Violence, and National Security
Church and State
Women Waging Peace
The Pill Is Mightier Than the Sword
Chapter 14 - STONE AGE BEHAVIORS IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
9/11
Afghanistan
Iraq
Israel and Lebanon
Darfur
Upstream Strategies
The Haves and Have-Nots
Sense of Scale
“My God Was Bigger Than His”
Connecting the Dots
Chapter 15 - Civilization at Its Best
“If You Want Peace”
Slavery
Women
Reproductive Autonomy
The Sword’s Edge
Unnatural Honesty
To the Reader
References
Index
About the Authors
Copyright