The Social Behavior of Older Animals Book

This is a must read - if you care about the future. It's a "behavioral ecological" approach, i.e. "what a biologist would predict if [they] knew only that here was a smart, upright-walking, highly social primate and *nothing more*." The author asks all the right questions, such as, "What is the impact of the 'global village' --the evolutionary novelty that our actions here and now affect others' lives far away?" She had NO idea! - having wrote the book pre 9/11, pre the social media of today, pre the US election of 2016, and pre the #metoo movement; but, my word! does sex matter - more than ever! Is that possible?
Just a sample - concerning war: "warfare is more common when people in a society perceive unpredictability in the environment ... A strong predictor is the threat of weather or pest disasters. in many societies, capturing women from other groups is a main purpose of war. societies with lots of young adult males are likely to see strife." (p. 220-221)
Concerning over population pressure [the main existential threat to humans] Low posits five current solutions and examines them: 1) The *noble savage* idea. 2) Reduce fertility. 3) Reduce consumption. 4) Ecofeminism. 5) Technology to the rescue.
She warns: "we have unconscious bias, and 'knowing' overt factual information doesn't help as much as we wish."and that "the only strategies likely to work consistently are those that manipulate individual, familial, and reciprocal costs and benefits." (pgs. 253 - 257)
This is a well written, thoughtful study of the present human condition. The text is a mere 258 pages, but with an additional 158 pages of notes, glossary, references, and indexes.
Low is hopeful that we'll "muddle through" the crisis's that we face, me too, but I think with the current movements, and lack of clear understanding of what we're up against [ourselves], and critical thinking - the cost will be far greater, for far more people than she ever imagined.