When it comes to the topic of gender,
Mother Nature’s been having some fun.
Take nothing for granted! Remember,
You won’t find any rules -- not a one!

And not just regarding gender (where, by the way, there are more than two) -- Dr. Tatiana's Sex Advice to All Creation shows that species are coloring outside the lines in every aspect of sex, including seduction; mating; fertilization; monogamy and promiscuity; nesting and child-rearing ... proving that anything that leads to propagation of the species (and explaining why it does) is fair game for an evolutionary adaptation.

In an advice-column Q&A, fretful letters submitted by anthropomorphized insects, fish, reptiles, birds and mammals are answered by Dr. Tatiana (aka evolutionary biologist Olivia Judson), in a voice that’s an amusing blend of Dr. Ruth with Miss Manners. An assertion that damselflies have evolved “some of the fanciest penises around” caught my attention early on, and nature’s inventiveness just got more interesting from there. The content is surprisingly substantive, and the light style keeps it terrifically accessible. ( )

This book was delightful--not a word I put to books very often but there you go. Lots of interesting little vignettes, generally quite well connected to the larger evolutionary picture, humorous but not condescending or stupid. It did get a little too cute for me at times, and I did find myself wishing for a deeper discussion in parts, but I was a biologist in another life. Anyway, had it focused on deep and detailed discussions, it wouldn't have been the remarkably fun read that it was, and while there are lots of very good writers in this genre, there aren't tons of remarkably fun reads. I'll be watching for her next book. ( )

A great look at the evolutionary biology of sex, presented as a collection of newspaper advice columns where “Dr. Tatiana” answers questions sent in by everything from slime-molds to vertebrates. Judson keeps the pace lively and the writing humorous, mixing the exposition of the gobsmackingly weird mating behaviors found throughout the animal world with our current understanding of the evolutionary principles that give rise to them. If you’re designing aliens for your science fiction setting, this book is full of inspirational material (in the vein of the Alien Sex panels given at local science fiction conventions by SF author and physical anthropologist Patricia MacEwen). This book could also be a good way to liven up the study of biology for a high school student with a dry textbook; if you have more academic pursuits in mind, there’s an excellent set of references in the back. ( )

This was just plain fun. I won't remember many of the details, but just getting an overview of the wide and wonderful variety of ways that different species manage their reproductive life was an eyeopener. ( )

OK, if you only have time for one book in your busy schedule on evolutionary biology, choose this one. You are not likely to regret it. Who could have imagined there are so many ways to have sex? Goodness! Part sex manual, part just pure fun, this book is a gem that will make you extremely popular around the water cooler at work for the time it takes you to read it. This book has definitely made my list as one of the best this year. Well done, Dr. Tatiana. I can't wait for the sequel. ( )

A fantastically entertaining read: witty and clever, packed with information, and sometimes outright hilarious. All about the fascinating sexual biology of all sorts of creatures... fascinating and sometimes a wee bit disturbing. A terrific science book, even for those who don't like science, methinks. ( )

I LOVE this book! It is full of all kinds of arcane and interesting - and fun! - facts that never seem to make it into the Discovery channel and National Geographic documentaries, and really stretches the imagination. Males that bear children? Females with penises? Species with not 2, but 3 genders? It's all true - and this book explains how it came to be so. For the most part, the language is very down-to-earth and not dry or overly-scientific (with a few exceptions, particularly towards the end). I would still recommend this book to any ammature nature buff, though. ( )

Disclosure statement: Olivia is a friend of mine (although I'd only met her once when I read and fell for this book). Evolutionary biology, and more particularly the biology of sexual (and sometimes asexual) reproduction made simple. And funny, and engaging, and endlessly fascinating. A great read, even if you're a praying mantis. ( )

hilarant et passionnant. ( )

Absolutely hilarious! Sexual selection and evolution of sex are considered in very humorous yet scientific way. The writer really has sense of humour and she knows what she is writing about. I highly enjoyed this book. ( )

-> Full review

Dr. Tatiana sheds a delightful light on relationships ;) Among the things we learn:

"Even rams, who supposedly hold sperm reserves for ninety-five ejaculations (a typical man holds enough for one and a half) soon find their sperm counts going into freefall."
So all those fictional Regency rakes whose lives are a 24/7 tour de screw? Probably infertile.

"Spontaneous abortions are more likely when couples match at particular MHC genes…. In a number of "smelly T-shirt" experiments people consistently prefer the smells of those whose genes… are different from their own."

Does beer breath work the same way? Some guys smell delish with a pint in them. Some are too rank to share a cab with. ( )

Hilarious, educational, and unlike anything you've ever read before. Everything you ever wanted to know about insect sex. For example, "Dear Dr. Tatiana, I'm an European praying mantis, and I've noticed I enjoy sex more if I bite my lovers' heads off first. It's because when I decapitate them, they go into the most thrilling spasms." While you're reading this you'll never find yourself short of conversation starters and didyouknows. ( )

Hilarious book...helps you remember that it takes all types. ( )

I wish all my textbooks were written like this book. I learned as much from this book as I did from my evolution class. It's funny, well-organized, and presented in a very memorable way. As the Dr. Ruth for insects and microbes, Dr. Tatiana explains strange sex bahaviors in plants, animals, fungi, and bacterium while teaching the evolution of things like monogamy, erections, and sexual dimorphism. Very interesting. ( )

http://www.peskyapostrophe.com/index.... ( )

http://archaeoastronomy.wordpress.com... ( )

Evolutionary biologist Judson discusses interesting theories and phenomena in reproduction in advice-column style.

The advice column gimmick is slightly cutesy but doesn’t get grating. Judson is rock solid in her science and avoids the pitfalls common to discussions of evolution and science. She doesn’t conflate causation with correlation, and clearly understands the non-linearity of evolution. This book mostly focuses on outliers to show the great variety in nature, and to make points about the average. ( )

This is by-and-large the same book, scientifically, as Tim Birkhead's Promiscuity, except Judson spends more time on the basics of sexual reproduction, and why sex, and some of the more bizarre deviants other than just slutty females. Judson approaches the topic in a much more lay-friendly way, though. Not that Birkhead was hard to read, quite the opposite, but this book is funny and engaging in a way that I could imagine giving it to a non-scientist and them enjoying and understanding it. Didn't really present any new concepts for me, but is a wealth of bizarre natural history examples, which is one of the coolest parts of biology anyways. ( )