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Sex at Dawn
- How We Mate, Why We Stray, and What It Means for Modern Relationships
- Narrated by: Allyson Johnson, Jonathan Davis, Christopher Ryan (Preface)
- Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins
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Sex at Dawn
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Editor 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
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.
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What listeners say about Sex at Dawn
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Sarah
- 10-11-17
finished in 3 days!
Great book. Couldnt put it down. Eye opening and although a little bit corny in places gave me great overview for the debate on human mating systems.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- Patrick
- 13-02-14
Incredible read
If you could sum up Sex at Dawn in three words, what would they be?
insightful, inspiring, honest
What was one of the most memorable moments of Sex at Dawn?
when the author blew Steven Pinkers latest book out of the water with his incredible arguments.
What about the narrators’s performance did you like?
beautiful balanced female voice, although it was a male who wrote the book. fascinating effect
Any additional comments?
GET THIS BOOK!
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 10-06-19
Go with printed version
Too many references for an audio format. I could do with just the 1st and last hour, that's where I found the most useful information.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Miss M J Johnson
- 21-01-19
loved it, very helpful and validating
this book is good at questioning our understanding of ourselves and the expectations we have engrained in many of our cultures, unpicking parts of the research that led us here and reviewing our reaction to non-monogamous relationship styles in terms of a promiscuous human past
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Enrique M
- 11-05-22
Eye opening and interesting.
Just imagine what life would be like if we lived in a way that enhanced our lives and changed our mindsets for the better. sexual freedom, could well be the key to helping partnerships thrive.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Louis Raubenheimer
- 05-07-22
A little naughty, lots of fun with much to learn from our ancestors
Really enjoyed listening to this. It's superbly read by Allyson Johnson. The nexus of the topic is that monogamous coupling is unnatural. That we have evolved to have many partners within a community. That that community then cares for each other and each other's children. Sounds amazing, but the challenges of implementing such a belief in our modern, seperate lives has obvious challenges. This is a topic that's already kept me and will continue to keep me thinking for a long time...
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Emad
- 06-02-23
You Will Own Nothing & Be Happy
You will own nothing and be happy, that includes your partner. A book that doesn't try to educate you, but tells you how polyamory is the natural human way and anything beyond that is unnatural. Felt like a hit piece with an agenda more than an informative book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Karin
- 28-01-24
Amazing and eye opening
I am well read on alternative relationship structures and sexuality, and still this book was full of new information. One of the best books on sexuality out there, a must read!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Trailerfitters Toolbox
- 11-08-19
Well researched book and very comprehensive.
How many times you listen to a book is the amount of stars you should rate it. One can never take in all the information given on the first time around. This book has given me more insight into the female sexual imperative which, clearly stated in the book has been hidden. Excellently compiled leave very few stones unturned. Plenty of information to mull over in the coming months.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Marcin Grzadzielski
- 07-03-17
Great book
Great book. Now I can feel better about cheating on my girlfriends in the past...
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1 person found this helpful