December Books 12) Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Sex and Science, by Mary Roach
This is a book that I found very difficult to put down once I had unwrapped it yesterday. Mary Roach has written a hilarious account of scientists carrying out research on one of the most fundamental of human activities. It's something that most of us spend a lot of time (perhaps too much) thinking about anyway, but the stories of those who are researching it for a living are, well, stimulating. The biggest problem with the book is that you have to be slightly careful about the company you are in when tempted to read the most glorious passages out loud. I must also add that, like the author's husband apparently, I crossed my legs instinctively when reading about surgical interventions to fix male erectile dysfunction. But that discomfort is more than made up for by the breezy, sympathetic and witty descriptions of the whole topic. Very strongly recommended, and I'll look out eagerly for her other books.