Why is Sex Fun? Buchzusammenfassung - das Wichtigste aus Why is Sex Fun?

Einleitung anhören

00:00

Zusammenfassung von Why is Sex Fun?

Name: Why is Sex Fun?
Rating: 3.7 (163 reviews)
Author: Jared Diamond

Jared Diamond

The Evolution of Human Sexuality

3.7 (163 Bewertungen)

17 Min.

Kurz zusammengefasst

'Why is Sex Fun?' by Jared Diamond answers the most fundamental questions about sex through scientific insights and evolutionary theory. The book explores how sexual reproduction evolved, why it's pleasurable, and why humans have sex for more than just reproduction.

Themen

Sex

Inhaltsübersicht

Why is Sex Fun?
in 7 Kernaussagen verstehen

Audio & Text in der Blinkist App

Kernaussage 1 von 7

What’s in it for me? When it comes to sex, we humans are the weirdest.

As Marilyn Monroe once said, “Sex is a part of nature. I go along with nature.” And Marilyn Monroe knew what she was talking about.

And no, we’re not talking about her personal sex life; rather it’s her point about sex and nature that rings especially true. Because sex isn’t just the most physically intense behavior we humans engage in, it’s also arguably the most important. Without sex, our species would have no chance to survive – and no Marilyn Monroe conspiracy theories! But that’s another story.

What’s even more interesting about the carnality of sex, though, is how weird we humans are about it. We often do it in bed, with lights off and doors closed. We also do it privately, and sometimes with just one person! How crazy is that?

Well, it turns out it’s not that crazy – it’s just evolution.

In these blinks, you’ll find out

what other animals would think about how humans have sex;
why men aren’t as terrible as they seem; and
how menopause is the secret to human survival.

Human beings have the weirdest sex lives of all animals.

If your dog could tell you what it thought about your sex life, it would probably say it was shocking and downright bizarre.

For starters, it would be horrified that you have sex on any given day of the month, even just after a female partner has had her period. It would also express utter confusion as to why humans bother having sex when the female is already pregnant.

Furthermore, it would ask why on earth you choose to have sex behind closed doors instead of doing it in front of other humans like any normal, healthy dog would!

It turns out that human standards for sex are not shared by any other animal.

Really, if you think your pet’s sexual behavior is odd, think again – it’s our sex lives that are weird. Just consider the thirty million other animal species that don’t do it the way we do!

Even when we narrow the scope to the 4,300 other mammal species on the planet, our habits seem rather strange. For instance, mammals such as lions, wolves and chimpanzees normally copulate publicly. They don’t pair off, nor do they live like a nuclear family. Instead, both the adult males and females are solitary beings and only meet up with one another in order to copulate.

Just as with posture and brain size, human sexuality also differs from that of our closest relatives, the great apes – primarily Africa's chimpanzees and bonobos.

Whereas posture and brain size aided us evolutionarily speaking, and contributed to our dominating other animal species, what about our strange sexuality? How does it make evolutionary sense? As we’ll see later on, our sexual habits, like monogamy, actually contribute to the survival of our species.

Human monogamy is about protecting our young.

Although men’s and women’s dedication to their children will differ immensely across relationships and contexts, most fathers will at least play some role in a child’s life. But funnily enough, when we look at human fertilization, it’s not immediately obvious why.

One main factor underpinning the commitment of each parent to a child is the investment in the fertilized embryo or egg. Just as we would hesitate to quit an ongoing project that we put a lot of effort into, a female producing an egg is normally more committed than the male that supplied the sperm.

Recreational sex may seem unnecessary or inefficient, but it explains how monogamy emerged.

Another way in which our sexual practices support monogamy is through our oddly-timed attempts at fertilization.

Most animals have sex only when fertilization is likely. But we are different. Humans have sex regardless of where the female is in her menstrual cycle, and even during pregnancy and menopause, when fertilization is impossible. Why? Because human males have no natural way to know when their partner is most likely to be fertilized.

The role of men in the family is often driven by sexual favors.

