Father Nature

How, then, can we explain modern fathers having the capacity to be highly engaged parents? In Father Nature, James Rilling explores how humans have evolved to endow modern fathers with this potential and considers why this capacity evolved in humans. Paternal caregiving is advantageous to children and, by extension, to society at large, yet variable both across and within human societies. Rilling considers how to explain this variability and what social and policy changes might be implemented to increase positive paternal involvement. Along the way, Father Nature also covers the impact fathers have on children’s development, the evolution of paternal caregiving, how natural selection adapted male physiology for caregiving, and finally, what lessons an expecting father can take away from the book, as well as what benefits they themselves get from raising children, including increased longevity and “younger” brains. A beautifully written book by a father himself, Father Nature is a much-needed—and deeply rewarding—look at the science behind “good” paternal behavior in humans.