Olivia Judson

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 show more 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. show less

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 show more 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. show less

This is the only biology non-fiction book I have found so fascinating that I read it while walking (nearly fell down the stairs) on the loo (no comment) and in the bath (my Kobo heroically risking death by drowning).

The conceit of various creatures writing to the wise Dr Tatiana for advice on their bizarre sex lives gives the book a certain verve and amusement value that, for example, my university texts did not have. The facts and theories, however, are just as good.

Judson (or Dr Tatiana) show more has obviously picked on the weirder reaches of sexual behaviour, just as I suspect the agony-aunt columns in newspapers do, but her discussion places each of these behaviours in its evolutionary place. Nobody's sexual conduct is bizarre for the sake of it (except maybe Homo sapiens, but that's a different book) - there is a reason why heads get bitten off, penises are covered in spines, and some organisms change sex, and Dr Tatiana explains the evolutionary logic behind each. She even briefly considers the evolutionary value of homosexuality: it has persisted in many species, so what is it for?

Apart from the sheer fascination, the thing that I most valued about this book was the comprehensive list of references. It's one thing to be interesting - it's quite another to provide the material to allow the interested reader to go and find more detail should they wish to do so.

I would recommend this book not only for anyone interested in the evolutionary biology of sex and wanting an overview of the landscape, as it were, but also anyone who is contemplating writing a science-fiction book involving aliens. show less

Okay, I'm lazy. I'd rather be tricked into learning than do it deliberately, and I'd like you to make me laugh while you're doing it please, Ms. Author. If you're like me, this is the book for you. (Sarah Vowell's humorous books are the historical counterparts to this one if you like to be tricked into learning). Chopped into short, easy-to-read social advice column letters from the weirdest species you can think of, this book reveals the oddest and most counter-intuitive sex practices in show more creation. It was fascinating, and made me change the way I think about why species have evolved the way they have. Or, it made me start thinking about it in the first place, and I'm not really a sciencey person. I suspect that sciencey people don't use the word sciencey. Whether you're sciencey or not, you'll enjoy it. show less