Behaving
What's Genetic, What's Not, and Why Should We Care?
Kenneth F. Schaffner
Reviews and Awards
"...is human behavior genetically determined? Few people have been thinking about that question for as long, or with as much devotion to the scientific facts and philosophical subtleties, as the philosopher of science, Kenneth Schaffner. In his magisterial, wise, and succinct new book, Behaving, he disentangles its two separate but related components...Schaffner provides a balanced account while never losing sight of what has been and will be achieved by using genetics to explain medical, behavioral, and psychiatric traits--especially if integrated with insights at myriad other levels of analysis, from the genetic and neuronal to the psychological and social." -- Erik Parens for Quillette.com
"a thorough, in-depth discussion of contemporary scientific inquiry into behavior and the philosophical implications of recent discoveries in the field." -- Metapsychology Online Reviews
"The philosophical considerations and history of ideas at the heart of this book offer valuable and illuminating context for readers of contemporary genetic studies of behavioral phenotypes. This is a thoughtful, multifaceted, and nuanced work. In sum, Schaffner offers a brilliantly written and useful volume for learning and teaching about behavior genetics, its assumptions, methods, and findings." -- PsycCRITIQUES