Customer Reviews

Dr. Tatiana's Sex Advice to All Creation: The Definitive Guide to the Evolutionary Biology of Sex

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's a great read, especially for anyone with an interest in biology, evolution, animals or of course, sex. It's also written in a way that is accessible for those without a scientific background.

This book is fairly easy to read and imparts a lot of trivial knowledge in a fun format.

I was a little disappointed on two points. First, that almost all of the subjects in the book are bugs. I'm sure mammals and reptiles have interesting sex lives, habits, and behaviors so let's hear about them. It's hard to tell if the research was focused on bugs, or if bugs are that much more interesting than the rest of us animals.

Secondly, each section seems to follow a familiar pattern as far as writing style: light, medium, and extremely dense. Once the author makes her point (answering the question) the writing gets rather dense and it's difficult to finish the topic completely.

Otherwise the book delivers as it promises.

Since there have been so many extremely well written and elaborate reviews posted already, I'll keep mine short and sweet: this book is a riot. If you've every wondered just "how do they do it, and why do they do it they way they do it?", and I don't mean your neighbors, then this is a must read. Sure, there are oodles of subject-specific text books on the market, some of which require a masters degree in English to understand, but every so often there comes along a true gem such as this little book. Combining in-depth knowledge with entertaining and original writing is an art, and Olivia Judson is a master in both fields. Enjoy!

Having trouble getting your teenagers to read? They might willingly read this. They will learn a lot about a subject that is near and dear to their hearts; and perhaps they will begin to understand that, like it or not, nature has her own rules that are founded on practical considerations (reasons). They might even be encouraged to actively search for more information on the subject from legitimate sources (e.g., a visit to a library).

Reading other people's reviews of this book, I'm reminded of how deeply ingrained the association of sex and morality is in at least the American mind. I think Ms. Judson's intents were to inform and to entertain on a subject that is of central importance to humans as part of all creation (many of us seem to forget we are part of nature), and about which people don't seem to know very much (relative to how important it is). She may also have wanted us to get a feel for how little we really know. She succeeded in all 3 points, in my opinion.

I do not believe her intent was to even hint that what's normal for other critters is right for humans (refer to my first paragraph; the "reasons" must apply). I also don't believe she intended for her work to be used in making moral judgements. (Is anyone qualified to judge nature's morality?)

The mixture of American English and English English is...um...curious.

It is not often that I give the same book to friends regardless of their general interest in biology. I have been doling this one out left and right for months now.

Written as a series of sex advice columns to various distressed or confused non-human creatures, Judson's tone is light but her research is extensive. If you're wondering whether such a humorous, light-hearted book can be scientifically accurate, wonder no more. Olivia Judson (through her alter ego, Dr. Tatiana) shows it can be done. This is easily one of my favorite books of recent years.

Judson's motivation in assembling such a volume, or at least my interpretation of it, is both a desire to expound on the diversity of bizarre sexual practices in the (animal) world and to foster some tolerance in her human audience. If you feel either intolerant or squeamish when it comes to the sometimes messy, sometimes violent practices surrounding reproduction, then this book --newly out in paperback -- may not be your ideal summer read. Having said that, I have yet to encounter a negative reaction to the book's content among my friends, who have devoured the book with an enthusiasm similar to mine. Dr. Tatiana does not glorify or endorse any particular reproductive strategy; she simply documents the truly astonishing diversity of practices and seeks to explain them from an evolutionary perspective. She'll make you look at the world in a different way, and that's a rare quality in such an easy to read book.

Write again soon, Dr. Tatiana!

