Sex at Dawn: How We Mate, Why We Stray, and What It Means for Modern Relationships

Christopher Ryan · Cacilda Jetha

Mar 2012 · Sold by Harper Collins

About this ebook

“Sex at Dawn challenges conventional wisdom about sex in a big way. By examining the prehistoric origins of human sexual behavior the authors are able to expose the fallacies and weaknesses of standard theories proposed by most experts. This is a provocative, entertaining, and pioneering book. I learned a lot from it and recommend it highly.” — Andrew Weil, M.D.

 “Sex at Dawn irrefutably shows that what is obvious—that human beings, both male and female, are lustful—is true, and has always been so…. The more dubious its evidentiary basis and lack of connection with current reality, the more ardently the scientific inevitability of monogamy is maintained—even as it falls away around us.” — Stanton Peele, Ph.D.

A controversial, idea-driven book that challenges everything you (think you) know about sex, monogamy, marriage, and family. In the words of Steve Taylor (The Fall, Waking From Sleep), Sex at Dawn is “a wonderfully provocative and well-written book which completely re-evaluates human sexual behavior and gets to the root of many of our social and psychological ills.”

Ratings and reviews

On one hand, I liked aspects of this book. Or perhaps I should say that I liked aspects of the _idea_ of this book. While it does make some intriguing points regarding humans' apparent widespread problems with the supposedly innate tendency towards monogamy, it also reeks of preaching and new age obsolescence. Frequently, the authors make misleading statistical or logical arguments, cherry-picking facts, and oversimplify "counter-arguments" in order to frame their own ideas as more likely than those that they oppose. In one breath, they'll wax poetically about their philosophies, and then briefly summarize an oppositional viewpoint in a trite and dismissive manner. Being unable to meet facts head-on is problematic, as is having to quote persons out of context in order to mislead on their perspectives (such as the authors' treatment of Dawkins). Further, the book starts out in the realm of science and then transitions into that of pseudoscientific, vaguely sexist (women are naturally more peaceful and gentile) philosophy. It's an interesting read, just not a realistic one.

A series of bad writing habits. Promiscuity or not-that-simplicity of monogamy is what many of us are simply aware of in our time so I wished the authors could have been more feeling settled and written the topic just plainly without being pretentious throughout the book.

Data gathered and well presented although, info. is not new. Good to bring awareness & acceptance of others however, can see people using book/data as an excuse to behave poorly at others expense.

About the author

Christopher Ryan, PhD, is a research psychologist. He lives in Barcelona, Spain.

Cacilda Jethá, MD, is a practicing psychiatrist. She lives in Barcelona, Spain.