Walker Percy’s "Lost in the Cosmos: The Last Self-Help Book" presents a critique of Neo-Darwinian theory, particularly its difficulties in explaining humanity's complex emergence. He highlights how traditional evolutionary explanations struggle to address the unique traits of humans, such as consciousness, self-awareness, and the capacity for deception and truth-telling.

The author emphasizes that these qualities set humans apart and are not easily reconciled with a strict evolutionary framework. This reflection raises questions about the essence of human existence and challenges the comprehensiveness of scientific theories in fully capturing the nature of the conscious self.