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Sex in the Sea: Our Intimate Connection with Sex-Changing Fish, Romantic Lobsters, Kinky Squid, and Other Salty Erotica of the Deep Hardcover – Feb. 9 2016
An Amazon Best Book of 2016
An Oprah.com "Best Book for National Reading Month"
Forget the Kama Sutra. When it comes to inventive sex acts, just look to the sea. There we find the elaborate mating rituals of armored lobsters; giant right whales engaging in a lively threesome whilst holding their breath; full moon sex parties of groupers and daily mating blitzes by blueheaded wrasse. Deep-sea squid perform inverted 69s, while hermaphrodite sea slugs link up in giant sex loops. From doubly endowed sharks to the maze-like vaginas of some whales, Sex in the Sea is a journey unlike any other to explore the staggering ways life begets life beneath the waves.
Beyond a deliciously voyeuristic excursion, Sex in the Sea uniquely connects the timeless topic of sex with the timely issue of sustainable oceans. Through overfishing, climate change, and ocean pollution we are disrupting the creative procreation that drives the wild abundance of life in the ocean. With wit and scientific rigor, Hardt introduces us to the researchers and innovators who study the wet and wild sex lives of ocean life and offer solutions that promote rather than prevent, successful sex in the sea. Part science, part erotica, Sex in the Sea discusses how we can shift from a prophylactic to a more propagative force for life in the ocean.
- Print length288 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherSt. Martin's Press
- Publication dateFeb. 9 2016
- Dimensions16.13 x 2.9 x 24.41 cm
- ISBN-109781137279972
- ISBN-13978-1137279972
Product description
Review
“Whether readers are new to the marine sciences or possess prior knowledge, they will find much to learn in this well-written and delightful study.” ―Library Journal, starred review
"Funny and entertaining...but it is also a warning. Misunderstanding the mating habits and needs of sea life poses great risks to our own way of life." ―The Miami Herald
"An oceanographic Kinsey Report." ―O Magazine
"In Sex in the Sea, Marah J. Hardt, research co-director of the nonprofit Future for Fish, gathers tales of marine love that are often as hilarious as they are disturbing." ―New York Post
"[Hardt's] fascination with the sheer variety and kinkiness of sex in the ocean is unbounded." ―Sierra
"Hardt’s writing is often spectacular at describing the rituals and courtships of underwater reproduction...It’s descriptions like these―luxurious and strange―that help drive Hardt’s book." ―The New Republic
"A voyeuristic romp." ―The Economist
"Sea sex is way more fraught than your average tinder hookup, Dr. Marah Hardt suggests in her weird, excellent new book...With endless enthusiasm and innuendos, Hardt explores the “salty erotica of the deep,” from barnacle boners to the mass simultaneous orgasms of coral (take notes, gentlemen)." ―GQ
"Oh, the shenanigans that go on down below. From lobsters spraying urine on each other as part of their mating ritual to horseshoe crabs' orgies to the blue whale's 12-foot penis, Hardt covers the waterfront." ―The Chicago Tribune
"A watery romp under the waves that will appeal to anyone wanting to broaden their knowledge of our watery planet." ―Kirkus Reviews
"Hilarious...Hardt’s science is up to date in a field where research can be difficult, and readers will feel confident that they can talk intelligently about fish gonads at their next sushi dinner." ―Publisher's Weekly
“I think it was W.C. Fields who famously said 'I don’t drink water. Fish have sex in it.' As Marah J. Hardt tells it in this captivating, tell-all account, for quite a few sea creatures that’s the whole point. Sex in the Sea is a highly entertaining, exhilarating book and a wonderfully fresh take on the amazing biodiversity beneath the waves." ―Sir Richard Branson, Founder of the Virgin Group
"Sex and the sea are both deeply mysterious. The combination of the two is explosive and makes for a terrific yarn.” ―Paul Greenberg, bestselling author of Four Fish and American Catch
"Sex in the City can't hold a candle to Marah Hardt's saucy and scholarly Sex in the Sea." Nancy Knowlton, author of Citizens of the Sea
“Marah Hardt has written a kinky romp through the sea―a book that should earn marine biology an X rating.” ―Carl Zimmer, author of A Planet of Viruses
"Hardt reveals the curious mysteries of marine sex life in fascinating ways...Do yourself a favor and dive into this gem of a book!" ―aimeejustonemorepage.wordpress.com
About the Author
Product details
- ASIN : 1137279974
- Publisher : St. Martin's Press (Feb. 9 2016)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 288 pages
- ISBN-10 : 9781137279972
- ISBN-13 : 978-1137279972
- Item weight : 510 g
- Dimensions : 16.13 x 2.9 x 24.41 cm
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,194,147 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #690 in Marine Life (Books)
- #698 in Nature & Ecology of Marine Life
- #937 in Marine Biology (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

A coral reef ecologist by training, Marah J Hardt keeps one foot wet in the field, while the other roams the worlds of creative storytelling and problem-solving, with a focus on ocean conservation issues. Currently the Director of Discovery for Future of Fish, Marah assists entrepreneurs and innovators with finding solutions to the global overfishing crisis. Her past work includes ecological, historical, and social science research on a range of subjects, from artisanal fisheries to climate change impacts on ocean life. Her articles and book chapters have appeared in academic and popular media, such as Scientific American and The American Prospect. She received her PhD in Marine Science from Scripps Institution of Oceanography in 2007, and a B.A. in History of Science from Harvard University in 2000.
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ma che dovrebbero far riflettere sulla ns monotonia
Aber: Im Laufe des Buches werden die Kapitel besser und besser. Die Phänomene und die verschiedenen Überlebenspraktiken sind nach wie vor ungewöhnlich und interessant, aber Hardt hält sich länger bei einzelnen Spezies auf und erklärt vor allem auch warum diese Spezies sich auf diese Art und weise fortpflanzt oder was der evolutionäree Vorteil jener Überlebenstechnik ist. Und das ist wirklich intereressant! Insbesondere wird man kaum noch in ein Aquarium gehen können, ohne zu sagen: "Oh, diese Spezies tut jenes" oder "Jener Fisch ist das Lebewesen mit...". Sehr cool!
Hardt geht auch darauf ein, warum dies nicht nur ganz interessant, sondern auch wichtig ist: Wenn man Spezies schützen will (und ein Großteil der Meeresbewohner sind bedroht), muss man wissen, wie sich die Spezies vermehrt und welche Bedinungen dazu herrschen müssen.
Es ist ein bisschen schade, dass das Buch nicht vom Start weg sich etwas fokussierter an die Arbeit gemacht hat, dann hätte es wohl für die volle Punktzahl gereicht. Aber auch so würde ich das Buch allen ans Herz legen, die sich für die anderen Lebewesen unseres Planeten interessieren!