Thinking Big

How the Evolution of Social Life Shaped the Human Mind

By: Clive Gamble, John Gowlett, Robin Dunbar

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Paperback | 18 January 2018

At a Glance

Paperback
240 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
20.2 x 12 x 1.8

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A closer look at social history and the growth of the human brain

When and how did the brains of our hominin ancestors become human minds? When and why did our capacity for language, art, music and dance evolve? This pathbreaking book proposes that it was the need for early humans to live in ever-larger social groups over greater distances?the ability to “think big”?that drove the enlargement of the human brain and the development of the human mind. This social brain hypothesis, put forward by evolutionary psychologists such as Robin Dunbar, can be tested against archaeological and fossil evidence.

The conclusions here?the fruits of over seven years of research?build on the insight that modern humans live in effective social groups of about 150 (so-called “Dunbar’s number”), some three times the size of those of apes and our early ancestors. We live in a world dominated by social networking. Yet our virtual contact lists, whether on Facebook or Twitter, are on average no bigger than Dunbar’s number.

About the Author

Clive Gamble is Professor of Archaeology at the University of Southampton. His publications include Origins and Revolutions: Human Identity in Earliest Prehistory (2007) and Archaeology: The Basics (2007).

Industry Reviews

'An important, provocative essay on human evolution, argued with great eloquence and skill' - Current Archaeology
'A triumph of collaboration, as well as a gripping detective story' - New Statesman
'A dramatic demolition of the "stones and bones" approach to archaeology' - New Scientist
'Retains the Thames & Hudson tradition of thinking clearly, and writing well ... You will not read a more important book this year' - Minerva
'An important piece of work ... anyone with an interest in early human and pre-human society should add to their reading list' - Popular Science Books blog
'Compelling' - The Lady
'`An important piece of work ... anyone with an interest in early human and pre-human society should add to their reading list' - Popular Science Books blog

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