These books are informative, accessible, and helpful without being preachy. Dr. Breuning finds a balance between nurturists (socialization is all) and naturists (genes are destiny). She explains how mammals are capable of learning a wide range of behaviors, but in a manner patterned by their inherited mammalian brains. She identifies basic drives that motivate and deter mammals, including ourselves. She even tells us how to acquire better habits by exploiting our own natural neurochemicals and laying down new neural pathways for ourselves.