Identify Books As Sex at Dawn: The Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality
| Original Title: | Sex at Dawn: The Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality |
| ISBN: | 0061707803 (ISBN13: 9780061707803) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Literary Awards: | Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Nonfiction (2010) |
Christopher Ryan
Hardcover | Pages: 400 pages Rating: 4.01 | 21923 Users | 2191 Reviews
Itemize Based On Books Sex at Dawn: The Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality
| Title | : | Sex at Dawn: The Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality |
| Author | : | Christopher Ryan |
| Book Format | : | Hardcover |
| Book Edition | : | Deluxe Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 400 pages |
| Published | : | June 29th 2010 by HarperCollins |
| Categories | : | Nonfiction. Science |
Narration In Pursuance Of Books Sex at Dawn: The Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality
Since Darwin's day, we've been told that sexual monogamy comes naturally to our species. Mainstream science--as well as religious and cultural institutions--has maintained that men and women evolved in families in which a man's possessions and protection were exchanged for a woman's fertility and fidelity. But this narrative is collapsing. Fewer and fewer couples are getting married, and divorce rates keep climbing as adultery and flagging libido drag down even seemingly solid marriages.How can reality be reconciled with the accepted narrative? It can't be, according to renegade thinkers Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jethá. While debunking almost everything we "know" about sex, they offer a bold alternative explanation in this provocative and brilliant book.
Ryan and Jethá's central contention is that human beings evolved in egalitarian groups that shared food, child care, and, often, sexual partners. Weaving together convergent, frequently overlooked evidence from anthropology, archaeology, primatology, anatomy, and psychosexuality, the authors show how far from human nature monogamy really is. Human beings everywhere and in every era have confronted the same familiar, intimate situations in surprisingly different ways. The authors expose the ancient roots of human sexuality while pointing toward a more optimistic future illuminated by our innate capacities for love, cooperation, and generosity.
With intelligence, humor, and wonder, Ryan and Jethá show how our promiscuous past haunts our struggles over monogamy, sexual orientation, and family dynamics. They explore why long-term fidelity can be so difficult for so many; why sexual passion tends to fade even as love deepens; why many middle-aged men risk everything for transient affairs with younger women; why homosexuality persists in the face of standard evolutionary logic; and what the human body reveals about the prehistoric origins of modern sexuality.
In the tradition of the best historical and scientific writing, Sex at Dawn unapologetically upends unwarranted assumptions and unfounded conclusions while offering a revolutionary understanding of why we live and love as we do.
Rating Based On Books Sex at Dawn: The Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality
Ratings: 4.01 From 21923 Users | 2191 ReviewsCrit Based On Books Sex at Dawn: The Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality
A popularizer's polemic against evolutionary psychology vis-a-vis the doctrine and institution of monogamy. The book is well-humored, and the prose reads well. The broad strokes of the argument are difficult to dispute, and I wouldn't want to dispute them. Monogamy earned this ass-kicking--and it is an ass-kicking, a true shellacking, considering the data marshalled in support, as well as the motion-for-summary-judgment style of pointing out a lack of support for the opponent's essentialMy friend found this book intriguing. Couldnt put it down, he says. I couldve probably put it down, but I promised him I would read it and read it I did. In Sex at Dawn, Christopher Ryan lays down a slew of what he believes to be persuasive arguments for our prehistoric ancestors being sexually promiscuous. Considering that we are most closely related to the bonobo (a pygmy chimp) in the evolutionary sense, he draws parallels between the bonobos behavior and anatomical particularities to those
Sex at Dawn: The Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality, Christopher RyanSex at Dawn: The Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality, is a 2010 book about the evolution of monogamy in humans and human mating systems by Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jethá. In opposition to what the authors see as the "standard narrative" of human sexual evolution, they contend that having multiple sexual partners was common and accepted in the environment of evolutionary adaptedness. The authors contend that mobile,
Phenomenal mind opening book about the true origins of our societies typical view of sex and monogamy. Also delves into the topics of war and jealousy and if those are indeed innate traits of humans. The facts show they are not. As with many beliefs that are just mindlessly accepted by so many people this points out that many things are not what they seem. And that we as a people need to have the courage and strength to think for ourselves and to continually question and learn for ourselves. The
This book makes one depressed about the human race from agriculture on. However, it kind of awesomely doesn't make me feel like a slut, proving (through science!) how our anatomy developed and how we, as humans, were made to have sex with many different people. Sometimes all at once. With chocolate sauce. Kidding about the chocolate sauce.Really, the book goes over our closest relatives, and then discusses common beliefs about the human race, and proves or disproves some of those beliefs. It's
Look, the writers of this intensely popular book don't need my help, and certainly won't be bothered by my disapproval, so I offer my opinion here mostly in the interest of hearing myself talk. This is a really well written book that does a great job of confronting titillating issues head on, with honesty and humor and giving us an unflinching look at our sexual history - by which I really mean our primatological history - a look at how we boinked in our pre-agricultural past.From a primatology
I feel completely cheated...This review is directed more towards people who have already read Sex at Dawn, and to the authors. But hopefully this will be of use to new readers as well.I'll start by saying that when I first read Sex at Dawn I was blown away. This book completely changed my view of monogamy, sex, and relationships. It sparked this new openness and acceptance in me, and I will say had a very positive impact on my relationship. I thought here was the book that everyone NEEDS to
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