Christopher Ryan

Cacilda Jethá

"A controversial, idea-driven book that challenges everything you know about sex, marriage, family, and society"--Provided by publisher.

The Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality

Sex at Dawn

Catherine

Cacilda Jetha

The 10th-anniversary edition of the book that radical re-evaluates the origins and nature of human 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. In this groundbreaking book, however, Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jethá argue that human beings evolved in egalitarian groups that shared food, child care, and, often, sexual partners. Weaving together evidence from anthropology, archaeology, primatology, anatomy, and psychosexuality, the authors show how far from human nature monogamy really is. With intelligence and humour, Ryan and Jethá explain how our promiscuous past haunts our contemporary struggles. They explore why many people find long-term fidelity so difficult; why sexual passion tends to fade even as love deepens; why homosexuality persists in the face of standard evolutionary logic; and what the human body reveals about the prehistoric origins of modern sexuality. Shocking, enlightening, and ultimately inspiring, Sex at Dawn offers a revolutionary understanding of why we live and love as we do.

how we mate, why we stray, and what it means for modern sexuality

Joy Bush

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!

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 JethÅ. While debunking almost everything we "know" about sex, they offer a bold alternative explanation in this provocative and brilliant book. Ryan and JethÅ'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 JethÅ 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.

Alex Ker

Complementary read to The Selfish Gene, or any other evolutionary psychology books that are based primarily on Darwinian theories of evolution (mixed strategies of mating), which are distorted by our recent post-agricultural revolution capitalistic climate, and its flinstonizations (rewriting of history to fit our current narrative to determine what's "natural"). Ryan considers the possibility that perhaps the natural state of humans is polygamy in hunter-gatherer societies, drawing from evidence in human autonomy in relation to our closest primates, citing errors in WIERD studies of human sexuality, and incorporating studies in anthropology and psychology. He suggests rather than outrightly and blindly rejecting polygamy, there should be space for a frank conversation between long-term couples on the highly malleable definition of fidelity.

In this controversial, thought-provoking, and brilliant book, renegade thinkers Christopher Ryan and Cacilda JethÁ debunk almost everything we “know” about sex, weaving together convergent, frequently overlooked evidence from anthropology, archaeology, primatology, anatomy, and psychosexuality to show how far from human nature monogamy really is. In Sex at Dawn, 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.

How We Mate, Why We Stray, and What It Means for Modern Relationships

Melanie Richards

2.5 stars. It took CHAPTERS for this ish to go anywhere (an overblown intro of "here's what we're not going to posit"). The authors tried too hard to be funny and entertaining—just give me the science! For this reason the chapter on male genitalia was excruciating and practically unbearable...HOWEVER. The last few chapters were actually pretty interesting. I learned things I'd never heard before about female anatomy. And the rumination on "what is fidelity?" and alternative approaches to longterm relationships is actually pretty inspiring and something I'll take to heart. So I guess...maybe read this? Just skim over the chapters that are boring or annoying and skip to the ones which interest you.

Adam

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.

Hazel Evans

I’m not usually one to leave a bad review but this book deserves it. I had to triple check when it was written, because it reads like it was published in 1910, not 2010.

The author, who clearly hasn't bothered to talk to any actual women, argues that “women are not particularly sexual beings” based on the following evidence:

“An attractive undergraduate student volunteer walked up to an unsuspecting student of the opposite sex (who was alone) on the campus of Florida State University and said, “Hi, I’ve been noticing you around town lately and I find you very attractive. Would you go to bed with me tonight?” About 75 percent of the young men said yes. Many of those who didn’t asked for a “rain check.” But not one of the women approached by these attractive strangers accepted the offer. Case closed.”

Right. So that evidence has nothing to do with how society has conditioned women over the past few centuries, or how biologically men are stronger and statistically, women are in more physical danger of men when engaging in a one night stand, and therefore might want to get to know a guy before they leap into bed with him, no matter how good looking he is? Might it also have something to do with the fact that, for so long, the public depiction of sex has been entirely about the man's pleasure, not the woman's, and maybe if men would bother to learn a bit about women's sexuality, women might be more eager to hop into bed with them? Whatever the reason, the anecdote above is hardly the strongest argument for lack of sexuality. But Ryan is trying to prove his own, warped point of view, so ignores these potential contributing factors entirely.

Another argument he puts forward to explain women's lack of sexuality is when he compares genitalia. I quote: "Unlike her closest primate cousins, the standard human female doesn't come equipped with private parts that swell up to double their normal size..." In actual fact, clitorises swell by 50 to 300% when engorged when aroused. 300%! By Ryan's logic, that would make women far more sexual than men. Perhaps he should consider doing some basic research and rewriting this book.

But in all seriousness, I cannot fathom how this book got past publishers, editors and proof-readers, and made it into public consumption. The amount of five star reviews here saddens me, because it's indicative that we still have such a long long way to go in terms of understanding sexuality, if such blatant inaccuracy can go unnoticed by so many.

Christian Witts

siegs

Nick Truden

Michelle

“Sex at Dawn challenges conventional wisdom about sex in a big way. By examining the prehistoric origins of human sexual behavior the authors are able to expose the fallacies and weaknesses of standard theories proposed by most experts. This is a provocative, entertaining, and pioneering book. I learned a lot from it and recommend it highly.” — Andrew Weil, M.D. “Sex at Dawn irrefutably shows that what is obvious—that human beings, both male and female, are lustful—is true, and has always been so…. The more dubious its evidentiary basis and lack of connection with current reality, the more ardently the scientific inevitability of monogamy is maintained—even as it falls away around us.” — Stanton Peele, Ph.D. A controversial, idea-driven book that challenges everything you (think you) know about sex, monogamy, marriage, and family. In the words of Steve Taylor (The Fall, Waking From Sleep), Sex at Dawn is “a wonderfully provocative and well-written book which completely re-evaluates human sexual behavior and gets to the root of many of our social and psychological ills.”

Sex at Dawn The Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality

Reviews

Highlights