Martin Nowak is Professor of Biology and Mathematics at Harvard University and Director of the Program for Evolutionary Dynamics. In his first book he has chosen to work with bestselling science writer Roger Highfield. Nowak is firmly convinced that along with mutation and selection, cooperation is the major domo behind everything from primordial soup to the galaxies. In other words, "cooperation is the master architect of evolution." Not competition. Here is a concrete example of what he means:
"Human society fizzles without cooperation. Even the simplest things that we do involve more cooperation than you might think. Consider, for example, stopping at a coffee shop one morning to have a cappuccino and croissant for breakfast. To enjoy that simple pleasure could draw on the labors of a small army of people from at least half a dozen countries."
In his explanations for this controversial vision of cooperation, Nowak discusses the link between language, social life, and brain power. He presents five qualities which lie behind the rise of cooperative behavior: direct reciprocity, indirect reciprocity, spatial games, group selection, and kin selection. Whether writing about HIV infection, irregular verbs, the game of Prisoner's Dilemma, colon cancer, or ant colonies; Nowak is consistently cogent. He celebrates the universality of the Golden Rule among different religions as an example of how cooperation can establish new beachheads in this century. We also need to work together to stop the advance of global climate change.
In his speech to accept the Nobel Peace Prize, Al Gore cited an African proverb which says: "If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." Step right up! Today is the day in which you can become a super-cooperator to help save the planet and the future for your children and grandchildren.
