If You're Curious About These Questions...
You should listen to this audiobook
- Have you ever wondered why human beings have spent thousands of years intentionally impairing themselves with alcohol, and what evolutionary advantage it could possibly provide?
- Did you know that getting drunk might have been the secret catalyst that allowed our ancestors to transition from small tribes into creative, communal, and cultural civilizations?
- What if the key to solving the social and creative challenges of the modern age lies in understanding the ancient, primitive reasons why we still reach for a drink?
Listen to Drunk — Free Audiobook
Key Takeaways from Drunk
- Discover why humans evolved to get drunk, using alcohol to intentionally impair the prefrontal cortex so we can better connect and get along with others.
- Understand why scientists are wrong to dismiss drinking as a mere evolutionary 'hijack' or 'hangover' that serves no real purpose for our species.
- Learn why the popular 'drunken monkey' theory is flawed, as evidence shows that wild primates and early humans actually preferred ethanol-free fruit.
- Find out why evolution hasn't eliminated our drive to drink over tens of thousands of years, proving that alcohol consumption isn't just a biological accident.
- Explore how our extreme ecological niche relies heavily on culture and cooperation, suggesting that the social benefits of alcohol must massively outweigh its devastating physical costs.
Learning Tools
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Mind Map
Quiz — Test Your Understanding
Drunk — Full Chapter Overview
Chapter 1: Recommendation
Chapter 2: Why do humans get drunk? Hijack or hangover?
Chapter 3: Why do humans get drunk? It isn’t an accident.
Chapter 4: Why do humans get drunk? Because our extreme niche imposes uniquely demanding conditions on us.
Chapter 5: Why do humans get drunk? It helps us reach our communal side.
Chapter 6: Why do humans get drunk? It helps us become creative.
Chapter 7: Why do humans get drunk? It boosts social unity, helping early humans build civilization together.
Drunk Summary & Overview
Drunk (2021) is a scientific and historical inquiry into the evolutionary reasons why humans started getting drunk. Drunk examines how inebriation helped our ancestors evolve into creative, communal, cultural beings, and considers whether or not alcohol is an appropriate tool for the modern age.
In the audio version of these blinks, you'll hear "Also Sprach Zarathustra," composed by Richard Strauss, made available under a Creative Commons Attribution license by Kevin MacLeod. Thanks, Kevin!
Who Should Listen to Drunk?
- Anyone who drinks
- People curious about human behavior
- Anyone interested in evolution
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