Does Cultural Evolution echo Biological Evolution? Jonnie Evans is an enthusiast for this theory and to test his ideas sets out for the American Great Plains to study the evolution of Tepees and much more besides. He is a persuasive and enthusiastic guide and this absorbing book makes us look at human activity with a new eye. Many books on scientific theory can be dull and a struggle to read, fear not – this is a lively – and often very funny narrative, fizzing with ideas – a joy to read.
On the Origin of Tepees Why Some Ideas Spread While Others Go Extinct Synopsis
Adopting the part of a cultural Darwin, science writer and filmmaker Jonnie Hughes goes on a road trip through the exotic American Midwest to observe the natural history of ideas. As he dissects the variation and inheritance of odd bits of culture, he tours the supersized Mall of America and investigates the invention of the cowboy hat. He considers the fashion for low-riding jeans and moustaches, the average 28.99 words in good jokes, the myriad ways to tie shoelaces, why Coke wins the cola wars only when you can see the label, and, naturally, the distinctive features of various tepees. Original, witty, and engaging, On the Origin of Tepees will change how you view your ideas and the world.
Jonnie Hughes is a filmmaker in the BBC Natural History Unit and Head of Development for BBC Earth, where . His documentaries have been shown on the BBC, Discovery, and National Geographic Channel. He studied ecology and evolution at the University of Leeds. He lives in Bristol and this is his first book.
