The social conquest of earth / Edward O. Wilson

Includes bibliographical references (p. [303]-326) and index.

[pt.] 1. Why does advanced social life exist? The human condition -- [pt.] 2. Where do we come from? The two paths to conquest ; The approach ; The arrival ; Threading the evolutionary maze ; The creative forces ; Tribalism is a fundamental human trait ; War as humanity's hereditary curse ; The breakout ; The creative explosion ; The sprint to civilization -- [pt.] 3. How social insects conquered the invertebrate world. The invention of eusociality ; Inventions that advanced the social insects -- [pt.] 4. The forces of social evolution. The scientific dilemma of rarity ; Insect altruism and eusociality explained ; Insects take the giant leap ; How natural selection creates social instincts ; The forces of social evolution ; The emergence of a new theory of eusociality -- [pt.] 5. What are we? What is human nature? ; How culture evolved ; The origins of language ; The evolution of cultural variation ; The origins of morality and honor ; The origins of religion ; The origins of the creative arts -- [pt.] 6. Where are we going? A new enlightenment.

From the most celebrated heir to Darwin comes a groundbreaking book on evolution, the summa work of Edward O. Wilson's legendary career.