Why is Sex Fun? audiobook cover - The Evolution of Human Sexuality

Why is Sex Fun?

The Evolution of Human Sexuality

Jared Diamond

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Categories:
Sex & RelationshipsScience

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Why is Sex Fun?
Human Sexual Uniqueness+
Monogamy and Childcare+
Hidden Ovulation & Recreational Sex+
Male Roles & Sexual Favors+
The Potential of Male Lactation+
The Paradox of Menopause+
Evolutionary Body Signals+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 7
According to the text, what evolutionary purpose does concealed ovulation and recreational sex serve in humans?
  • A. They ensure that females can gather food without male interference.
  • B. They promote monogamy by keeping the male with his partner and child.
  • C. They allow males to conserve energy for hunting and guarding territory.
  • D. They help reduce the overall population size to prevent starvation.
Question 2 of 7
What is a primary biological reason why a female is normally more committed to a fertilized egg than the male who provided the sperm?
  • A. Eggs require more bodily resources and metabolic components than sperm.
  • B. Females have a shorter reproductive lifespan compared to males.
  • C. Sperm production is a highly draining effort that limits male lifespans.
  • D. Males are biologically incapable of providing care to offspring after birth.
Question 3 of 7
Why do men in the Ache Indian tribe primarily hunt large animals instead of gathering food, even though gathering provides food more consistently?
  • A. Men lack the physical dexterity required to pound palm starch or gather larvae.
  • B. Hunting large animals provides the majority of the tribe's daily caloric intake.
  • C. Ache women are more likely to choose capable hunters as sexual partners.
  • D. Evolutionary adaptations have made men biologically dependent on high-protein diets.
Question 4 of 7
Why didn't male lactation become the evolutionary norm for humans and other mammals, despite being physiologically possible?
  • A. Males lack the necessary hormones, such as prolactin, to produce milk.
  • B. Male lactation was less optimal than other male contributions, like guarding territory and protecting the family.
  • C. The energy required for male lactation would drastically reduce male lifespan and fertility.
  • D. Only female mammals possess the genetic code required to develop milk-secreting glands.
Question 5 of 7
How does menopause provide an evolutionary advantage for humans, despite ending a woman's reproductive capability?
  • A. It allows women to completely abandon parental duties and focus on community leadership.
  • B. It decreases the human population to a sustainable level, preventing resource depletion.
  • C. It reduces the health risks of late-life pregnancy and allows women to focus resources on existing children.
  • D. It triggers physical changes that make women more capable of hunting and gathering.
Question 6 of 7
How does the 'handicap theory' explain physically burdensome traits like a peacock's tail or a well-endowed human male?
  • A. These traits act as a physical deterrent to predators by making the animal appear larger.
  • B. They demonstrate that the individual has genes strong enough to survive despite the energy cost of the handicap.
  • C. They are evolutionary mistakes that will eventually be phased out by natural selection.
  • D. They force the individual to rely on their mate for survival, ensuring lifelong monogamy.
Question 7 of 7
Aside from direct childcare, what significant cultural role did menopause play in preliterate human societies?
  • A. It allowed older women to become the primary hunters for their tribes.
  • B. It helped elders live long enough to serve as valuable sources of information and life experience.
  • C. It established a matriarchal hierarchy where only post-menopausal women could rule.
  • D. It signaled to neighboring tribes that the community was peaceful and non-threatening.

Why is Sex Fun? — Full Chapter Overview

Why is Sex Fun? Summary & Overview

Everybody thinks about sex. However, we seldom consider the extent to which human sexuality differs from the reproductive habits of other species. In Why is Sex Fun? (1998), Jared Diamond presents an exploration of humans’ sexual history, and explains how our unusual sexual behavior might be the reason we ascended to the top of the food chain.

This is a Blinkist staff pick

“This curious look into human sexual behaviors is a great read for anyone wanting to gain a deeper understanding of, for example, why we can flip from hot under the collar to “not tonight, honey,” in a flash.”

– Julian, Customer Support

Who Should Listen to Why is Sex Fun??

  • Anyone wondering about the differences between animal and human sexuality
  • Anyone curious about our sexual evolution

About the Author: Jared Diamond

Jared Diamond is a professor of geography at the University of California, Los Angeles. A Pulitzer Prize winner for his bestselling novel Guns, Germs, and Steel, Diamond has also been awarded the National Medal of Science and a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship.

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