Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature - The Red Queen

I enjoyed the very casual tone taken by the author in this book. Parts of it are conversational, but still delivery a highly academic discourse. I appreciated the breadth of arguments and examples put forth, and the last few segments are especially entertaining and engaging.

It was a bit presumptuous but backed with lots of data supporting the theories presented. It applies evolutionary theory to humans in a way that is clear to the reader. Bear in mind that this is exactly that, theory.

Matt Ridley is a layperson's science writer. While the book has its complex moments -- evolution is complex -- the book is fascinating and full of amazing facts about human and nonhuman evolution. Ridley ties all kinds of aspects of human development to human behavior, all tied to the need for organisms (humans and all the critters in us) to survive. Best of all, he writes with a sense of humor and great examples. While the book is about 10 years old, it is still worth reading particularly if you are interesting in the "why" of evolution.

When I first got this book, it was very difficult for me to get through the first couple of chapters, which are very technical and deal with the most fundamental question of how organisms and sex emerged. So I skipped ahead a few chapters and started reading about the more specific human behaviors, much easier to digest.

These days, I actually enjoy the first part of the book more. I went back and re-read his discussion of pre-historic times, and surprisingly that part is much more authoritative than his observations of contemporary human mating (which are better summarized by other scientists).

Why did sex evolve? The author spends a lot of time on the geeky details in the first half of the book (which I had to slog through), but in the second half he explores why different sexual strategies work for different animals in different situations. It's fascinating stuff, although you'll come away thinking somewhat less of humanity in general, and you'll wonder how in the world anybody could possibly believe in the equality of the sexes.

i find the title of the book disturbingly misleading. i expected a lot more discussion on what the title says (ie sex and the evolution of human nature) and on the possible links between the two. instead, the author keeps ranting about birds and other animals. true, there is space for such discussions, but i find it hugely disproportionate. take this line from p174 for instance (the text in the book is approx 350 pages): 'so far this book has taken only a few, sideways glances at human beings.' this is true, and it only modestly improves even from here on. with a more suitable title, disappointments of this sort could be avoided

the author very often quotes from others. actually, large part of the book is quotations and references sewn together in a patchwork. i find very few original insights in the book, and the ones that are there are not always very well presented. the author does not seem to have found his own voice, and somehow the whole book lacks character

the only real merit of the book is that it is extremely well researched and the references and bibliography is presented in a very clear and neat manner

all in all, the book is kind of ok, but in no ways outstanding. if i could choose not to have bought and read it, i probably would, though

The theoretical premise could be summarized in one paragraph. Great title. But what the interesting topic was followed up with a boring and overly simplistic concept. Would probably be more interesting to someone who has not taken a biology class.

I read the celebrated "Moral Animal" some 10 years ago, re-read it and underlined it at least twice. Finally I had found a theory of human nature and psychology I could wholeheartedly believe in. Ten years later, I have now found "Red Queen" - more of the same, but specialized particularly in the huge role sexual selection played during our evolutionary history.

Experienced scientist and science journalist Matt Ridley compiled these findings of evolutionary psychology (EP) for the lay reader in 1993 - and "Red Queen" is still a timely treatise. Disclaimer: For those who are offended by the very suggestion that our behavior evolved from a pre-ape ancestor - and that our behavior is an elaborate, sophisticated manifestation of language and socialization which evolved by natural selection along with a huge brain - you won't like this book.

I realize the following assessments of mine are anecdotal, but here goes: I have seen how men and women preen, peacock-like, showing off their best (?) sides during courtships, and how they pair off in society according to commonly accepted determinants of status, differing depending on sex. I have seen how the competitive, power-seeking behavior of men is drastically tempered by marriage. I have seen how married men who are careful in all other endeavors will take uncharacteristic risks for a sexual fling. I have observed how women tend to choose (in a mate) financial success and stability over looks (if they have to choose), whereas men tend to choose beauty over all else. I have seen how men and women differ in their outlooks: Men (generally) want to be practical, shrewd, assertive, dominating, competitive, critical, and self-controlled. Women (usually) want to be loving, affectionate, impulsive, sympathetic, and generous. One in three men said they had fantasized about having sex with more than a thousand women in their lives. Women overwhelmingly fantasize about having sex with a familiar partner. I have read about and subsequently observed how people (unconsciously?) score each other during their social interactions, rating relationship values for the future. Finally, game theory concepts are widely known to be utilized by humans in sexual and social interactions. All these concepts are predicted by EP. I could go on with other examples, but in short, I'm a sucker for EP.

