Why is Sex Fun?: The Evolution of Human Sexuality

Diamond has a way of making complex anthropology feel like a casual conversation at a dinner party. This is a remarkably fast read that serves as a fantastic insight into the scientific method, specifically regarding how we evolved such unique traits. I loved how he framed the battle of the sexes as a biological struggle rather than just a social one. Some might call it a long essay rather than a full book, but the writing quality is excellent and keeps you engaged. In my experience, most pop science books try too hard to be academic, but this one remains readable without losing its intellectual edge. The questions he asks about why women have large breasts or why men have large penises are genuinely intriguing.

The way Diamond explains the scientific method through the lens of human behavior is simply brilliant and highly engaging. I had forgotten just how good this book actually is until I picked it up for a second read recently. Although Guns, Germs, and Steel is usually the favorite, this one holds its own by asking really provocative questions about our nature. It makes me wonder why there are so few really good television documentaries on this subject that reach the heights of the BBC. Not gonna lie, the book is bursting with fascinating questions that will change the way you look at your own body. It is a quick, informative, and creatively written piece of popular science.

Ever wonder why humans are the only ones having sex for pleasure instead of just when it is time to breed? Jared Diamond tackles these provocative questions with a breezy style that makes evolutionary psychology feel incredibly accessible. He spends a significant amount of time comparing our habits to other species, which provides a clear anthropology-based treatment of why we are so weird. While I found the sections on menopause and why men don't breastfeed fascinating, the lack of citations felt a bit lazy for a scientist of his caliber. To be fair, it is a creative approach to a topic that usually feels dry. It functions well as an introduction, though it leaves you wanting a deeper dive into the actual data.

As someone who enjoys evolutionary psychology, this was a decent primer, though it certainly shows its age in a few places. I think not including any observations on how LGBTQIA people fit into this evolutionary picture is a major oversight for a modern reader. However, the comparisons drawn between humans and other species are still quite informative for anyone interested in our sexual evolution. The book is bursting with fascinating questions that most people are too embarrassed to ask out loud. Frankly, it is a quick and enjoyable read that provides a solid foundation in human behavioral biology. I particularly liked the discussion on why humans have concealed ovulation compared to other primates.

The chapter on male lactation absolutely blew my mind because I had no idea the biological equipment was already there. Diamond asks what men are actually good for and concludes that, evolutionarily speaking, the answer is not a lot. We don't do nearly as much helping out as women do, which is a pretty unattractive reality of our species. The book is a clear anthropology-based treatment that avoids getting bogged down in overly dense jargon. Gotta say, the title is what drew me in, but the actual science is what kept me turning the pages until the end. It is a breezy introduction to why our mating habits are so distinct from the rest of the animal kingdom.

Picked this up on a whim because the title was so catchy and I ended up finishing it in two sittings. It is not as if good pop science books do not come out of the USA, but this one has a specific charm. Diamond presents several alternatives for why we evolved certain traits, which makes for a fantastic insight into the scientific method. Why do we have menopause? Why are men's penises so large compared to other apes? These questions are clearly important, but the answers may not be nearly so easy to come by as one might think. Personally, I found the writing to be excellent and the anthropology-based treatment very refreshing.

Look, the writing is top-notch, but the lack of formal citations in the text really bothered me during the more controversial parts. To be fair, Diamond is writing for a general audience, so the breezy introduction to evolutionary psychology works for most people. The book covers everything from sexual cannibalism to the intricacies of lactation with a very readable and light tone. It is a short book that manages to answer some very strange questions about why humans act the way we do. While I wish there was more focus on modern human society, the animal comparisons were still quite enlightening. Overall, it is an enjoyable and creative look at a topic everyone thinks they already understand.

This felt more like a long essay than a fully fleshed-out book, which made it a very quick read. While the premise is interesting, the execution had a few flaws that kept me from fully loving it. Some of the evolutionary explanations felt a bit like 'just-so' stories without enough rigorous data to back them up. Look, I appreciate the creative approach to the subject matter, but I needed more than just anecdotal evidence and animal comparisons. It’s an enjoyable enough way to spend an afternoon, but don't expect the depth of his more famous historical works. The science content is accessible, but it barely scratches the surface of modern evolutionary theory.

Truth is, I expected a lot more from Diamond given his reputation with major works like Guns, Germs, and Steel. This book focuses way too much on animal behavior and sexual cannibalism in spiders, leaving the human element feeling like an afterthought. I was left questioning a lot of his research because the lack of footnotes really irked me throughout the entire read. Where are the sources for these claims? I do not have time to go digging through a massive bibliography just to verify a single point about hermaphroditic fashion models. It was a mostly tedious experience, saved only by a few interesting facts about lactation that bumped my rating up.

Not what I expected at all, and frankly, the whole thing was quite a slog to get through. Who the eff cares about the intricacies of why sex is fun when the book barely answers its own title? I learned a lot about the mating habits of strange animals and very little about actual human sociology. Diamond’s lack of footnotes really irked me and I was left questioning a lot of his research throughout the chapters. I mean sure, learning about various animals boosted my trivia knowledge, but where is the actual source material? Ultimately, it failed to deliver on the promise of its catchy title and left me feeling disappointed.