Humanity on a tightrope : thoughts on empathy, family, and big changes for a viable future / Paul R. Ehrlich and Robert E. Ornstein.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 167-171) and index.

part 1. Connecting with others: the evolution of humanity, families, and empathy -- On a tightrope -- Empathy, and "us" family members versus "them" -- The seeds of family values and how they sprouted -- The evolution of "them" -- pt. 2. Changing our mind and changing the world we made -- The neuropsychology of "us": the more alike we are, the more we like -- It's all us now: closing the culture gap and building a global family -- The beginnings of a new stage in history -- Getting to "alike" one another -- Revitalizing empathy and staying on the tightrope -- Appendix : Going further : reading, informing, acting.

Focusing on what families and family values are, the authors argue how viewing the world population as one big family will lead to a more sustainable civilization.