Skip to main content
Withdrawn
Edit position
Edit position

No position recorded yet. Picking a shelf here sets the manual override.

On the origin of stories : evolution, cognition and fiction
Diagnose this book
Open in Vernon Browser

On the origin of stories : evolution, cognition and fiction

by Brian Boyd

No description yet.

Accession 5893 ISBN 9780674033573 Publisher Belknap
Book Images
Reference and live side by side Hover to see live images
Reference
On the origin of stories : evolution, cognition and fiction cover
Live
No live
No live
No live
On the origin of stories : evolution, cognition and fiction cover
No live
TAGS
Curated Derived
Art Communication Culture Education Entertainment Life Sciences Linguistics Literature Science Social Sciences Writing
CONNECTIONS
No connections
State
on_shelf
False
position_updated_at
never
orientation
unknown
Details

Physical

binding_type
Hard Back
dimensions
none captured
spine_text
none captured

Metadata

Book form
LOCATION HISTORY
No location history available for this book.
Vernon snapshot
View live

Frozen copy of Vernon's record from the last sync. Fields tagged → flow back into the Pulse record.

Last synced 2026-05-21 06:24 (2 weeks, 6 days ago)

Identity

name→ title
On the origin of stories : evolution, cognition and fiction
vernon_id
9702
accession_no→ accession_number
5893
vernon_slug
on-the-origin-of-stories-evolution-cognition-and-fiction-brian-boyd

Drives Pulse state

curr_loc_status→ on_shelf
Transit
location_name
Level 2 (Mezzanine)/Phrontisterion/MONA
location_reason
Transit
isbn_issn→ isbn (when valid)
9780674033573

Descriptive

production_date
2009
object_type
Books/Document genres/Information forms/Visual and Verbal Communication
object_status
Accessioned
brief_description
After considering art as adaptation, Boyd examines Homer’s Odyssey and Dr. Seuss’s Horton Hears a Who! demonstrating how an evolutionary lens can offer new understanding and appreciation of specific works. What triggers our emotional engagement with these works? What patterns facilitate our responses? The need to hold an audience’s attention, Boyd underscores, is the fundamental problem facing all storytellers. Enduring artists arrive at solutions that appeal to cognitive universals: an insight out of step with contemporary criticism, which obscures both the individual and universal. Published for the bicentenary of Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of Origin of Species, Boyd’s study embraces a Darwinian view of human nature and art, and offers a credo for a new humanism.

Subjects & people

authors→ author (initial fill only)
Brian Boyd
tags→ tags
Art, Arts, Science, Life sciences, Literature, Philology, Social sciences, Civilisation, Sociology, Communication, Fiction, Evolution (Biology), Biology, Reading, Language arts, Storytelling, Oral interpretation, Oral reading
subject_people
—
subject_objects
—

