"Is conflict caused by an inherently hostile human nature? Are efforts to promote peaceful co-existence fated to fail? Is the story of human history destined to play out a clash of civilizations, as tensions erupt and escalate around differences in race, religion, culture and ethnicity? These are the questions framing contemporary debate over diversity, immigration, and multiculturalism. The origins, progress and future of human evolution have been a focal point for scientists and scholars seeking solutions to the world's most pervasive problems. Biologists, anthropologists, and sociologists have developed theories to help us to understand, and address, the inherent hostility of human nature. But there has been one noticeable absence in these scientific endeavours: a psychological analysis. This book provides a uniquely psychological perspective on the origins of human nature, the evolution of conflict, and the possible futures for our culture and society. It shows how neuroscience and evolution can help us guide political, cultural and social progress. The Social Brain provides an entirely new perspective on the diversity debate: the idea that it is not simply a matter of what is right or wrong, but that diversity is critical to our very survival as a civilization, and as a species. Diversity doesn't damage our economy: it is the essential element that fuels creativity, innovation and growth. It was what triggered our intellectual evolution and technological progress, and it will be integral to helping us tackle the most pressing social and economic concerns of our time. The good news is that creativity is not some genetic quirk of nature or a God-given gift, bestowed on the lucky few. Scientific studies have begun to reveal the anatomy of this ethereal skill. We now know a great deal about the psychological processes that drive creative cognition, and most importantly, the conditions that enable it to be captured, cultivated, developed and grown. This work provides a tantalizing insight in to the conditions that - if harnessed - could help us all become a Hawking, Da Vinci, Branson or Jobs. This is a book inspired by the basic building blocks of human cognition and one that promises wide-ranging impacts for science and society. It's a book about the scientific studies that reveal a hitherto unappreciated, unexplored but absolutely critical component of the creativity puzzle - our social relationships. All of this evidence suggests that to maximize individual and creative potential we must embrace diversity both in our social and cultural relations and in our personal and professional lives. The Social Brain will show how, when our social environments and social relations take us beyond our comfort zone, when they challenge norms, expectations, ideologies and beliefs, they can awaken our creative potential. It will take a great leap to tie the origins of the modern mind to the evolution of human society - one that provides an entirely new insight into the ingenuity and invention that resides within us all."