Considering that they mostly distance themselves from the mothers of their offspring and the offspring themselves, most male mammals aren’t particularly useful, aside from injecting sperm. They leave after they copulate, shirking any fatherly duties thereafter.

But human males are different: they often stay with their mate and offspring after sex.

Men don’t breastfeed their children, but they could!

Not all species display expected male and female roles. For instance, male seahorses, not females, are the ones that get pregnant. As we’ve seen, there are surprising ways in which our own sexuality and our bodies have evolved over time, and lactation is a prime example.

You may not know that lactation can occur in most mammals independently of pregnancy. In fact, repeated mechanical stimulation of the nipple is enough for milk to begin secreting. It’s also been found that, starting from one month prior to bringing a child home, adoptive mothers can use breast pumps every few hours in order to simulate suckling – and actually produce milk.

Menopause is among the strangest features of human sexuality.

Another of nature’s curious creations is menopause – the ceasing of a woman's egg supply which leads to sterility.

Human menopause doesn’t fit into the animal world. If natural selection is about promoting the genes of a species to increase its chances of producing descendants, then menopause is a paradox, especially since most animals are fertile until they die, including human males.

Body signals act as advertisements for potential mates.

Let’s take a look at another trick we’ve developed through evolution: body signals. These are instantly identifiable cues that tell others about our biological attributes, such as our sex and age, as well as our intentions, like aggression.

Indeed, all animals rely on different ways of communicating various information, like auditory or visible signals. In the case of birds, they use song to attract mates, or plumage to communicate their sex.

Du möchtest die gesamte Zusammenfassung von Why is Sex Fun? sehen?

Kernaussagen in Why is Sex Fun?

Mehr Wissen in weniger Zeit

Sachbücher auf den Punkt gebracht

Kernaussagen aus Sachbüchern in ca. 15 Minuten pro Titel lesen & anhören mit den „Blinks”

Zeitsparende Empfehlungen

Titel, die dein Leben bereichern, passend zu deinen Interessen und Zielen

Podcasts in Kurzform ^Neu

Kernaussagen wichtiger Podcasts im Kurzformat mit den neuen „Shortcasts”

Worum geht es in Why is Sex Fun??

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

Wer Why is Sex Fun? lesen sollte

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

Über den Autor

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.

Kategorien mit Why is Sex Fun?

Liebe & Sex Wissenschaft

Ähnliche Zusammenfassungen wie Why is Sex Fun?

How to Think More About Sex

Alain de Botton

Sage sex advice from a philosophical polymath

An examination of the amoral game and techniques of seducers

19 min

4.0

Sex at Dawn

Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jethá

How we mate, why we stray, and what it means for modern relationships

22 min

4.2

Better Sex Through Mindfulness

Lori A. Brotto

How Women Can Cultivate Desire

Why Nearly Everything We Believe About Women, Lust, and Infidelity Is Wrong and How the New Science Can Set Us Free

The Thinking Man’s Guide to Pleasuring a Woman

16 min

4.6

The Science of Kissing

Sheril Kirshenbaum

What Our Lips Are Telling Us

The Thinking Woman's Guide to Pleasuring a Man

Adventures in the Science of Female Desire

18 min

4.0

Guns, Germs and Steel

Jared Diamond

The Fates Of Human Societies

How Porn Has Hijacked Our Sexuality

19 min

3.6

How to Be a People Magnet

Leil Lowndes

Finding Friends – and Lovers – and Keeping Them for Life

A Study of Hermetic Philosophy of Ancient Egypt and Greece

Turning Points for Nations in Crisis

How to Boost Your Sex IQ and Own Your Pleasure

Navigating the Complicated New Landscape

15 min

3.7

How to Be an Adult in Relationships

David Richo

The Five Keys to Mindful Loving

An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

25 min

4.7

The Art of Resilience

Ross Edgley

Strategies for an Unbreakable Mind and Body

16 min

4.2

Influence and Impact

Bill Berman & George Bradt

Discover and Excel at What Your Organization Needs From You The Most

Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life.

