This book left me feeling that science still doesn't understand sex, even just the mechanics of the act. Research is based not so much on science itself but on what will sell a medical treatment or drug. Mary Raoch's writing is fabulous as always. I particularly enjoyed her random notes.

Good company on a long flight. Well-researched, with the occasional one-liner that will cause you to laugh out loud. In public. Be warned. ( )

I thought this book was a lot of fun. I giggled out loud more than once while reading it and felt the need to share facts I picked up with whoever happened to be sitting near me. Roach has a great way of mixing scientific facts with hilarious personal experiences that will have you learning and laughing at the same time. ( )

I really dug Ms. Roach's first book, Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, and had fun with her second book, Spook: Science Tackles The Afterlife. But I found this one a little more put-downable. I read it over several months in various-sized chunks. Some of the chapters made me wrinkle my nose and go "ewww" and I did a little skipping here and there since I wasn't all that interested in learning about people doing what sounds like tortuous things to their penis. I don't need that. And some of the people she interviews are... a bit nutty. I did learn some stuff though, a good deal of it pretty interesting and also it's stuff that people never talk about (like the bit about what happens to rape victims). I also learned that humans are the only ones shy about sex. Chimpanzees will calmly stare you in the face as they are flogging their carrot. That might be a bit off-putting. So, all-in-all, I'd say this book was a mixed bag. But this is probably my only review to include the phrase "flogging their carrot." For now. ( )

Fascinating and funny, this book looks at what science does and doesn't know about sex and the curious way scientists go about gathering data through experiments. There seem to be more people than I would have imagined willing to have sex with others watching: observing, filming, and taking notes. People have even done it inside an MRI tube - including the author. Some bests: a scientist found that rats wearing polyester pants got sex less than those wearing cotton or wool; during sex, female rats get distracted by cheese but the males don't; and some women can instigate their own orgasms without even touching. hmm, quite a talent. ( )