<p>Who is the author of Why is Sex Fun?</p>

<p>Jared Diamond is the author of Why is Sex Fun?.</p>

Sex & Relationships

Why is Sex Fun? Book Summary - Why is Sex Fun? Book explained in key points

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Why is Sex Fun? summary

Name: Why is Sex Fun?
Rating: 3.6 (247 reviews)
Author: Jared Diamond

Jared Diamond

The Evolution of Human Sexuality

3.6 (247 ratings)

17 mins

Brief summary

'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.

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Sex

Table of Contents

Why is Sex Fun?
Summary of 7 key ideas

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Key idea 1 of 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.

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What is Why is Sex Fun? about?

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

Why is Sex Fun? Review

Why is Sex Fun? (1997) explores the evolutionary origins and purposes of human sexuality. Here's why you should read it:

Using scientific research, Jared Diamond presents a fascinating insight into the biological, cultural, and psychological aspects of human sexuality.
The book challenges common misconceptions about sex and provides insights on reproductive strategies, sexual selection, and the role of pleasure, making it an engaging and enlightening read.
With a blend of humor and science, Diamond conveys complex ideas in a relatable and amusing way, ensuring that the book is never dull.

Who should read 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 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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