Publisher's Synopsis
A pioneering anthropologist takes readers on a journey through the rich tapestry of human ritual—showing how and why our most irrational behaviors are a key driver of our success.
'Xygalatas is a brilliant polymath ... An important intellectual contribution and a true delight to read' - Paul Bloom, author of Against Empathy
Ritual is one of the oldest, and certainly most enigmatic, threads in the history of human culture. It presents a profound paradox: people ascribe the utmost importance to their rituals, but few can explain why they are so important. Apparently pointless ceremonies pervade every documented society, from handshakes to hexes, hazings to parades. Before we ever learned to farm, we were gathering in giant stone temples to perform elaborate rites and ceremonies. And yet, though rituals exist in every culture and can persist nearly unchanged for centuries, their logic has remained a mystery - until now.
In Ritual, pathfinding scientist Dimitris Xygalatas leads us on an enlightening tour through this shadowy realm of human behaviour. Armed with cutting-edge technology and drawing on discoveries from a wide range of disciplines, he presents a powerful new perspective on our place in the world. In birthday parties and coronations, in silent prayer, in fire-walks and terrifying rites of passage, in all the bewildering variety of human life, Ritual reveals the deep and subtle mechanisms that bind us together.
In the early 1960s most ethologists maintained that personality, decision making, emotions, and culture were unique to humans, but chimpanzee research helped to dispel that arrogant thinking. And now Dimitris Xygalatas shows that rituals are not confined to humans but are present in many mammals, birds, and even insects. This is a fascinating well-researched book about a fascinating subject. You will learn a lot. ― Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger of Peace
The great mystery of human behaviour is ritual. How do we explain circumcisions, debutante balls, hazing, royal coronations, and fire-walking? Dimitris Xygalatas is a brilliant polymath and this fascinating book explores this question through a mix of scientific research, evolutionary theorizing, and deep immersion into cultures with gruesome and painful rituals. An important intellectual contribution and a true delight to read. ― Paul Bloom, author of Against Empathy and The Sweet Spot
