The WEIRDest people in the world
Joseph Henrich
6 people recommended it in 5 threads, 2021–2023.
What people on Hacker News said
The WEIRD acronym stands for Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic. The thesis is that the Christian Church inadvertently created modern society by prohibiting polygamy and cousin marriage.
The second book starts from the premises of the first and highlights the strangeness of Western Educated Industrialized Rich Democratic (W.E.I.R.D.) cultural norms.
Both books compelled me to consider the power of culture on human behavior and thinking.
The WEIRDest people in the world: on why societies evolved differently, and why the renaissance happened where it did. A completely new (for me) framework of thought
For a longer review of the book, I liked https://astralcodexten.substack.com/p/your-book-review-the-weirdest-people (disclaimer: I haven't read the book itself).
Where it comes up
- Ask HN: Any interesting books you have read lately? 2023 · 2 recommendations
- Ask HN: What's the best book on religion? 2023 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: Which books have made you a better thinker and problem solver? 2022 · 1 recommendation
- The Best Books on the Great Divergence 2022 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What's the best book you read in 2021? 2021 · 1 recommendation