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Sex at Dawn

By: Christopher Ryan,Cacilda Jetha
Narrated by: Allyson Johnson,Jonathan Davis,Christopher Ryan (Preface)
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Editorial reviews

In Sex at Dawn, husband and wife team Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jethá have written a book that questions both modern-day standards of human sexual behavior and the scientific history of our early ancestors. The book first explains and defines what it refers to as “the standard narrative”, the story of how humans evolved from our prehistoric ancestors to be monogamous beings with conflicting biological imperatives for males and females. Then, it goes on to refute this narrative, providing evidence from noted modern scholars like Steven Pinker, Malcolm Gladwell, and Frans De Waal, as well as renowned scientists and philosophers like Charles Darwin, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Thomas Hobbes.

Ryan and Jethá write, “Science all too often grovels at the feet of the dominant cultural paradigm.” Indeed, one of the most powerful ideas that Sex at Dawn puts forth is that culture has a way of coloring scientific and historical “fact”. Some of the examples given are quite disturbing, especially when large institutions are clearly engaged in cover ups of our true nature. The authors assert that many sexual myths (for example, that masturbation is some kind of medical affliction) have been repeated and disseminated over the years by religious, health, and state organizations. They take a controversial stance that this “cover up” tactic has also been applied to the non-monogamy of our closest primate relatives and early man. They believe that even if non-monogamy is not the dominant mode of being for contemporary humans, at the very least it should be viewed as a historic basis for our desires and behaviors.

The narration, which alternates between Allyson Johnson and Jonathan Davis, is clear and straightforward, particularly well-suited to this kind of book. Johnson especially makes the information, which can sometimes be dense, easily digestible and relatable. One of the authors, Christopher Ryan, reads the preface, which gives a hint of how he came to be interested in exploring the given subject matter. Through this section, we also get a way to connect directly to the authors and thus, the human (as opposed to the scientific) aspect of the issues discussed.

To claim that this work is exclusively or even mostly about sexual behavior would be a stretch. The book is very holistic, tackling bigger-picture issues of science, culture, history, and philosophy. That said, these large ideas are needed as building blocks for the claims the authors make about sex. Another triumph of Sex at Dawn is the attention the authors have given to presenting material on sex as it applies to men and women equally. Along those lines, another high point of the narration is that it echoes this sentiment through the interchanging male and female voices, reminding us that these ideas apply to both sexes in different ways.

What the book posits exactly is somewhat unclear. The authors themselves admit that they're not exactly sure what to do with all the information they have unearthed. That said, the great strength of Sex at Dawn is that it opens the discourse about human sexual behavior sans many of the taboos that traditionally accompany the topic. —Gina Pensiero

Publisher's Summary

Since Darwin's day, we've been told that sexual monogamy comes naturally to our species. Mainstream science - as well as religious and cultural institutions - has maintained that men and women evolved in families in which a man's possessions and protection were exchanged for a woman's fertility and fidelity. But this narrative is collapsing. Fewer and fewer couples are getting married, and divorce rates keep climbing as adultery and flagging libido drag down even seemingly solid marriages.

How can reality be reconciled with the accepted narrative? It can't be, according to renegade thinkers Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jetha. While debunking almost everything we "know" about sex, they offer a bold alternative explanation in this provocative and brilliant book.

Ryan and Jetha's central contention is that human beings evolved in egalitarian groups that shared food, child care, and, often, sexual partners. Weaving together convergent, frequently overlooked evidence from anthropology, archaeology, primatology, anatomy, and psychosexuality, the authors show how far from human nature monogamy really is. Human beings everywhere and in every era have confronted the same familiar, intimate situations in surprisingly different ways. The authors expose the ancient roots of human sexuality while pointing toward a more optimistic future illuminated by our innate capacities for love, cooperation, and generosity.

BONUS AUDIO: Includes a Preface written and read by author Christopher Ryan.

