PRESS & MEDIA
PRESS & MEDIA
Radio interview about my book: "Evolutionology" on "Get The Funk Out" with Janeane Korisky.
-AUTHOR-
Arnie Benn
I am an author of both science fiction & non-fiction:
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Science fiction designed to be fun and engaging, as well as scientifically accurate.
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Non-fiction about human survival instinct, psychology, and our consequent human behavior.
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... with both in service of the evolution of our collective consciousness.
Thank you for considering my work. I believe it to be a contribution worthy of my time, and I hope, of yours as well.
THE ANIMAL IN THE MIRROR
HOW TO MANAGE YOUR ANXIETY & FIND GREATER INNER PEACE
a journey of personal transformation & conscious evolution
WINNER, Speak Up Talk Radio's
International Firebird Book Award (2024)
Winner, Maincrest Media Award (2025)
Winner, FAPA President's Book Award (2025)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Readers' Favorite
"The single most important book to read if you want to understand why
and how you feel what you feel. 'Life-changing' is an understatement."
— New York Times bestselling author Michael Levin
𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐭?
𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐱𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐦 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧, 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐬 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧?
The answer may be older than reason itself.
Beneath the stories we tell ourselves, the human survival instinct is constantly scanning for danger, advantage, belonging, and control. It influences what we notice, what we fear, whom we trust, what we defend, and how we explain our own behavior. We experience its reactions as personal, rational, and freely chosen—even when our biology has already begun making the choice for us.
𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑨𝒏𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒍 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒊𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒓 presents a clear, wide-ranging model of how this hidden system shapes our inner lives, our relationships, and the societies we build. Drawing connections across evolutionary psychology, emotional intelligence, consciousness, and everyday experience, Arnie Benn examines:
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why emotion can overpower logic and fear can feel like truth;
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why anxiety persists even when no immediate danger is present;
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how attraction, attachment, conflict, and emotional soothing are shaped by survival needs;
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why groupthink, conformity, political polarization, and religious division are so difficult to escape;
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how even intelligent and well-intentioned people can lose objectivity;
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and how greater awareness can create real freedom of choice.
The book leads readers through three levels of development:
① 𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 — recognizing what we feel and how our reactions affect us and others.
② 𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐃𝐎𝐌 — understanding why those reactions arise and what our biology is trying to accomplish.
③ 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐂𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐄𝐕𝐎𝐋𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 — learning to place awareness between impulse and action, so instinct no longer runs the show.
This is not a promise that we can eliminate our animal nature. It is an invitation to see it clearly, understand it compassionately, and stop mistaking every automatic reaction for our deepest truth.
When we learn to recognize the animal in the mirror, we gain the possibility of becoming more peaceful within ourselves, more humane toward one another, and more conscious in the choices that shape our lives.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Highly recommended for the curious and the courageous. Five stars."— Literary Titan
ISBN 979-8-8536-2283-8 (paperback)
ISBN 979-8-8546-6510-0 (hardcover)
Reviews:
"Revolutionary in its clarity, calmness, simplicity, and undeniable. Arnie Benn's book, and his TED Talk, cut to the core of how we act and why we act. I've watched his TED Talk dozens of times. And I agree with everything he says there and in this book. No one on earth understands the human animal better."
— New York Times bestselling author Michael Levin
"Highly recommended for the curious and the courageous. Readers who enjoy diving into the deeper questions of human nature, what drives us, and how we can rise above it, will find immense value here. It is not light reading, but it is transformative. Five stars.”
— Literary Titan
Click here to see more reviews on Amazon.com, and please consider adding one of your own.
THE ANIMAL IN THE MIRROR
SHORT READS SERIES — 15-30 mins
Short Reads. Lasting Insight.
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Why do people act this way?
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Why do my feelings take over?
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Why did I just do that?
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Why am I so easily triggered?
1 QUESTION, 1 BOOK
These are not abstract questions. They shape our relationships, decisions, and everyday lives.
The Animal In The Mirror: Short Reads series explores the survival instinct beneath our thoughts, emotions, and behavior — one familiar human problem at a time.
