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Sex at Dawn: The Prehistoric Origins of…
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Sex at Dawn: The Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality (original 2010; edition 2010)

by Christopher Ryan, Cacilda Jethá

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
1,4844512,180 (4.02)28
"A controversial, idea-driven book that challenges everything you know about sex, marriage, family, and society"--Provided by publisher. Since Darwin's day, we've been told that sexual monogamy comes naturally to our species. But this narrative is collapsing. Here, renegade thinkers Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jethá, while debunking almost everything we "know" about sex, offer a bold alternative explanation. 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. With intelligence, humor, and wonder, Ryan and Jethá show how our promiscuous past haunts our struggles over monogamy, sexual orientation, and family dynamics. 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.--From publisher description.… (more)
Member:kbullfrog
Title:Sex at Dawn: The Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality
Authors:Christopher Ryan
Other authors:Cacilda Jethá
Info:Harper (2010), Edition: 1, Hardcover, 416 pages
Collections:Currently reading
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Sex at Dawn: How We Mate, Why We Stray, and What It Means for Modern Relationships by Christopher Ryan (2010)

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» See also 28 mentions

English (44)  Italian (1)  All languages (45)
Showing 1-5 of 44 (next | show all)
2.75 ( )
  Moshepit20 | Oct 8, 2023 |
Maybe I am too german but I do not appreciate the flippant tone of the book. ( )
  iffland | Mar 19, 2022 |
Extremely interesting and entertaining popular science work. Unfortunately the emphasis is on the "popular" as it was written by an English PhD and an MD, and the real experts don't seem so impressed, so I'll knock it down to 3 stars. ( )
  AlexThurman | Dec 26, 2021 |
This was such a fascinating book, for it being non-fiction i finished it surprisingly quick and I recommend everyone should read this book. Its not dry or boring, I promise!

( )
  Joy_Bush | Jul 22, 2021 |
An interesting take on the history of monogamy in humans, our ancestors and our relatives. The important thing to put aside when reading this one is any preconception of ethics or morality. This is a scientific and historical study of how societies have structured societies in different cultures. ( )
  adamfortuna | May 28, 2021 |
Showing 1-5 of 44 (next | show all)
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» Add other authors (6 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Christopher Ryanprimary authorall editionscalculated
Jetha, Cacildamain authorall editionsconfirmed
Davis, JonathanNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Epigraph
Dedication
To all our relations
First words
Forget what you've heard about human beings having descended from the apes.
Quotations
Darwin says your mother's a whore. Simple as that.
Sexual monogamy itself may be shrinking men's balls.
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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Wikipedia in English (4)

"A controversial, idea-driven book that challenges everything you know about sex, marriage, family, and society"--Provided by publisher. Since Darwin's day, we've been told that sexual monogamy comes naturally to our species. But this narrative is collapsing. Here, renegade thinkers Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jethá, while debunking almost everything we "know" about sex, offer a bold alternative explanation. 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. With intelligence, humor, and wonder, Ryan and Jethá show how our promiscuous past haunts our struggles over monogamy, sexual orientation, and family dynamics. 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.--From publisher description.

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Penguin Australia

An edition of this book was published by Penguin Australia.

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