Why do we desire one person rather than another as a mate? How are we able to live together in large groups? Why do we react in anger to infidelity? Why do we love music and art? All of these human characteristics are rooted in the distant past, as William F. Allman informs us in The Stone Age Present.

Reporting on cutting-edge ideas from the frontiers of research in such disciplines as anthropology, psychology, linguistics, philosophy, and artificial intelligence - Allman shows how our minds evolved in response to challenges faced by our prehistoric ancestors. And he reveals how our brains continue to harbor that long-ago legacy in the present day.

Scientists speculate that countless problems of contemporary life, from individuals being overweight to nations waging war, result because our "Stone Age minds" haven't caught up with our overcrowded, technologically sophisticated world. Our emotional responses, sexual preferences, and all other aspects of modern-day behavior are still playing out the evolutionary legacy of our ancient ancestors.

But at a time when society is increasingly concerned about values, this book also shows how morality is not the result of arbitrary convention but stems from our need to cooperate, which has been essential to our successful evolution as a species. By a leading proponent of science for the general reader, this illuminating book moves beyond the "nature vs. nurture" debate to provide a challenging and indispensable guide to understanding the ancient origins of our modern psyche.