If You're Curious About These Questions...
You should listen to this audiobook
- Did you know that for many species in the animal kingdom, eating their own kind isn’t a sign of madness, but a perfectly logical evolutionary strategy?
- Have you ever wondered how cannibalism transitioned from a common cultural ritual to one of the most powerful taboos in human history?
- Are you curious about the specific environmental and biological triggers that could cause cannibalism to make a comeback in our future?
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Key Takeaways from Cannibalism
- Discover why cannibalism is actually a widespread, natural response to environmental factors like overcrowding, rather than just an abnormal reaction to extreme starvation.
- Understand the surprising evolutionary benefits of cannibalism, which can provide accessible nutrition and even accelerate developmental processes in species like the sand tiger shark.
- Learn how stressful conditions such as captivity and limited resources can trigger cannibalistic behavior in familiar domestic animals, including chickens and pet hamsters.
- Find out the major biological drawback of eating one's own species, specifically how it drastically increases the risk of contracting deadly, species-specific diseases.
- Explore real-world modern cases of human cannibalism to uncover how this ultimate taboo still manifests today, including chilling first-hand accounts of what human flesh tastes like.
Learning Tools
Reinforce what you learned from Cannibalism
Mind Map
Cannibalism
Natural Phenomenon+
Evolutionary Functions+
Stressors & Drawbacks+
Modern Human Practices+
The Western Taboo+
Future Resurgence+
Quiz — Test Your Understanding
Question 1 of 7
How did Laurel Fox's research in the 1970s change the scientific understanding of cannibalism in nature?
Question 2 of 7
According to ecologist Gary Polis, why is infanticide the most common form of cannibalism in the animal kingdom?
Question 3 of 7
Why is cannibalism relatively rare among mammals compared to other animal groups?
Question 4 of 7
What is a significant biological drawback of cannibalism mentioned in the book?
Question 5 of 7
What is identified in the book as a relatively common form of cannibalism practiced by some humans today?
Question 6 of 7
According to historian Reay Tannahill, what is a foundational reason for the Western taboo against cannibalism?
Question 7 of 7
Under what circumstances does the author suggest human cannibalism could become more widespread in the future?
Cannibalism — Full Chapter Overview
- 1Recommendation
- 21 — Most people see cannibalism as appalling and unnatural, but research shows it’s actually natural.
- 32 — Cannibalism can serve an evolutionary purpose.
- 43 — Environmental pressures can make cannibalism necessary, though the practice has drawbacks.
- 54 — Real-life cannibals still exist today, and you might even know some.
- 65 — Western taboos around cannibalism may have roots in Christian tradition and storytelling.
- 76 — Though humans developed cultural norms against cannibalism, it could return.
- 87 — Final summary
Cannibalism Summary & Overview
Cannibalism (2017) offers a scientific, historical and cultural approach to the understanding of, well, cannibalism. These blinks explain why animals eat their own, why it’s become so taboo among humans, and why it could come back.
Who Should Listen to Cannibalism?
- Scientists, biologists and sociologists
- Students interested in evolution and cultural taboos
- People who love sci-fi and dystopian fiction
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