Book Review

Book Review

Introduction

For the Book review, I have chosen the book, Beyond revenge: The evolution of the forgiveness instinct, by McCullough, M.E. The writer is a social psychologist who researches actively on the aspect of forgiveness. His book, Beyond Revenge: The Evolution of the Forgiveness Instinct, talks about a new aspect of the comparative research regarding aggression by highlighting how the natural mechanisms help in keeping the aggression in control and make right the damaging consequences because of aggression.

Discussion

In this book, we are presented with several immediate and final causes of normative patterns of forgiving and revenge seeking, although the writer has not really emphasized much on the development and the phenotypic plasticity in forgiveness or vengefulness. In his book, McCullough does not look for a forgiveness gene; instead he talks about the broader picture of evolutionary influences that are associated with kinship and cooperation.

In the beginning of the book, the writer emphasises on revenge and says that revenge can help in putting off the aggressors from engaging in aggressing again and warn to would be aggressors against it. It also helps in setting straight the free riders. About All of this he talks about in the third and forth chapter through stories of costly punishments and blood revenge, acts of vengeance and retribution towards those individuals who do what they are required to do in their end of the bargain. In the fifth and the sixth chapter he talks directly about forgiveness. According to the writer, the context that matters is our small group of trusted connections and it is forgiveness that helps us to create a social environment where we can take advantage of direct reciprocity. (pp 106)

After that, the writer talks about the relationship between forgiveness and reconciliation, emphasizing on the substantial evidence of reconciliation. He goes on ...