Survival Of The Prettiest: The Science of Beauty - Tapa blanda

Erudite, pithy, witty and indeed beautiful, Nancy Etcoff's prose brings sense at last to the study of beauty (Matt Ridley, author of THE ORIGINS OF VIRTUE)

Her writings explore the existence of aesthetic beauty, without placing judgements upon it. Rather she looks at our reaction to it. (Cindy Crawford)

Forget the myths about beauty; it isn't skin deep, or in the eye of the beholder, or "culturally constructed." Our notion of beauty is ancient and universal, embedded in our genes- a Stone Age body scan brimming with information about health and fertility. Nancy Etcoff provides a lucid, authoritative guide to this latest insights of Darwinian science. At last, a book about beauty that won't go out of fashion. (Helena Cronin, author of THE ANT AND THE PEACOCK)

In this fascinating book, Nancy Etcoff makes a compelling argument that our fascination with beauty has deep roots in out genes. As a pioneer in this cutting edge field, she writes with authority, clarity and no little wit. (Dean Hamer, author of THE SCIENCE OF DESIRE)

SURVIVAL OF THE PRETTIEST is the simple title for a comprehensive book on this complex and contentious subject, from the factual details of what makes a face beautiful to the deepest questions about the nature of beauty itself and its place in the human condition. Its aim is to satisfy everyone's insatiable curiosity about beauty, a subject shrouded in mystique, and to provide answers to basic questions guided by cutting edge scientific knowledge rather than myth. Is there such a thing as universal beauty of the human face or body? The book will also be full of fascinating facts about the nitty-gritty of beauty. Why do men strive for V-shaped torsos? Why do women paint their lips red? SURVIVAL OF THE PRETTIEST will not be a political manifesto, though it will discuss the politics of beauty in depth. It will discuss beauty for what it is: an essential and ineradicable part of human nature - and far from a trivial or shallow matter.