A 'kluge' is an engineering term for a makeshift solution, an inelegant construction that somehow works. This is Gary Marcus's analogy for the way the human mind has evolved. Arguing against a whole tradition that praises our human minds as the most perfect result of evolution, Marcus shows how imperfect and ill-adapted our brains really are. They have had to adapt from the environment of our early hominid origins to a complex world in which our penchant for short-term satisfactions is literally fatal. We are prone to rages, addictions and other habits that limit our capacity for rational action in every sphere, from food to politics.
- ISBN10 0571236510
- ISBN13 9780571236510
- Publish Date 5 June 2008 (first published 1 April 2008)
- Publish Status Active
- Out of Print 26 April 2021
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Faber & Faber
- Edition Main
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 224
- Language English