©2010 Christopher Ryan, Cacilda Jetha (P)2010 Audible, Inc

Critic Reviews

“Funny, witty, and light ... Sex at Dawn is a scandal in the best sense, one that will have you reading the best parts aloud and reassessing your ideas about humanity’s basic urges well after the book is done.” ( Newsweek)
Sex at Dawn is the single most important book about human sexuality since Alfred Kinsey unleashed Sexual Behavior in the Human Male on the American public in 1948.” (Dan Savage)
"My favorite book of 2010...it's the only book I read this year that proved that I was badly mistaken about something." (Peter Sagal, host of NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!)

What listeners say about Sex at Dawn

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    3 out of 5 stars

Interesting and good, but flawed

The authors raise some interesting and valid points about the nature of human sexuality and the reality of it in modern culture. However, the dismissive tone in discussing counter-arguments detracts somewhat from the message.

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9 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars

repetitive, lacking in evidence, pseudo scientific

challenging theme, interesting basis, but ultimately thin set of ideas. morality can be a tough topic to lay scientific claims to, & while i am not religious, i struggled to be convinced the pitch was based on anything substantial. the book also spoke primarily of one sex. The hypothesis is a challenging one, but the conclusion sounded pre-concieved & not based on modern evidence, but ancient claims. ultimately the book was a tad boring.

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5 people found this helpful

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The one sentece that killed the entire book

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

If the authors had studied a bit more

Has Sex at Dawn put you off other books in this genre?

no

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

correct pronunciation

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment, anger

Any additional comments?

That one sentence about Brazilian carnival made me stop reading the book, I am Brazilian and have no idea what the authors were talking about, they're probably reading to many fantasy books. They should come over and see what carnival is about.

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4 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Interesting but Lacking

An interesting (at times) book but to frank a bit too lacking in evidence to be taken that seriously. Arguments were often flawed, for example quotes the French as being an example as a successful non-monogamous society yet the French have one of the highest divorce rates in Europe. The book also failed to discuss the development of the monogamous pair bonded society and the influence of religion and culture to any great extent which was disappointing. Narrators constant dismissal of the "standard narrative" got a tad annoying after a while. Discussion of some of societies where multi-mate relationships predominate was interesting and while the concept probably does have some validity the book fell just of a bit short of what it promised.

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Interesting and informative book easliy digestible

I really enjoyed the book and I find it very interesting. However I was quite surprised (watch out SPOILERS) at the end when the author talks about infidelity as if it was only a masculine feature.
The book also quotes Esther Perel (who I highly admire), but I think it is missing the point and somehow contradicts its main argument that both men and women are monogamous and it is not only men’s struggle to be faithful. Eshter Perel in her work talks about that matter a lot, that it clearly affects both sexes, obviously in different ways. But the example in the book about a man who cheated on his wife and he was feeling so alive with a new partner is not in my view only masculine problem.

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Interesting, but more questions than answers

I tried this book hoping to change my perception and lose my possibly "conservative" and societal driven perception of sex and relationships. I have studied varying amounts of biology, medicine and psychology at a university level, I'm well aware of convential theories on physiological and psychological levels.

The result? I'm extremely glad i found such a fascinating and entertaining read, but I'm not really changed in how i view the concepts. Though possibly i have a more morally sound appreciation of sex, i can't say it made the topic of multiple partners or random sex any more normal or attractive.
Convential science doesn't really disagree with anything said in this book. The complaints this author made about conventional science really focus around societal perspectives, 19th century scientist and old pyschology (an area of pure theory - a pseudoscience). So the problem is modern society and people. Not science.



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Amazing read.. will explain everything.

An essential book, opened my eyes to the world around me - sex, love, attraction, relationships - what it's all about. Can't recommend enough - everyone needs to read this.

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Hard To Sit Through

There is a few interesting points however they are basic in their presentation and arguments in all it just comes across as a book saying why every other author or anthropologist in the world is wrong and an idiot except for themselves.
Shame I was very excited to read it.

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    3 out of 5 stars

It has some great info, although I would not

It has some great info, although I would not believe everything, lots of it seems opinionated

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Eye-opening

Definitely gave me new insights about the topic and interestingly seems logical. would definitely want to try to live in this kind of secular society

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