Human Jungle : an Intriguing look at how we have adapted to cope with city life / Stanton P.Newman and Susan Lonsdale

includes bibliographical references

"Over the last hundred years, life in the city has changed beyond recognition. We glide on escalators, drive on crowded roads, communicate via faxes and fly above the sea at extraordinary speeds, chatting and sipping drinks as we go. Our great-grandparents would find our lives incomprehensible and yet we have developed rituals and unspoken rules to oil the wheels of city life." "Should you deliberately choose to break these unspoken rules, especially in a confined space, the results are fascinating. Human Jungle reveals what happens for example, when someone gets into a lift and not only stands facing the rear but also smiles at a stranger, says 'hello' and asks if he/she is feeling well." "To those on the receiving end, such behaviour is threatening because it violates their personal space, that zone around us of just a few feet which we feel we own and will defend, if necessary. Psychologists have mapped this space and found it to be oval shaped extending further in front and behind us than at the side of our bodies." "In a large crowd, such as a sports event, it takes considerable skill to avoid conflict over personal space. At some events crowds are part of the enjoyment and we are happy to suspend our rules about personal space. Luckily, whether or not we are aware of it, we are all experts in the use of sophisticated 'recognition ceremonies' which enable us to share space with others successfully." "The confirmed city dweller has not only developed new rules to deal with life in a crowded world, but has adapted to thrive on the city's excitement and variety. For this new breed of human, homo urbanus, country life is not an attraction and mainly represents boredom and limited choice