Seabright (economics, Toulouse Sch. of Economics; The Company of Strangers: A Natural History of Economic Life) begins this book with a survey of natural selection and prehistory: how our species became Homo sapiens and what that evolutionary process means for social interaction today, particularly relating to economics and gender. In particular, he examines what has caused the heretofore exclusion of so many women from positions of economic power. He addresses how public policy can and should help bring about societal changes that will allow men and women to work together in the best interests of both genders, as well as the species as a whole. Seabright has outlined his book nicely; at its end, he neatly sums up his conclusions in two short paragraphs. VERDICT The majority of the book is a verbose exposition of the author's theories, with Seabright clearly demonstrating that he has a command of his subject. Well researched and documented, this book is best suited for academics. Seabright is too jargony for a general reader unversed in the social sciences.—Margaret Cardwell, Memphis