Recently, I have read about resistance in university humanities departments to EP - humans being so special and all. We are - in the sense that our intelligence has given us free reign over our world - but humans are still very imperfect. We are poorly designed in many ways (backs, knees, tendency to war, self-delusion) - exactly what one would expect from evolution. Cockroaches or certain scorpions, which can live without food and water for almost a year, are also impressive. There is every reason to believe that our (at times) unethical sexual behavior as well as our superior intelligence evolved in just as Rube-Goldberg a fashion as did our (very complicated and redundant) blood clotting mechanism.

Anyway, this book is superb. I will close, since I could end up nattering on for more pages than most would want to read. Consider moving "Red Queen" closer to the top of your TBR list. A Best Buy.

There is a lot of valuable ideas in this book. But as the author says on page 248 "Half the ideas in this book are probably wrong". I'll take him at his word. Nowhere in his analysis and theorizing is there any mention of a spiritual nature of man. He quickly dismisses any component of human nature outside of physical evolution. I believe man is more than an ape, as he states plainly. I believe man has a divine nature also.

This is a really excellent book. I can say that professionally as well as generally - I recommend it to friends who aren't biologists. For those who want to beef up on evolutionary history more generally, I recommend reading Richard Dawkins' "The Ancestors' Tale" (2016 second edition) which is also excellent and accessible for non-biologists. Dawkins recommends Ridley's "Red Queen", though he points out that Ridley emphasizes one of several theories for the evolution of sexual reproduction. More than one of them might have been operating - reinforcing each other perhaps.

Let me comment on the Library Journal reviewer who says Ridley is pompous for dismissing those who don't believe in evolution. I wonder where the cut-off is? Would dismissing believers in a flat earth be pompous? Would it be pompous to dismiss illiterates who wouldn't even be able to read the book? I wouldn't dismiss disbelievers in evolution as human beings, and I doubt that Ridley would either, but dismissing them as as part of an audience worth his while seems fair enough. I would certainly dismiss them as worth writing for or having a meaningful conversation with, and I don't think it's pompous to say that. I would suggest that such people, and this reviewer, should read Dawkins' "The Ancestors' Tale", and then re-enter the modern scientific world. Sorry, but science has moved on and not believing in evolution is now pretty much the ignorance-equivalent of disbelieving in a spherical spinning earth. Even the Catholic Church has accepted evolution for a long time, albeit a divinely guided version.

I wish I could give this book six stars.

Matt Ridley is simply an excellent writer. He summarizes very complex and vast concepts in a voice that is likable and understandable. Ridley begins by introducing a question, then summarizing what different scientists have historically conjectured. He points out where different arguments fail, and others succeed to explain existing data. He expertly uses metaphors and explains studies in a way that is understandable and interesting.

First, he explains the premise of evolution, and how it centers on the sexual reproduction of genes, resulting in an effective arms race between each species and predator or prey species, each species and other members of the same species, each individual and his or her mate, and in some cases individual genes and other genes.
He goes on to ask questions such as: what advantage does sexual reproduction confer over asexual reproduction?
Why do some species have pronounced physical differences between males and females?
Do humans have such psychological differences, and if so what are they?
To what extent is human psychology the product of culture, and culture the product of human psychology?

One potential drawback of this book is that it holds views that are politically contentious. First, Ridley does not even toy with the possibility of a divine creator, which may be offensive to some religious factions. Second, he outlines evidence for genetically-based sex differences in personality, which could be offensive in certain corners of the internet.

