Why Men?

Nancy Lindisfarne was an anthropologist who studied and taught at SOAS University of London. Her books include Afghan Village Voices. Jonathan Neale is an historian and professional writer. His most recent book is Fight the Fire: Green New Deals and Global Climate Jobs.

'The evidence Lindisfarne and Neale present is eye-opening and eclectic. … Why Men? is conceived as a tonic against popular grand histories of humanity … whose naturalising of inequality the authors chastise, together with their purportedly related neoliberal politics. … [A] refreshing book.'

• INTRODUCTIONPART ONE: THE EVOLUTION OF EQUALITY 1] The parable of the Australian Toilet Frog 2] Domination and competition among gibbons, baboons, gorillas, 3]. . . . chimpanzees and bonobos. 4] Humans became equal by sharing meat, 5] . . . sharing childcare, 6] . . . sharing orgasms, 7] . . . and overthrowing the domination of bullies. PART TWO: THE INVENTION OF INEQUALITY 8] Agriculture, predatory elites and class 9] Naturalizing inequality 10]. The power and danger of crossing boundaries 11] Why men? 12]. Salmon, pigs and surplus PART THREE: HUNGER GAMES AND RESISTANCE 13] Who will die with him? 14] The courage and clothing of Joan of Arc 15] Inequality at Cahokia and equality on the Great Plains 16] Racism and gendered violence, or how not to know things 17] Mutiny in a time of revolution 18] The gendering of torture at Abu Ghraib PART FOUR: APOLOGISTS FOR INEQUALITY 19] Darwin, racism and sexual selection 20] Engels, Social Darwinism and colonialism 21] Chagnon, Pinker and war PART FIVE: THE LOVE KNOT 22] Equality among rebels in the mountains and forests ENVOI Acknowledgements Notes Bibliography Index