THE MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW

Mr. Darwin Misread Miss Peacock's Mind

" In a colorful and engaging work, Merle Jacobs challenges long held assumptions about mate selection in the non-human world. Some of those theories were put forth by Charles Darwin in the mid to late 1800s. Jacobs contends that female attraction to males of a species is motivated largely by a food stimulus, rather than an aesthetic attraction as had been proposed by Darwin. Jacobs questions whether the non-human mind is capable of such abstractions as "beauty," and maintains the female animal mind takes its cues from plain, old-fasioned home economics -- namely, the perceived ability of the male to provide special foods for the female and the young. Jacobs debunks the Darwinian anthropomorphism of ascribing human traits to non-humans. A two-hour video is also available ($19.95) which illustrates and documents Jacob's findings. 'Mr. Darwin Misread Miss Peacock's Mind' is highly recommended reading for environmentalists, naturalists, animal behaviorists, and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in the evolution and behavior of animals within the context of their natural world."

" Mr. Darwin Misread Miss Peacock's Mind reads well and is replete with interesting and original observations gained from years of study and first-hand observations. Prof. Jacobs is to be congratulated for raising interesting and important questions covering a broad range of animal behavior. The book offers a fresh look at some reasons for mate selection, explanations that push the standard party line!"
- Carl Keener, Professor Emeritus of Biology
Pennsylvania State University

 

"Merle Jacobs is a naturalist who looks for answers in field and laboratory with whatever organism, technique, and instrumentation is appropriate to the question. His behavioral and biochemical studies of pigmentation in the fruit fly are an important contribution to the understanding of adaptation and selection. Through revealing glimpses of the intellectual development of Merle Jacobs, one detects in this book the curiosity, excitement, ingenuity, and tenacity that students contemplating a career in science might well see in a role model."
-Calvin Ward, Professor Emeritus Duke University