This is the 3rd book I have read by Matt Ridley. The others were "Genome" and "Agile Gene". Matt Ridley is a fabulous writer, intelligent and very knowledgeable in the evolutionary science (Ph. D from Oxford in Zoology). His writing style is fluent, non-technical, and quick-paced. This is popular science truly written at its best.

However, it is not without drawbacks. Although the narrative is very quick-paced, as mentioned earlier, it is also a disadvantage. Some concepts in the evolutionary science and some of its more specialized branches can be difficult to understand, even if technical jargon is omitted. And I say this as someone with a graduate degree in Biological Science. Therefore, sometimes a slower, and more prudent explanation is required in order for the reader to truly understand the concepts at a fundamental and deep level, rather than just superficially.

This is precisely what I found missing throughout much of the book, due mainly to the fact that Ridley's page-turning narrative draws you in to read it quickly, and even skim on some material, giving one the impression that the material is easy and even common sensical. This was especially true in the first half of the book, where the various fundamental and core sexual selection theoretical concepts are explained, most of which apply to plants and lower and less complex organisms. Thus, I found myself frequently re-reading passages multiple times over. In this sense, Richard Dawkins is a much better writer and explainer of evolutionary science concepts (I would highly recommend reading Dawkins's "Selfish Gene" prior to this book).
However, if one is patient enough to get through the preliminary material in the first half of the book, which proverbially sets the stage for the second half, the book gets better. This is so because in the second half of the book Ridley applies the concepts learned in the first half of the book to primates and humans. Many interesting and juicy topics are discussed, such as polygamy, homosexuality, sexual attraction and etc.

Another somewhat minor criticism is that I found that Ridley did a mediocre job synthesizing the material. There are quite a few chapters, and sections within chapters, in the book. Most sections are on average 3-4 pages long, and are only loosely organized. It was difficult to find solid and unifying themes within chapters, as the material is somewhat loosely scattered throughout the book, including some redundancies (albeit not extensive). Clearly, Ridley read and got acquainted with many research papers, monographs and other material for this book, but did a mediocre job assembling and synthesizing the material. And to the extent that Ridley contributed his own originality to it, it was only superficial at best. He touches on some philosophical themes, themes from cognitive science, linguistics and etc. But the author doesn't provide in depth treatment of any. Nevertheless, if one is patient and interested enough in the material, then these relatively minor issues shouldn't take much away from the book.

Lastly, this is a book strictly about science. There are no ethical, moral or religious theories discussed in the book, except only to the extent that some may be explained by evolution. It should also be noted that, even as the author himself admits, it is not the final word on the topic(s) covered. Many theories are solid and backed by much evidence. Others are more speculative and supported by weaker and inconsistent evidence. Thus, one must be careful not to formulate very strong conclusions about every topic covered.

Recommended.

Brilliant complex yet concisely articulated. I listened to it on audio-book at 11 hours went by like it was one hour. No filler. All scientific facts that relate directly to dating and mating today among humans. The Red Queen is a thesis on how sexual selection and the competition for reproductive advantage between males and females is responsible for many cultural and biological facts that are characteristic of humans. In the book, the author explains how biological facts translate into gender roles, attraction, and mating. Many other aspects of human psychology are explained through biological evolution by way of sexual selection. I can not recommend this book highly enough. I am now going to read more Matt Ridley books. He is a scientist in the Sagan, Krauss, DeGrasse, vein, meaning he makes the science accessible.

Ever since cracking this book open, I have found myself sitting and reading at the expense of all manner of things I shouldn't have put off. I had never thought about why sex exists, even though I'm the kind of guy who looks at a thing and sees its parts and how they function. I took a lot of things for granted before reading this book, and my outlook on life will never be quite the same again now that I have.

As the last dozen pages or so approach, I found myself looking up the author. I had thought to strike up a casual conversation with the man, and then I discovered he is a member of the House of Lords. I did not expect that. I don't normally interact with people from that stratum of society, and yet the person who comes through his writing seems like someone I would very much enjoy chatting with in a pub or something. I find that oddly fascinating.

