A (Brief) History of Vice: How Bad Behavior Built Civilization

In this multifaceted study of human vice, Evans, an editorial manager of irreverent trivia website Cracked, tests some seemingly bizarre theories about the relationships between behaviors often considered vices and the development of human societies to see whether they hold water. Surprisingly, many do. The premise sounds like a thin excuse to engage in boneheaded, slapstick behavior (and ingest some illegal substances), but Evans interviews experts and digs through reams of research to validate his theories and show readers that humans have been engaging in all sorts of weird, wild activities to let loose for millennia. For example, in order to see whether Stonehenge might have been the world's first disco, he stages a music performance at a replicated Stonehenge; the acoustics turn out to be amazing. He drinks a horrific-sounding, yet functional, concoction of his own urine, garlic, and wild tobacco to replicate the Mayan cure for constipation. And to sustain himself during a marathon, Evans whips up a Neolithic energy snack that combines ghee, coffee beans, and coffee cherries%E2%80%94and turns out to be useful and delicious. Evans's goal is to investigate and illuminate the human tradition of merriment and debauchery, which he does with tact, humor, and insight. Agent: Byrd Leavell, Waxman Leavell Literary. (Aug.)