In a world supposedly governed by ruthless survival of the fittest, why do we see acts of goodness in both animals and humans? This work traces the history of this debate from Darwin. It aims to bring to life the people, the issues, and the passions that have surrounded the altruism debate. "The Altruism Equation is very good popular scientific history. It provides the non-scientist with a digestible overview of a lengthy and sometimes complex development, and offers ample leads to pursue. Most importantly, it brings science to life by showing the personalities of scientists involved as well as the background beliefs which motivated their pursuits. For those interested in jumping into this area of inquiry, there is probably no better book with which to start."---Marc Baer. PhD, Metapsychology Online Reviews