The Human Zoo

Desmond Norris. Stated first American edition, first printing. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1969. Both unclipped dust jacket and hardcover are in  Very Good+ condition. No writing or markings found in the book, 256 pp. 

Desmond Morris’s The Human Zoo (1969) applies the tools of zoology and ethology to modern urban life. Morris argues that cities act like “zoos” for people: they provide security and resources but also create unnatural, stress-inducing conditions that distort human behavior. The book links everyday urban phenomena — crowding, status displays, group rituals, aggression, and anxiety — to our evolutionary past and suggests many modern social problems stem from a mismatch between human instincts and city environments.

A desirable find for collectors of mid-century hardcovers — especially thanks to the intact dust jacket and clean, unmarked interior.