Drawing on theories and research in evolutionary biology and cognitive psychology, Boyer (collective memory and individual memory, Washington U. , St. Louis, Missouri) claims to have final answers to such questions as why religion matters so much in people's lives, why there are several religions instead of just one, why there are churches and religious institutions, and why religion persists in an age of rational thought. Annotation c. Book News, Inc. , Portland, OR (booknews. com)