Behave
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As Robert Sapolsky says in Behave, “You don’t have to choose between being scientific and being compassionate. ”Turns out you also don’t have to choose between engaging writing and textbook-level detail. Starting with what causes an individual’s behavior in the moment - what neurons are fired or pathways triggered - Sapolsky slowly lengthens his focus. He first reached back in time, looking at what impacts our decisions in the days, months, or years leading up to them. He stretches back generations to the dawn of humanity. You’d think once Sapolsky covered the whole timeline he’d call it good but no - instead he widens the focus, starting with the first hints of civilizations all the way back to how modern day familial, social, and governmental structures impact how decisions are framed and made.
To be clear, this book is dense. If it isn’t used in
college classrooms yet I’m sure it’s only a matter of time. But Sapolsky structures it well, consistently explaining a new concept first at a high level then giving a brief aside on how much to skim if you aren’t interested in digging into the details for that topic. This was probably the neatest structure I’ve ever seen in a nonfiction book, and it flowed perfectly.
Behave is a great read for anyone who enjoys history, biology, or sociology (any I missed?). The sheer quantity of information is balanced out by Sapolsky’s consistent dry wit. I listened to this as an audiobook and found myself giggling far more than I would have expected given the subject material.
Figuring out what to pair this with was an unexpected challenge - I wanted to link the drink back in with anger as that’s one of Sapolsky’s main points of focus. But anger is connected to… all alcohol. So in the end I decided to just pair this with my current favorite cocktail - and it’s one I made up!
Yuzu Ginger G&T
Ginger Gin (2 Fat Guys Spirits)
Lime & Yuzu Tonic water (Fevertree)
Splash of lime
Fill lowball with ice at least halfway. Add gin to the top of the ice or the halfway point of the glass. Fill the rest of the way with the tonic water. Add lime to taste and stir gently. The gin has a distinct but not overpowering ginger flavor, so its been fun figuring out the best flavor pairings to spruce up my usual G&Ts.
