Ever Since Adam and Eve: The Evolution of Human Sexuality

by Roger Short and Malcolm Potts

Book Overview

Eminent scientists Malcolm Potts and Roger Short view the broad panorama of human sexual and reproductive behaviour to reveal an inextricable mixture of nature and nurture - a combination of innate... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0521644046
• ISBN13: 9780521644044
• Release Date: February 1999
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 268 Pages
• Weight: 2.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 7.5" x 9.7"

Customer Reviews

Awesome book

This is a great book, I enjoyed how in depth and detailed it got. It is truly an amazing log of the evolution of sexuality. However, I can't believe the price on here is up to $95. That is crazy.

Ever Since Adam and Eve

This book is a MUST for anyone who considers themselves an unbiassed thinker. If only there were a text like this when I was in college. It will appeal to anyone interested in anthropology, sociology and/or zoology. You don't have to agree with the arguments of the authors as they are the flavour enhancers of the proverbial "food for thought". The beauty of this book is it's personal affect of invading your waking and sleeping hours with questions. Wonderfully stimulating, the best thing I have read in AGES. What a legacy.

Stunning summary of the human condition from then to now

Of course there is nothing new under the sun...or is there? Better read this often funny, frequently irreverent book with remarkable sexual pictures and graphics. New syntheses must draw on past information. Like any masterpiece, these authors took lifetimes to acquire and understand the knowledge they now offer us in this complex, yet easy to read scientific recitation of human and other sexual histories. The book tells you about our evolutionary hsitory, that we are indeed descended from earlier animals and even earlier forms of life. They document that the main evolutionary drive for humans and mammals generally has been and is SEX, for the key to our existence is the need to produce the BEST next generation. For many this book will prove an epiphany of understanding, a creation of more reverence for life, but one not based on the mythology of religion, but on the clear facts of science. Don't miss it.

A wonderful, easily readable overview of human sexuality.

"Ever Since Adam and Eve: the Evoluation of Human Sexuality" presents a comprehensive and fast reading review of the biological, cultural, historical and religious context in which sexuality and sexual practices have evolved over time. The text traces the origins of sexual practices from prehistory to the latest developments in genetic and human reproduction advancements. The authors have pioneered in breast feeding research, public health, family planning, population and AIDS prevention programs. The book is full of good humor. Anthropologists, sociologists, psychologists, historians, public health professionals, demographers and biologists will want to use this book in their course curriculum.

A superb and original synthesis

This book is a fascinating exploration of biological and behavioral aspects of sex. It roams across history, cultures and species, giving examples of strange phenomena that dramatically illuminate important principles. Some ideas are familiar, others are fresh, but they are all presented in original and striking ways. The authors are professionals with an extraordinarily wide range of interests and great communication skills. This beautifully illustrated book sets a standard as a teaching text that will be hard to beat for a long time, but it's the kind of book that deserves a wide lay readership as well. Totally recommended!