Product Description

Building on the success of their groundbreaking anthology Evolutionary Medicine (OUP, 1999), Wenda R. Trevathan, E. O. Smith, and James J. McKenna provide an up-to-date and thought-provoking introduction to the field with this new collection of essays. Ideal for courses in evolutionary medicine, medical anthropology, and the evolution of human disease, Evolutionary Medicine and Health: New Perspectives presents twenty-three original articles that examine how human evolution relates to a broad range of contemporary health problems including infectious, chronic, nutritional, and mental diseases and disorders. Topics covered include disease susceptibility in cultural context, substance abuse and addiction, sleep disorders, preeclampsia, altitude-related hypoxia, the biological context of menstruation, and the role of stress in modern life. An international team of preeminent scholars in biological anthropology, medicine, biology, psychology, and geography contributed the selections. Together they represent a uniquely integrative and multidisciplinary approach that takes into account the dialogue between biology and culture as it relates to understanding, treating, and preventing disease. A common theme throughout is the description of cases in which biological human development conflicts with culturally based individual behaviors that determine health outcomes. Detailed, evidence-based arguments make the case that all aspects of the human condition covered in the volume have an evolutionary basis, while theoretical discussions using other empirical evidence critique the gaps that still remain in evolutionary approaches to health.
Evolutionary Medicine and Health: New Perspectives features an introductory overview that covers the field's diverse array of topics, questions, lines of evidence, and perspectives. In addition, the editors provide introductions to each essay and an extensive bibliography that represents a state-of-the-art survey of the literature. A companion website at www.oup.com/us/evolmed offers a full bibliography and links to source articles, reports, and databases. Written in an engaging style that is accessible to students, professionals, and general readers, this book offers a unique look at how an evolutionary perspective has become increasingly relevant to the health field and medical practice.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #230671 in Books
• Published on: 2007-11-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 544 pages

Review

"This is a wonderful addition to Evolutionary Medicine, and both fill a unique niche. These are the best examples of why evolution is so pertinent to contemporary medicine. The chapters are provocative and force students to think in new ways. In some chapters, standard practice is turned on its head. We need future health practitioners to be thinking outside of the box. This book is an incredibly important contribution to the literature."--Joan Stevenson, Western Washington University

About the Author
Wenda Trevathan is a Biological Anthropologist at New Mexico State University. E.O. Smith is a Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Emory University. James McKenna is Edmund P. Joycs Chair in Anthropology at the University of Notre Dame.

Customer Reviews

Very Interesting
A great collection of works some of the articles in this book have changed how I live my life. Nicely put together. Highly recommended.

Good cutting edge stuff, but more theory than fact.
The book has to be more about theory than fact, though. Evolutionary medicine is a field with so many brand new insights that they have yet to be tested to any great degree. Definately good stuff in this book though.