Behave cover art

Behave

Preview

£0.00 for first 30 days

Try for £0.00
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Behave

By: Robert M. Sapolsky
Narrated by: Michael Goldstrom
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £16.99

Buy Now for £16.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

The audiobook edition of Behave by Robert Sapolsky, read by Michael Goldstrom.

The New York Times best seller.

Winner of the 2017 LA Times Book Prize.

Why do human beings behave as they do?

We are capable of savage acts of violence but also spectacular feats of kindness: is one side of our nature destined to win out over the other?

Every act of human behaviour has multiple layers of causation, spiralling back seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, years, even centuries, right back to the dawn of time and the origins of our species.

In the epic sweep of history, how does our biology affect the arc of war and peace, justice and persecution? How have our brains evolved alongside our cultures?

This is the exhilarating story of human morality and the science underpinning the biggest question of all: what makes us human?

©2018 Robert M Sapolsky (P)2018 Penguin Audio
Evolution History Psychology Genetics Thought-Provoking Mental Health Human Brain Young Adult
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

A Crack in Creation cover art
Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers cover art
Being Human: Life Lessons from the Frontiers of Science cover art
How Emotions Are Made cover art
Testosterone cover art
The Human Spark cover art
The Ethical Brain cover art
The Selfish Gene cover art
The Emotional Brain cover art
Algorithms to Live By cover art
The Righteous Mind cover art
Why Buddhism Is True cover art
TED Talks cover art
Introduction to Psychology: Understanding Yourself and Others cover art
Understanding Complexity cover art
The Blind Watchmaker cover art

Critic reviews

"Awe-inspiring.... You will learn more about human nature than in any other book I can think of." (Henry Marsh)

"One of the best scientist-writers of our time." (Oliver Sacks)

What listeners say about Behave

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    379
  • 4 Stars
    95
  • 3 Stars
    24
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    11
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    324
  • 4 Stars
    72
  • 3 Stars
    15
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    9
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    310
  • 4 Stars
    76
  • 3 Stars
    23
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    10

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Brillant book, covering interesting topics in more detail than other similar books

Covers science in a detailed but yet accessible way. Worth sticking with it because it becomes easier and more enjoyable to read as you go through

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

great book, great narration!

I'm very impressed by the narration! It's not easy to remain entertaining and bubbly on a science book. The book itself is entertaining and bubbly overall but there are some passages that are more technical and still the narration is really easy to listen to. The content is absolutely fascinating!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Not for the Casual Reader

This was a fascinating listen but some of it was way over my head. I think the book is aimed at academics, particularly those concerned with Biology, Psychology and the Social Sciences. It is not for the casual reader!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely fascinating - wish it was longer!

What a listen! I loved every minute of this book and found it absolutely riveting.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Best Book on Neuroscience

Much respect to DR Robert for sharing his Deep knowledge with us and I hope I see more of your great books in future

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fascinating look at behaviour from all angles

I found the approach of the book really interesting - it looks at the causes of behaviour going through different time scales. With this method, it is able to take in lots of academic disciplines that try to explain behaviour. From the initial signals in the nervous system, the hormonal system, through the environment of the individual, to the the genes and to the wider culture. It’s quite a lot to fit in but I think he just about manages it! My only issue is I don’t think he covers enough on human positive action and the psychology of that as I think that is a very important lens through which to see human behaviour. As the author believes free will is something of an illusion I suppose that’s not surprising. Also there are plenty of books out there with this as a focus so I can’t complain. Still a great book!
I found the narrator a bit irritating at first - at 1.2 speed it was much easier to concentrate.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Just brilliant

For anyone interested in how their brain works this is most illuminating.
For anyone interested in how groups, religions, nations work it is even more fascinating.
I’ll have to listen to it again.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A very accessible book on a very complex subject.

Robert Sapolsky writes in an engaging way, yet manages a thorough over view of current thinking on a very complex subject.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Good for curious geeks who drive long distances.

I have been educated. I've read his work before, it's nice to have it read to you.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

life's complicated but interesting

lots of good details sometimes making the point a little obscure.
worh the effort.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!