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What is the human obsession with beauty? Why are we irresistibly attracted to certain sets of physical features and attributes? What makes people look in the mirror, bleach their skin or get a tan, or be interested in fashion trends? Nancy Etkoff, PhD, researcher and lecturer at Harvard Medical School, a practicing psychologist, argues that these are not manifestations of spoiltness, materialism, spirituality, vanity or superficiality. Drawing on dozens of scholarly works and the results of hundreds of reputable studies at the intersection of social psychology, sociometry, biology, and physiology, the author explains the clear connections between what people universally consider beautiful and the evolutionary needs of our species.

Tracing the differences in perceptions of beauty, fashion, and sexuality across countries, cultures, eras, and social strata, she notes how preferences are influenced by age, gender, orientation, and social norms, and explains the reasons for these differences. Nancy Etkoff examines virtually every element of human appearance and explains in detail what we invariably try to see and emphasise in ourselves, and what our potential sexual partners, society, and even employers see.

Reviews:

"Compelling and unexpectedly lively…"

— Chicago Tribune 

"In Survival of the Fittest, the latest research is brought together in a synthesis that will convince all but the most ideologically immobilised that sensitivity to beauty is largely deeply rooted in the human brain."

— The Wall Street Journal