BOOK EXCERPT : MATT RIDLEY THE RED QUEEN

"Gossip is one of the most universal of human habits. No conversation between people who know each other well - fellow employees, fellow family members, old friends - ever lingers for long on any topic other than the behavior, ambitions, motives, frailties, and affairs of the other absent - or present - members of the group. This is the reason the soap opera is the quintessentially effective way to entertain people.: Matt Ridley