An Uncomfortable Book About Relationships

The Nature and Chemistry of Romantic Love

20 min

4.3

The Four Noble Truths of Love

Susan Piver

Buddhist Wisdom for Modern Relationships

23 min

4.6

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

Mark Manson

A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life

An uncommon guide to rapid fat-loss, incredible sex and becoming superhuman

19 min

3.3

Seven and a Half Lessons about the Brain

Lisa Feldman Barrett

Have Your Understanding of Consciousness, Emotions, and Memory Revolutionized

20 min

4.2

The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work

John M. Gottman and Nan Silver

A Practical Guide from the Country’s Foremost Relationship Expert

Twenty Lessons of Self-discovery to Help You Get the Love You Want

30 min

4.4

The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money

John Maynard Keynes

The “Keynesian Revolution”—the Masterpiece That Changed Economics

15 min

3.7

Getting Past Your Past

Francine Shapiro

Take Control of Your Life with Self-Help Techniques from EMDR Therapy

The classic guide to love

Design Principles for Persuasive and Ethical Products

In Search of Erotic Intelligence

Sexual Strategy for Men and Insight Into the Red Pill Ideology

15 min

3.1

Difficult Conversations

Douglas Stone

How to Discuss What Matters Most

14 min

4.1

Breaking the Cycle

George N. Collins with Andrew Adleman

Free Yourself from Sex Addiction, Porn Obsession, and Shame

19 min

4.0

The Complete Kama Sutra

Vātsyāyana

The First Unabridged Modern Translation of the Classic Indian Text

What to Say to Get Your Way

The Politics of Feeling Good

20 min

3.2

The Ultimate Retroactive Jealousy Cure

Jeff Billings

How to Stop Being Jealous of Your Partner's Past in 12 Steps

13 min

3.8

Ideaflow

Jeremy Utley & Perry Klebahn

The Only Business Metric That Matters

16 min

4.2

The Unemployed Millionaire

Matt Morris

Escape the Rat Race, Fire Your Boss and Live Life on YOUR Terms!

22 min

3.7

The Overthinking In Relationships Fix

Rodney Noble

Toxic Thoughts That Can Destroy Your Relationship And How To Fix Them

The Psychology of Human Relationships

A Novel about the History of Philosophy

18 min

4.2

Modern Romance

Aziz Ansari and Erik Klinenberg

Texting, sexting and more: How Aziz Ansari sees love in the 21st century

The Simple, Scientifically Proven Breathing Techniques for a Healthier, Slimmer, Faster and Fitter You

18 min

4.3

❤️ für Blinkist️️️

Ines S.

Ich bin begeistert. Ich liebe Bücher aber durch zwei kleine Kinder komme ich einfach nicht zum Lesen. Und ja, viele Bücher haben viel bla bla und die Quintessenz ist eigentlich ein Bruchteil.

Genau dafür ist Blinkist total genial! Es wird auf das Wesentliche reduziert, die Blinks sind gut verständlich, gut zusammengefasst und auch hörbar! Das ist super. 80 Euro für ein ganzes Jahr klingt viel, aber dafür unbegrenzt Zugriff auf 3000 Bücher. Und dieses Wissen und die Zeitersparnis ist unbezahlbar.

Ekaterina S.

Extrem empfehlenswert. Statt sinnlos im Facebook zu scrollen höre ich jetzt täglich zwischen 3-4 "Bücher". Bei manchen wird schnelle klar, dass der Kauf unnötig ist, da schon das wichtigste zusammen gefasst wurde..bei anderen macht es Lust doch das Buch selbständig zu lesen. Wirklich toll

Nils S.

Einer der besten, bequemsten und sinnvollsten Apps die auf ein Handy gehören. Jeden morgen 15-20 Minuten für die eigene Weiterbildung/Entwicklung oder Wissen.

Julia P.

Viele tolle Bücher, auf deren Kernaussagen reduziert- präzise und ansprechend zusammengefasst. Endlich habe ich das Gefühl, Zeit für Bücher zu finden, für die ich sonst keine Zeit habe.