ALTHOUGH hormones and evolution largely determine monogamous behaviour in humans and llamas, why is it 鈥渓ove鈥� that keeps humans, but not llamas, together? Peter Cave starts each of his 33 chapters with a hypothetical, philosophical 鈥減uzzle鈥� like this, then analyses it and concludes with a relevant moral or generalisation.
Despite the repetitious format, the puzzles are engaging and most are mentally stimulating. Best of all, many spring to life unexpectedly, triggered by mundane incidents. For example, Cave鈥檚 conundrums manifested themselves one evening as I wondered why Gabriel Faure鈥檚 Requiem melts me, then watched news coverage of the devastation caused by floods in Pakistan, followed by a programme about forced marriages. Channel hopping later, I asked myself: if there is a God, is Big Brother a modern day pestilence?
Do Llamas Fall in Love? 33 perplexing philosophy puzzles
Oneworld Publications