Why is Sex Fun? by Jared Diamond
Why Is Sex Fun? The Evolution of Human Sexuality by Jared Diamond
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Thought-provoking across the board and convincing in some places, Diamond makes a evolutionary biology argument that posits part of human distinctiveness arises from our unusual reproductive characteristics: concealed ovulation, recreational sex, and female menopause. Diamond's meditations on how menopause may have been selected for and why men don't breastfeed their children were compelling and carefully argued. When he ventured into the territory of human social arrangements; however, Diamond hamstrung himself with his own disciplinary bias. As a sociologist, I find it extremely hard to believe that complex human social behaviors - like adornment and marital relationships - are driven by an evolutionary logic. As Diamond points out in his chapter on male breastfeeding, humans have often made "counter-evolutionary" choices. If our instincts drive us to behave in certain ways - why some ways but not others? I highly recommend the book, despite these problems.