An upcoming memoir from the famous anthropologist you've likely never heard of has prompted this retrospective on the evidence-based death of the "noble savages" myth. Chagnon's work was still being hotly debated when I was an undergrad back in the '80s. I read some of it back then and I genuinely think his "no, actually, these people suck, and I can prove it" attitude helped shoot some profound cracks through the leftist indoctrination I'd been undergoing up to that point. Liberal arts degree, FTW!