Each focused book is brief enough to read in one sitting, with insight to carry into the next conversation, decision, or difficult moment.
Start with the question that speaks to you.
Currently available on eBook:
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WHY DO PEOPLE ACT THIS WAY? Human Behavior 101
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WHY DO MY FEELINGS TAKE OVER? What Emotion Really Is
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DO I REALLY HAVE FREE WILL? How To Use It When It Counts
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IS THAT YOU THINKING — OR YOUR BODY THINKING FOR YOU? Reasoning vs Rationalizing
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WHY DID I JUST DO THAT? The Two-Question Trace-Back
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WHY AM I SO EASILY TRIGGERED? When The Reaction Is Bigger Than The Moment
Coming Soon:
7. WHY DOES ANGER TAKE OVER? What Anger Is Trying To Protect
8. WHY ISN'T KNOWING BETTER ENOUGH? Why The Body Has To Buy In
9. ...
THE ANIMAL IN THE MIRROR
SHORT READS COMPILATION I
SHORT READS. LASTING INSIGHT.
Why do your feelings sometimes take over?
Why do you act first — and only afterward wonder why?
Why can a small event produce a reaction far bigger than the moment?
What if these are not random failures of character, but predictable outcomes of
the way human beings are built?
This paperback brings together the first six books in The Animal In The Mirror:
Short Reads Series, adapted from and based upon Arnie Benn’s award-winning
book, The Animal In The Mirror.
Using vivid analogies and clear, accessible language, these six compact guides
reveal the hidden processes connecting interpretation, emotion, impulse, reasoning,
and action. You will discover:
• A simple operating model for human behavior
• What emotion really is — and why it can overwhelm thought
• Where free will exists and how to use it when it counts
• How reasoning quietly turns into rationalizing
• Two questions that can trace an action back to its source
• Why present-day moments can awaken much larger reactions
Each Short Read stands alone and can be completed in a single sitting. Together,
they form a concise and practical guide to recognizing what is happening inside
you — while it is happening.
This is about understanding what your feelings are telling you, recognizing when
your body has begun thinking for you, and creating enough space for conscious
choice. Because the better you understand the animal in the mirror, the more
freedom you have to decide what happens next.
In this volume:
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WHY DO PEOPLE ACT THIS WAY? Human Behavior 101
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WHY DO MY FEELINGS TAKE OVER? What Emotion Really Is
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DO I REALLY HAVE FREE WILL? How To Use It When It Counts
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IS THAT YOU THINKING — OR YOUR BODY THINKING FOR YOU? Reasoning vs Rationalizing
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WHY DID I JUST DO THAT? The Two-Question Trace-Back
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WHY AM I SO EASILY TRIGGERED? When The Reaction Is Bigger Than The Moment
Available in Paperback Only.
Individual Short Reads available for eBook HERE.
ISBN: 979-8-19-242495-7
Reviews:
EVOLUTIONOLOGY:
The Power Of Knowing How People Work
TM
Our Instinct, Behavior, & Emotional Intelligence (A Practical Guide)
ISBN-13: 978-1522815075
READER REVIEWS
Evolutionology describes how our survival instinct actually works, how it makes us think and behave, and how to regain control.
Seeing this is a necessary first step in order to increase our emotional intelligence and evolve consciously. Until we do, our inner animal will continue holding the reins and controlling our thoughts and actions, and we will continue to congratulate ourselves on our superiority and correctness, even as our lives and world simmer in quiet desperation around us. Most of us are reacting, not choosing — thinking instinctively and declaring it intelligent.
FEATURING the unique "Evolutionology Quiz."
See how evolved you really are!
Become an Evolutionary!
Join The Evolution Revolution!
"The book is really outstanding. Very, very smart, well researched, and I love the humor and personal touches. I read multiple books at the same time but your book 'took over'."
— Dr Leslie Kelman, Neurologist
Click here to see more reviews on Amazon.com, and please consider adding one of your own.