Creatures of Cain: The Hunt for Human Nature in Cold War America

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By Erika Lorraine Milam

Published Dec. 10, 2018

For a period of time during the Cold War, it became common to believe that humans’ success among the species was based on our willingness to murder other humans. Creatures of Cain (Princeton University Press) investigates the cultural conditions that led to the development of this theory, as well as what debunked it.

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PAW's October 2026 cover, featuring a photo of a loaf of challah bread and the headline "The Braids That Bind."
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