Sex. We love to talk about it but not think too much about it. Judson opens the world to us of the different permutations and methods of sexual contact in the world, and why. In evolution, nature favors the ones that can pass along his or her genes tot he next generation. To ensure this, animals have created a wide variety of methods to reproduce ahead of the Joneses. Where such a topic could be boringly academic, or annoyingly titillating, Judson weaves through the middle, showing the serious side of reproduction but approaching it in a humorous way. Writing as an animal sex advice columnist, she is able to real world examples as a launching pad for discussion of various topics. And as she shows, IT'S A JUNGLE OUT THERE. We may think that us humans have problems with sex - it's nothing compared to the drive, and deviousness experienced in the animal world. Fresh writing and an interesting topic makes for a very enjoyable and educational read.

My thoughts about this book are best served by examples:
1. the newly matured male elephant is sexually frustrated for 20 years. Why? Because the females prefer the older males and because elephants apparently keep growing as they age, the older guys are bigger. So I didn't have it that bad after all when I was young; at least my period of frustration didn't last for 20 years!
2. Human females prefer males who have differing Major Histocompatibility Complexes from their own. How can they tell this? By whether the guy's odor is pleasing to them or not. And furthermore, being on the birth control pill abolishes the female's ability to sniff out the right guy! (Hey, the book mentions our species, too!)
3. The male sponge louse disguises himself as a female, so he can get past the husband and possess his wife. And we call them dumb animals and smugly believe we are so smart!
4. When a new male lion takes over the harem of an older male lion, he kills all the previous owner's cubs, which brings all the females back into heat! Now I realize why all those women desire those mafia hit men. Women say they like nice guys, but it's the really bad, power hungry guys who turn them on.
5. Why does the female praying mantis try to bite off her lover's head? Get this! Because then he performs wilder sex. Well, that explains why sex with femmes fatale is so much more ecstatic - we guys lose our heads with them. For some reason evolution is doing this stuff to us humans also.
6. Dolphins copulate with turtles, sharks, and eels as well as with their own kind. I must say, that loveable dolphin is much less inhibited than we are. We even have a hard time accepting homosexual and interracial sex.
I could go on with fascinating, thought provoking examples from this book. I feel this book achieved its goal as expressed in the final paragraph, that is, to put my problems in perspective and to be more tolerant for the predilections of others. And it helped me appreciate more fully the awesome power of genetic evolution and for example, how it causes the battle of the sexes - even in humans, I think.
The only weakness I found was in some of the theoretical discussions, like how can homosexuality be as prevalent as it is, when homosexual sex does not cause reproduction. Or, why is there sex in the first place? These were difficult to follow.

Whether the reader is a newcomer or season ticket holder with regards the comparative sex behaviour literature, this volume will surely prove itself to be both tremendously entertaining and educational. Judson?s novel ?agony aunt? Q & A style of presentation makes for a clearly accessible text for a wide audience of all ages and levels of understanding. This is a great way to impart much of the bewildering array of comparative morphology and associated knowledge concerning the rich diversity of sexual behaviour across a broad swathe of species. This book will surely attract many from the younger generation to the study of evolutionary and comparative biology/psychology. Many of us will wish that we had written this one! Not only do we read here about the birds and the bees?, mammalian phyla are well represented throughout the 13 chapters. The full tour includes gender differences (as well as similarities) and the how?s and why?s of the sex that might take place between them, whether that be in (serial) monogamy, polygyny, polyandry, or even parthenogenetic circumstances. The implications of each section for our better understanding of human sexual behaviours (both normal and abnormal) are rarely explicit, and for the most part (possibly intentionally so), are presented rather tongue-in-cheek. This is not a failing of the work, however. There is ample material here to occupy the lateral-thinking reader in this regard.

Although this book makes for a terrific vacation or conference-trip read whilst in transit, it also has much of seriousness to offer the student of comparative psychology, sociology, anthropology, zoology or medicine. For those wishing to cut to the chase with the primary literature concerning particular issues, over 20 pages of extensively referenced notes are provided. Although by no means dealing extensively with theoretical issues in the aetiology of particular sex behaviours, we do meet (albeit briefly) with Darwin, Fisher, Hamilton, Bateman, Muller and Wallace. The notes cover every "Dear Dr. Tatiana..." Q & A presented in the book, and could well form the basis of core tutorial reading and/or stimulation for small group discussions.

