A Dual Inheritance

It took me a while to get into this book. I almost gave up several times, but I decided to persevere—mostly because it was our book club selection. I always do my best to finish the book; it makes the discussion so much richer.

The author opens with a definition of Dual Inheritance Theory (DIT), developed in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The theory suggests that human behavior is shaped by two interacting evolutionary processes: genetic evolution and cultural evolution. In this framework, culture is defined as information and behavior acquired through social learning.

The story follows Hugh and Ed, who meet at Harvard in the 1960s. They come from vastly different worlds. Ed is a scholarship student who studies hard and believes in his future. His father, a former fighter, scrapes by in a tenement, and their relationship is distant. Hugh, on the other hand, comes from an old, venerable family. He lives off a modest trust fund—not extravagant, but enough for his needs. Ironically, Hugh dislikes both his father and the privileged world he was born into. That shared discontent, I think, is what draws these two men together.

After graduation, Hugh heads to Africa and becomes involved in humanitarian work, while Ed launches a successful investment fund on Wall Street. Their paths diverge, but the question lingers: how much of their success is rooted in genetic inheritance, and how much in cultural influence—or is it the interplay of both?

Overall, I think the author did a great job developing the characters, though I found the book a bit too long for my taste.