Cover image

vernon_cover_image_id→ cover_image
20101

Raw Vernon JSON

click to inspect

The source payload behind the snapshot above.
Use ⌘F to search once expanded.
{7 keys}
"slug": "on-the-origin-of-stories-evolution-cognition-and-fiction-brian-boyd"
"opacObjectId": "9702"
"opacCollection": {1 keys}
"opacCollectionId": "1"
"imagesCollection": {2 keys}
"images": [1 items]
"[0]": {5 keys}
"imageId": "20101"
"cssColors": [3 items]
"[0]": {9 keys}
"hex": "000000"
"hue": 0
"rank": 1
"presence": 11.9
"colorName": "black"
"lightness": 0
"colorGroup": "gray"
"saturation": 0
"formattedColorName": "black"
"[1]": {9 keys}
"hex": "dcdcdc"
"hue": 0
"rank": 2
"presence": 85.06
"colorName": "gainsboro"
"lightness": 86
"colorGroup": "gray"
"saturation": 0
"formattedColorName": "gainsboro"
"[2]": {9 keys}
"hex": "808080"
"hue": 0
"rank": 3
"presence": 2.54
"colorName": "gray"
"lightness": 50
"colorGroup": "gray"
"saturation": 0
"formattedColorName": "gray"
"rawColors": [7 items]
"[0]": {6 keys}
"hex": "282524"
"hue": 15
"rank": 1
"presence": 11.9
"lightness": 14
"saturation": 5
"[1]": {6 keys}
"hex": "e8e7e5"
"hue": 40
"rank": 2
"presence": 85.06
"lightness": 90
"saturation": 6
"[2]": {6 keys}
"hex": "8c8886"
"hue": 20
"rank": 3
"presence": 2.54
"lightness": 53
"saturation": 2
"[3]": {6 keys}
"hex": "746b68"
"hue": 15
"rank": 4
"presence": 0.17
"lightness": 43
"saturation": 5
"[4]": {6 keys}
"hex": "a1a3a5"
"hue": 210
"rank": 5
"presence": 0.22
"lightness": 63
"saturation": 2
"[5]": {6 keys}
"hex": "aca4a4"
"hue": 0
"rank": 6
"presence": 0.1
"lightness": 65
"saturation": 4
"[6]": {6 keys}
"hex": "7c7464"
"hue": 40
"rank": 7
"presence": 0.01
"lightness": 43
"saturation": 10
"imageLabels": [10 items]
"[0]": {5 keys}
"count": 426
"score": 95.59
"status": "auto_verified"
"imageLabel": "Bird"
"imageLabelId": 331
"[1]": {5 keys}
"count": 104
"score": 92.19
"status": "auto_verified"
"imageLabel": "White"
"imageLabelId": 668
"[2]": {5 keys}
"count": 2122
"score": 85.45
"status": "auto_verified"
"imageLabel": "Organism"
"imageLabelId": 33
"[3]": {5 keys}
"count": 19411
"score": 81.81
"status": "auto_verified"
"imageLabel": "Font"
"imageLabelId": 12
"[4]": {5 keys}
"count": 244
"score": 81.57
"status": "auto_verified"
"imageLabel": "Beak"
"imageLabelId": 332
"[5]": {5 keys}
"count": 145
"score": 78.32
"status": "auto_verified"
"imageLabel": "Feather"
"imageLabelId": 386
"[6]": {5 keys}
"count": 159
"score": 72.51
"status": "auto_verified"
"imageLabel": "Wing"
"imageLabelId": 535
"[7]": {5 keys}
"count": 11006
"score": 72.22
"status": "auto_verified"
"imageLabel": "Art"
"imageLabelId": 4
"[8]": {5 keys}
"count": 5931
"score": 68.87
"status": "auto_verified"
"imageLabel": "Illustration"
"imageLabelId": 25
"[9]": {5 keys}
"count": 27
"score": 68.69
"status": "auto_verified"
"imageLabel": "Falconiformes"
"imageLabelId": 969
"imageDerivatives": [6 items]
"[0]": {4 keys}
"url": "https://browser.mona.net.au/records/images/large/17024/5e699642928eebc987841ded2f8fbe5cb3c69898.jpg"
"width": "683"
"height": "800"
"identifier": "LARGE"
"[1]": {4 keys}
"url": "https://browser.mona.net.au/records/images/medium/17024/5e699642928eebc987841ded2f8fbe5cb3c69898.jpg"
"width": "342"
"height": "400"
"identifier": "MEDIUM"
"[2]": {4 keys}
"url": "https://browser.mona.net.au/records/images/nano/17024/5e699642928eebc987841ded2f8fbe5cb3c69898.jpg"
"width": "30"
"height": "35"
"identifier": "NANO"
"[3]": {4 keys}
"url": "https://browser.mona.net.au/records/images/small/17024/5e699642928eebc987841ded2f8fbe5cb3c69898.jpg"
"width": "128"
"height": "150"
"identifier": "SMALL"
"[4]": {4 keys}
"url": "https://browser.mona.net.au/records/images/tiny/17024/5e699642928eebc987841ded2f8fbe5cb3c69898.jpg"
"width": "64"
"height": "75"
"identifier": "TINY"
"[5]": {4 keys}
"url": "https://browser.mona.net.au/records/images/xlarge/17024/5e699642928eebc987841ded2f8fbe5cb3c69898.jpg"
"width": "850"
"height": "995"
"identifier": "XLARGE"
"totalImages": 1
"objectSearchScore": 0.31199765
"opacObjectFieldSets": [40 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "accession_no"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "5893"
"[1]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "name"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"value": "On the origin of stories : evolution, cognition and fiction / Brian Boyd"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "title"
"value": "On the origin of stories : evolution, cognition and fiction / Brian Boyd"
"[2]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "other_name"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[3]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "artist_last_first"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "Boyd, Brian"
"[4]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "prod_pri_date"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"value": "2009"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [2 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "earliest_date"
"value": "2009-01-01Z"
"[1]": {2 keys}
"key": "latest_date"
"value": "2009-12-31Z"
"[5]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "prod_pri_date_notes"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[6]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "edition"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[7]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "brief_desc"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "After considering art as adaptation, Boyd examines Homer’s Odyssey and Dr. Seuss’s Horton Hears a Who! demonstrating how an evolutionary lens can offer new understanding and appreciation of specific works. What triggers our emotional engagement with these works? What patterns facilitate our responses? The need to hold an audience’s attention, Boyd underscores, is the fundamental problem facing all storytellers. Enduring artists arrive at solutions that appeal to cognitive universals: an insight out of step with contemporary criticism, which obscures both the individual and universal. Published for the bicentenary of Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of Origin of Species, Boyd’s study embraces a Darwinian view of human nature and art, and offers a credo for a new humanism."