A welcome volume for the shelf at home as much as for the academic library, unless you?re comfortable with the public at large thinking that you?re undergoing sex therapy counseling, be sure to carry it in a brown paper bag when moving between the two!

We live in a very kinky world. Promiscuity, genitalia issues and sexual insecurities are severe problems that affect most of the planet's creatures. Thank goodness for sex columnist Dr.Tatiana. Informed and confidential she eases many a worried soul from nymphomaniac stick insects to homosexual manatees. Unfortunately she doesn't seem too interested in helping humans, perhaps because sexually we are very boring creatures. Dr.Tatiana's Sex Advice to All Creation by Olivia Judson is a fascinating and entertaining romp through the sexual battleground of animals, big and small, simple and complex. You will laugh out loud, shake your head and be thoroughly absorbed at the incredible sexual antics described, explained and prescribed. Through her advice to the lovelorn writing to her in desperation on such troubling issues as necrophilia, sex changes and male pregnancy, Dr. Tatiana enlightens us on the evolutionary biology of sex in an often humorous, always interesting and never tedious manner. Olivia Judson has created a real winner with Dr.Tatiana's Sex Advice to All Creation. It is an impressively researched, enjoyable and very original read and afterwards you'll breathe a sigh of relief for being merely a dull human.

First, let me state unequivocally that this is an immensely enjoyable book. Creating an alter ego, Dr, Tatiana, who's a sex advice columnist to the animal world, Olivia Judson offers numerous fascinating examples of the myriad bizarre and entertaining ways in which bugs, fish, birds, and mammals (and a few other things) procreate. The format of the book, with her answering nervous letters from various creatures, is derived from a column she wrote for The Economist in 1997 and it allows her to keep the discussion light and sometimes very funny... The humorous style allows her to explore sexual strategies like adultery, rape, murder, cannibalism, asexualism, homosexuality, etc., without getting too bogged down in their broader implications. That latter point though leads to what will be an equivocation.

It seems, particularly in light of the anthropomorphism that Ms Judson utilizes, like this survey of the sexual mores of other species is ultimately intended to inform our understanding of the various practices we humans engage in. If not strictly suggested by the humanized manner in which she presents her case studies, it is certainly implicated in her conclusion:

I hope that having seen the prodigious variety of sexual practices out there, you'll be more tolerant of the predilections of others.

This hope is hardly justified by what has come before. Even if we grant for the nonce that Ms Judson has demonstrated that evolutionary pressures have created a wide range of reproductive strategies, a "predilection" is a mere preference for something. Assuming that evolution is sound science, animals respond to an overwhelming force of nature; they don't just pick and choose sexual behaviors because they seem like fun; only humans have this privilege.

Taken at face value, Ms Judson's point might invite us to broaden our minds to the point where Jeffrey Dahmer's cannibalism may be tolerated as just another in a wide range of entirely natural sexual practices. Or rape could be accepted as just an evolutionary adaptation; indeed, evolutionary psychologists have proposed that this may be the case. If Ms Judson is trying to suggest that any behavior we can find in another species deserves our tolerance, she really ought to have made a sustained argument, rather than, in effect, just saying that this stuff happens therefore it's natural, therefore it should be tolerated. If she's not suggesting any such thing, then one wonders what the purpose of the book is.

If it's just a titillating entertainment that's fine, because it is very entertaining. But if we are supposed to be able to draw any conclusions from the book, the simple fact that neither survival nor reproduction appear to offer much challenge for modern humans would seem to mitigate against the idea that aberrant behaviors are anything more than mere preferences. Factor in the unique human soul and our free will and it seems fair to ask why the exercise of personal preferences should not be subject to moral judgment.

Ultimately, Ms Judson overreaches her material, but not before she's made reading the book worth our while.

GRADE: B-