Behave

Ever wonder why you just did that? This summary decodes the mystery behind your actions, from the split-second decisions to the deep-seated instincts that shape your life. Uncover the biological forces driving your behavior at its best—and its worst. You'll travel back in time, starting with what happens in your brain seconds before an action, then exploring the hours, days, and even millennia that molded that response. Learn how hormones, genetics, and evolution come together to make you who you are and gain the power to understand human nature itself.

Robert M. Sapolsky is a professor of biology, neurology, and neurosurgery at Stanford University and a MacArthur "Genius" Fellow, making him a leading voice on human behavior. For over thirty years, he has split his time between high-tech laboratory research and primatology fieldwork in Kenya studying baboons. This unique combination of neuroscience and real-world observation gives him an unparalleled perspective on the biological forces that shape our actions, from the microscopic to the social, as explored in his groundbreaking book, Behave.