The WEIRDest People in the World. Book Summary

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Joseph Henrich

What’s inside

Joseph Henrich explores how Westerners developed a unique psychological profile that fostered their dominance and shaped global culture, laws, and institutions.

You’ll Learn

  • Understanding the evolution of Western society
  • Gaining insights into the psychological differences across cultures
  • Exploring the role of religion in societal development
  • Analyzing the impact of psychological diversity on global affairs

Key Points

  • The psychological uniqueness of Westerners
  • The historical origins of Western individualism
  • The role of the Catholic Church in shaping Western psychology
  • Kinship intensity and its societal impacts
  • The WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic) acronym unpacked
  • The global spread of WEIRD psychology and its consequences

Who’s it For

  • Psychologists
  • Anthropologists
  • Economists
  • Sociologists
  • Historians
  • Culture Enthusiasts

About the author

Joseph Henrich is a professor of human evolutionary biology at Harvard University known for his interdisciplinary research on cultural evolution.