The Most Dangerous Animal....

"We used to wonder where war lived, what it was that made it so vile. And now we realize that we know where it lives, that it is inside ourselves"

-Albert Camus, Notebooks, VOL. 3, Entry For September 7, 1939

I have become fascinated by war and the ability that we have as a species to firmly occupy opposing psychological states - at the same time! Humanity is capable of seemingly limitless compassion, but also absolute, devastating violence. It was armed with this curiosity that I began to study war more intently - the blood and guts, twitching bodies, screaming terror and reeking stench of it--not the clean, sterile, whitewashed version of it so popularly portrayed in Hollywood blockbusters - and that self-education continues in earnest with the following book recommendation.

In The Most Dangerous Animal: Human Nature and the Origins of War, David Livingstone Smith sets out to connect the strings of history, to the mountains of biological evidence in support of the idea that "war is nature", and attempts to illustrate just how it is that war is not separate from, but rather an integral part of our evolutionary development. The language is clear, the evidence is presented professionally and the tone is matter-of-fact - this is a book for the casual laymen interested in understanding the evolution of war and how it relates to the development of the human animal. But it is also a book for the academic elite who may be looking for a fresh and truly fantastic organization of known field work, as well as some intriguing theoretical ideas about the subject of war by Mr. Smith himself.

At the very least, what Mr. Smith has offered is a robust explanatory theory of the undoubtedly human penchant for bloodshed and our paradoxical aversion to it. Throughout the book, Mr. Smith gives very detailed accounts of the savagery and brutality that humans have inflicted upon one another throughout our bellicose existence. It is fascinating, and at times heart-wrenching, to read about these events "straight from the horses mouth".

Also of note, is the VERY extensive and VERY excellent bibliography. The bibliography alone is worth the purchase in my opinion.

A couple of reviews for Mr. Smith's book, one of which comes from a man that many of you will probably be intimately familiar with:

"This is the most important post-9/11 analysis of war and it comes none too soon, as hundreds are daily dying and commentators continue to ask why. David Livingstone Smith has provided a cogent answer to the deeper why question of war; not why Iraq? or why Afghanistan? or why Darfur?, but why war at all? Smith's answer - that war is buried deep in our evolutionary past - will be controversial, but his case is irrefutable. We have seen the enemy in the mirror, and until we gather the courage to accept our true nature, men will fight and people will die. Every politician should read this book before deciding on war."

- Michael Shermer

"Here is the unvarnished tale of human gangs, driven by built-in survival mechanisms and an uncanny ability for self-deception, romping through history--raiding, pillaging, terrorizing, waging wars, and committing large-scale atrocities in the name of abstract gods, holy lands, master races, and political systems. David Smith’s rapid-fire account of our uniquely lethal nature makes a mockery of our dreams for peace. We could always try, though, but seeing ourselves as we truly are is a necessary first step. This book shows us how."

- Anouar Majid, author of FREEDOM AND ORTHODOXY: Postcolonial Islam in a Polycentric World

"Deftly combining concepts and analytical skills from traditional philosophy with an impressive grasp of contemporary science in several disciplines, Smith has produced a unique work that is at once chilling, invigorating, enlightening, and ultimately hopeful. Believing that truth is the best medicine, I recommend for every thinking person a full dose of this fiercely argued and deeply insightful book."

- Dale Peterson, author of Jane Goodall, The Deluge and the Ark, and co-author of Demonic Males

In closing, I am by no means a master-reviewer, but I cannot recommend this book enough.