I came across this book accidentally, and am delighted that I did. It is a well written, easy to read, and thorough treatise on the creation of moral human beings from the combined effects of nature AND nurture. This book should be required reading for all who are, or intend to become, parents as well as anyone who has to deal with other people in life. In other words, everyone can benefit from the understanding that we are our brains, and our brains are what we were born with PLUS EVERYTHING we experience. The title Hardwired Behavior might scare off some who would assume that the position of the book is to declare that each of us is nothing but a prewired, and therefore predestined, machine. But that is not Tancredi's point at all. The Hardwired is at a macro level for all humans - the basic human "instincts." It is the case that, due to the diversity of the reproductive process, there is great diversity in each individual's hardwiring, but Tancredi makes it very clear that that initial hardwiring is extremely plastic, so that early experiences are critical in establishing the "hard" part of the wiring. Even as adults there is still much plasticity, but it becomes more hardwired the older we get. The book also gives a good overview of the history of morality, its definitions over time and its probable evolutionary origins.

Bottom line, the book is an excellent blend of philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, social science and law, with examples of real world cases Tancredi has been involved in.