In The Meaning of Human Existence (Liveright, $23.95) Edward O. Wilson starts at the beginning of it all; that is, somewhere between two to three million years ago, when the first homo habilis, our pre-human ancestors, banded together. He then retraces how that early move toward societies led, over the course of the next few million years, to changes in our cerebral cortex. The impact of communal life has been tremendous, Wilson declares, and he discusses individual and group selection within this template of social organization. His thesis, simply put, is that, “selfish members win within groups, but groups of altruists best groups of selfish members.” The two competing dynamics of natural selection—the good of the individual, and the good of the species—fostered the “genetic chimera” that we are today as creatures built of contradictions: endlessly creative, and at once the victims of selfishness and embodiments of ideals of honor and virtue. Wilson, one of our most accomplished and respected scientists, writes in an engaging, conversational tone. He explores the possibilities of the human mind and the importance of the group as well as considering the place of both in current value systems. This passionate little book presents the biological and evolutionary foundations of our genetic past as the key to understanding our beliefs, behavior, and future.