"[8]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "measure_desc"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[9]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "credit_line"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[10]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "curr_loc_status"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"value": "Transit"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "curr_loc_status:"Transit""
"[11]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "ob_status"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "Accessioned"
"[12]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "lender"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[13]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "copyright_owner"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[14]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "copyright_type"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[15]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "copyright_start"
"opacObjectFields": [0 items]
"[16]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "copyright_expiry"
"opacObjectFields": [0 items]
"[17]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "copyright_notes"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[18]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "curr_loc"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "Level 2 (Mezzanine)/Phrontisterion/MONA"
"[19]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "object_type"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"value": "Books/Document genres/Information forms/Visual and Verbal Communication"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "object_type:"Books/Document genres/Information forms/Visual and Verbal Communication""
"[20]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "collection"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"value": "Manager's Reference Collection/Library Office Reference Collection/Library"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "collection:"Manager's Reference Collection/Library Office Reference Collection/Library""
"[21]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "prod_pri_place"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "Cambridge/Massachusetts/United States of America"
"[22]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "prod_pri_publisher"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "Belknap"
"[23]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "physical_notes"
"opacObjectFields": [2 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "xii, 540 pages : illustrated ; 25 cm."
"[1]": {1 keys}
"value": "Includes bibliographic references and index."
"[24]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "language"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "English"
"[25]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "isbn_issn"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "9780674033573"
"[26]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "user_sym_1"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "809.3 BOY"
"[27]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "usual_loc_being"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "Library Manager's office/Level 4/Phrontisterion/MONA"
"[28]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "subject_class"
"opacObjectFields": [6 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"value": "Art/Arts"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "subject_class:"Art/Arts""
"[1]": {2 keys}
"value": "Evolution (Biology)/Biology/Life sciences/Science"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "subject_class:"Evolution (Biology)/Biology/Life sciences/Science""
"[2]": {2 keys}
"value": "Literature/Philology"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "subject_class:"Literature/Philology""
"[3]": {2 keys}
"value": "Fiction/Literature/Philology"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "subject_class:"Fiction/Literature/Philology""
"[4]": {2 keys}
"value": "Fiction/Literature/Philology"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "subject_class:"Fiction/Literature/Philology""
"[5]": {2 keys}
"value": "Storytelling/Oral interpretation/Oral reading/Reading/Language arts/Communication/Sociology/Social sciences/Civilisation"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "subject_class:"Storytelling/Oral interpretation/Oral reading/Reading/Language arts/Communication/Sociology/Social sciences/Civilisation""
"[29]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "subject_date"
"opacObjectFields": [0 items]
"[30]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "subject_event"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[31]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "subject_period"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[32]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "subject_object"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[33]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "subject_person"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[34]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "subject_place"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[35]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "assoc_person"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[36]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "assoc_place"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[37]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "assoc_event"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[38]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "assoc_object"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[39]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "user_sym_9"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"relationshipsCollection": {2 keys}
"relationships": [1 items]
"[0]": {4 keys}
"relatedRecords": [1 items]
"[0]": {3 keys}
"slug": "brian-boyd"
"title": "Brian Boyd"
"relatedRecordId": "11774"
"relationshipId": "object_prod_pri_person"
"relatedRecordType": "person"
"totalRelatedRecords": 1
"totalRelationships": 1
Topics and Themes