Nature Versus Nurture

How much of our identity is shaped by our environments? How much is intrinsic to who we are and beyond the control of external forces? These are ancient questions with complex answers. In this collection we've gathered texts that explore the issue of nature versus nurture from a variety of angles.

The Marvelous Land of Oz

by L. Frank Baum

Publication year 1904

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Hope, Love, Femininity, Gender Identity, Language, Masculinity, Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Plants, Nature Versus Nurture, Objects & Materials, Place, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Beauty, Equality, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Action & Adventure

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The Mismeasure Of Man

by Stephen Jay Gould

Publication year 1982

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Nature Versus Nurture

Tags World History, Sociology, Anthropology, Anthropology, Science & Nature, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Politics & Government

The Mismeasure of Man, by Stephen Jay Gould, is a survey and critique of 19th- and 20th-century theories that posited human intelligence was a fixed and measurable number. Gould argues that mainstream scientists were not immune to the widespread racist and prejudicial beliefs of their time, and that these unconscious biases underlie the history of biological determinism, or the argument that shared human behavior is innate and primarily controlled by biology. Under this argument, social... Read The Mismeasure Of Man Summary

The Monkey

by Stephen King

Publication year 1980

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Nature Versus Nurture, Good & Evil, Family, Coming of Age

Tags Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, American Literature, Classic Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

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The Nature Principle

by Richard Louv

Publication year 2011

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Nature Versus Nurture, Environment

Tags Science & Nature, Education, Education, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Health

In The Nature Principle, journalist and environmentalist Richard Louv calls for action against the nature-deficit disorder, a term he introduced in his bestselling novel Last Child in the Woods. Nature-deficit disorder is the mental, spiritual, emotional and physical detriment caused by a lack of connection with our natural environment. Written in five parts, Louv makes a compelling argument for decreasing the nature-deficit disorder in adults and presents recommendations for how to do so. Louv bases... Read The Nature Principle Summary

The Other Woman

by Sandie Jones

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mothers, Nature Versus Nurture, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Forgiveness, Safety & Danger

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Trauma & Abuse, Modern Classic Fiction

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The Phantom of the Opera

by Gaston Leroux

Publication year 1910

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Death, Loyalty & Betrayal, Art, Safety & Danger, Hate & Anger, Music, Love, Fear, Beauty, Nature Versus Nurture, Justice, Perseverance, Conflict, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Marriage, Good & Evil, Appearance & Reality, Fathers, Gratitude

Tags Classic Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Romance, Gothic Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, French Literature, Historical Fiction, Fantasy

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux is a Gothic mystery novel first published serially in 1910. The novel follows a “ghost” who haunts the Paris Opera and the mysterious incidents attributed to this figure. The characters and the narrator himself try to uncover the secret of this ghost, who is really a masked man infatuated opera singer, Christine Daaé. The novel has been adapted into several formats, most notably a 1925 silent film... Read The Phantom of the Opera Summary

The Queen of Nothing

by Holly Black

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed, Conflict, Forgiveness, Love, Nature Versus Nurture, Fathers, Self Discovery, War, Trust & Doubt

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Gender & Feminism, Leadership, Relationships, Parenting, Trauma & Abuse, Fairy Tale & Folklore

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The Selfish Gene

by Richard Dawkins

Publication year 1976

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Nature Versus Nurture

Tags Science & Nature, World History, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy

In The Selfish Gene, originally published in 1976, author and renowned British evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins expands upon American biologist George C. Williams’s 1966 critique Adaptation and Natural Selection. In his text, Dawkins describes the molecular gene as the fundamental unit of evolution. Through the study of animal behavior, he explores numerous examples of natural selection. Like Williams, Dawkins shares a gene-centric view of evolution. Dawkins also extends Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by investigating... Read The Selfish Gene Summary

The Spirit of Laws

by Montesquieu

Publication year 1748

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Justice, Politics & Government, Nature Versus Nurture

Tags Politics & Government, Business & Economics, Philosophy, Science & Nature, Age of Enlightenment, French Literature, World History, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

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The Sports Gene

by David Epstein

Publication year 2013

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Nature Versus Nurture

Tags Science & Nature, Sports, Psychology, Psychology, Self-Improvement, Health

The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance is a 2013 non-fiction book by David Epstein that investigates the role of genetics in athletics. The Sports Gene became a New York Times best seller and was nominated for the 2014 PEN/ESPN Award for Literary Sports Writing. Epstein, an investigative reporter and a passionate runner, combines data from scientific research, interviews with experts, and biographies and anecdotes of individual athletes to paint a complex... Read The Sports Gene Summary

The Stories Julian Tells

by Ann Cameron

Publication year 1981

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Perseverance, Joy, Loneliness, Childhood & Youth, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Plants, Food, Nature Versus Nurture, Objects & Materials, Family, Fathers, Friendship, Mothers, Siblings, Self Discovery, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Relationships, Coming of Age, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Humor

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The Subjection of Women

by John Stuart Mill

Publication year 1869

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Equality, Marriage, Nature Versus Nurture

Tags Gender & Feminism, Women`s Studies, Philosophy, World History, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics & Government

The book-length essay The Subjection of Women was written in 1869 by John Stuart Mill, an English philosopher known for his progressive, utilitarian ideas. The essay includes four chapters and was published in London by Lonmans, Green, Reader, and Dyer publishers. The Subjection of Women is a persuasive argument, laying out the problem of women’s legal, marital, and societal oppression to show that gender equality is necessary to ensure social justice, improve societal progress, and... Read The Subjection of Women Summary