SURVIVAL OF THE PRETTIEST is the simple title for a comprehensive book on this complex and contentious subject, from the factual details of what makes a face beautiful to the deepest questions about the nature of beauty itself and its place in the human condition. Its aim is to satisfy everyone's insatiable curiosity about beauty, a subject shrouded in mystique, and to provide answers to basic questions guided by cutting edge scientific knowledge rather than myth. Is there such a thing as universal beauty of the human face or body The book will also be full of fascinating facts about the nitty-gritty of beauty. Why do men strive for V-shaped torsos Why do women paint their lips red SURVIVAL OF THE PRETTIEST will not be a political manifesto, though it will discuss the politics of beauty in depth. It will discuss beauty for what it is: an essential and ineradicable part of human nature - and far from a trivial or shallow matter.