I was working a temporary job at the Cornell Bookstore during their textbook rush when I saw this book. During quiet times I would look through whatever text book caught my interest. This one got me to buy a copy. Hrdy set out to explain how women have always worked in various ways to make sure that their children not only survive, but thrive and rise within their social group. As a consequence of this research, she also clearly shows how mammals, including humans, sometimes ruthlessly, decide if an offspring is viable or not and the way they end thier life. This is a clear view of the evolution of motherhood, looking at human female physiology , non-human mammal physiology, history, economics, social evolution and more. Fascinating. ( )

I loved this book when I read it for some research on motherhood and maternity years ago. Now that I'm a mother, I've been thinking about this book again. Absolutely a great read for anyone interested in new perspectives on the biology of motherhood and the oft-cited maternal instinct. ( )

Evolulutionary biology taking into account the different perspectives of the mother, the father & the embryo/child. Wonderful stuff.
Read Nov 2006 ( )

I was finally motivated to pull this weighty tome down off of the shelf after an intriguing review by my sister of Hrdy's most recent work: Mothers and Others. An anthropologist, Hrdy uses human history, observations of our closest evolutionary relatives, and even social insects to examine what is really the true nature of motherhood. As a feminist, she is perhaps not surprised to find that much of what we have traditionally viewed as natural maternal behavior is in fact wishful thinking.

I found this book incredibly impressive and profoundly influential. Many times I've found both Andrew and I reciting anecdotes and arguments from this book in discussions on gender and parenting. (There were quite a number of sections I just had to read aloud to Andrew.)

Though I didn't always agree with her every point, I look forward to reading other work by Hrdy, and will continue to recommend her far and wide. ( )

A really excellent evolutionary history of mothers and infants. No, not evopsych. The good stuff. ( )