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Binding: PaperbackDewey Decimal Number: 306.7 EAN: 9780805063325 Edition: 1 ISBN: 0805063323 Label: Holt Paperbacks Manufacturer: Holt Paperbacks Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 320 Publication Date: May 01, 2003 Publisher: Holt Paperbacks Studio: Holt Paperbacks Editorial Review: Amazon.com Review: Finally, a how-to guide, in the guise of a Q&A advice column, for marching, flying, or slithering into the battle of the sexes, whatever your species. In this entertaining and informative book, evolutionary biologist Olivia Judson presents "letters" from sexually frustrated animals, birds, and insects who ask "Dr. Tatiana" to explain some sexual oddity. For example, "Don't Wanna Be Butch in Botswana" writes, "I'm a spotted hyena, a girl. The only trouble is, I've got a large phallus. I can't help feeling that this is unladylike. What's wrong with me?" Each question leads Dr. T. into a fascinating explanation about the sex life of this species, sprinkled with sprightly stories about other species with similar attributes or behavior. You'll learn why one stick-insect copulation lasts for 10 weeks (to prevent other males from gaining access to the fertile female) and why the black-winged damselfly's penis has bristles (to scrape out his rival's sperm). You'll learn that male and female orangutans masturbate with sex toys fashioned from leaves and twigs, that slugs are hermaphrodites with penises on their heads, and that females in more than 80 species eat their lovers before, during, or after sex. You'll also ponder human sexuality when you learn that "monogamy is one of the most deviant behaviors in biology" (although jackdaws, chinstrap penguins, California mice, and some termites swear by it) and "natural selection, it seems, often smiles on strumpets." Highly recommended--you'll read this through just for the fun of it and have plenty of odd facts with which to dazzle your dinner companions. --Joan Price Product Description: “Delightful . . . Easy to understand and hard to resist, it’s sex education at its prime—accurate, comprehensive, and hilarious.” —Newsweek An uproarious and authoritative natural history in the form of letters to and answers from the preeminent sexpert in all creation, this bestselling guidebook to sex reveals, for example, when necrophilia is acceptable, how to have a virgin birth, and when to eat your lover. It also advises on more mundane matters—such as male pregnancy and the joys of a detachable penis. At once entertaining and wise, Dr. Tatiana (a.k.a. Olivia Judson) fuses natural history with advice to the lovelorn, blends wit and rigor, and reassures her anxious correspondents that although the acts they describe might sound appalling and unnatural, they are all perfectly normal—so long as you are not a human. In the process, she explains the science behind it all, from Darwin’s theory of sexual selection to why sexual reproduction exists at all. By applying human standards to the natural world, in the end she reveals the wonders of both. Average Rating:
 Rating: - Very amusing and informativeDr. Tatiana writes an advice column for members of all species and organisms that wish to write to her. She specializes in answering their questions about sex and dispensing sound advice. For example, a yellow dung fly wants to know how to make its sperm more attractive; a fig wasp wonders why all the males she knows bite each other in half; an elephant is worried because its penis has turned green; a mother manatee frets because her son appears to prefer other males. It turns ... Read More Rating:  - Sex? I don't need no stinking sex.Interesting tidbits about rare and weird creatures. However, after about 50 pages, enough is enough. The "advice to the lovelorn" format is a little too cutesy. Ray Rating:  - A fun look at evolutionary biologyThis is a fun, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, look at the evolutionary biology of how many different organisms developed their genders and their reproduction methods. Rating: - Sex AdviceWhat do you get when you cross a biology textbook, a Dr. Ruth show, a Dear Abby column, and a "Far Side" cartoon? Well, the offspring might be a brilliantly original book named Dr. Tatiana's Sex Advice to All Creation. This collection answers the desperate questions from species as varied as the Australian redback spider to the Louisiana black vulture with Dr. Tatiana's practical, reassuring, detailed explanations. It seems the worry on everyone's mind is, "Am I normal?" Move over, Dr. Phil. ... Read More Rating: - One of My FavoritesWhy not pick this up for your sweetie on Valentine's Day? This book has everything--its funny, scientifically accurate, and a quick read. This book is perfect for anyone who likes natural science, evolutionary biology, or learning about sex. |
