"This book is about the development of personality from an evolutionary perspective. The focus is mainly on personality traits, so let me start by discussing basic issues involving traits. This book consists mainly of my perspectives on various aspects of personality. For example, I have a particular approach to the role of evolution in personality, to temperament, and to the self. However, other perspectives must be respected, and they are offered in summary form at the end of chapters, starting with Chapter 3. My conceptions and those of others are complementary and therefore offer a more complete understanding of major areas of personality. The book closes with an epilogue, a summing up and integration of what has gone before"