Interesting. I read it all the way through. It's depressing though because the author implies people are basically slaves to sex. The science is valuable especially about how genes fight for replication, even with the host. But philosophically I really dislike this book because it fails to elevate the human species. Not very valuable for lay readers. I imagine scientists aren't really reading this either.

In the tradition of Gladwell, Dawkins, Duhigg, and the Freakonomics guys, Matt Ridley unravels an entertaining and informative narrative to explain a set of complex theories to layman readers.

This book describes theories about topics for which there is very little direct observation. The author himself posits that half the stuff in the book may be wrong. This is the reality in any subject on which there is limited but expanding knowledge. This book does an excellent job of explaining prevailing theories based on current knowledge. There are other competing scientific and faith based theories including one in which a supreme being created everything a few thousand years ago, and a somewhat lesser being manipulated all the carbon and potassium isotopes and cosmic radiation to confound us. Apart from stating up front that readers open only to such creation based theories may not find much in common with the book, the author does not broach the subject at all. The book does NOT compare, debate, contrast or discuss in any way the merits of creation versus evolution. If you are looking for a creation basher or an evolutionary straw man, this is not it.

Like any good book of this type, The Red Queen first lays a solid foundation for its principal theories using illustrative and interesting examples. Then it goes on tell the cohesive and plausible story of Alice (a eukaryote) who upon meeting Aris (another eukaryote) had the prophetic insight to think to herself “What a beautiful specimen? I bet if I have sex with him we can recombine our DNA and produce more diverse and resilient offspring and spawn a new branch of the most complex and intelligent life on Earth. And besides it will feel good.” Then, in the tradition of the books of Exodus, Numbers and Joshua through 2nd Chronicles, it describes the adventures of the descendants of Alice and Aris, and some of the antics they get up to. These include repairing their own DNA, out-evolving parasites, experimenting with more than two genders, growing long necks and tails, and eventually becoming smart enough to exert some influence over their own mating habits.

If you are looking for a book that is more specifically about sexual selection, or with a broader overview of evolution, then this book may still be for you although parts of it may seem less relevant. This book aims to specifically cover how sexual reproduction came to be, why it managed to prevail and persist, and how it evolved among different species to involve the specific mechanics that it does today.

If you are looking for something akin to the Dead Sea Scrolls with a 100% accurate and conclusive account of the origin of life on Earth, then please skip this book and don’t bother with irrelevant negative reviews. OTOH, if you would like to improve your understanding of current theories up to the limits of modern science, then I recommend this book.

Regretfully, Matt does not mention the story of Alice and Aris because we were unable to fact-check their life stories. The difficulty arose because they only lived for about 30 minutes more than 3 billion years ago. And also because I made them up as a metaphor for the illustrative nature of the book. But guess what?! Since they are the prototype of all sexually reproducing organisms on Earth, there is probably a little Alice and Aris in all of us. And in our flowers.

"Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place."

-- the Red Queen, "Through the Looking Glass"

Little did Lewis Carroll know this absurd line from his classic children's book would inspire a name for an important aspect of evolutionary biology. The Red Queen effect describes the manner in which organisms evolve in competition with other organisms that also evolve--resulting in an evolutionary stalemate, despite all the evolution. The cheetah runs faster to catch the antelope, and the antelope runs faster to get away from the cheetah. The snail evolves a thicker shell to defend itself from crabs, and crabs evolve stronger claws to break through thicker shells. And so on go the evolutionary arms races.

What does this have to do with sex? Sexual reproduction is a major mystery of evolution. Why does it exist at all, when it is so much more costly than asexual reproduction? Matt Ridley argues that sexual reproduction is a tactic in the proverbial arms race between parasites and their hosts. In this Red Queen situation, each combination of the genes of two individuals creates a unique challenge for potential parasites. Most of the book, however, isn't about the origins of sexual reproduction. Rather, "The Red Queen" is chiefly about evolutionary psychology as it relates to sex. Ridley argues that because sex has been so important to human evolution, and psychology is the product of evolution, sex can not be ignored as a major defining force of human nature.

Some of the arguments found in "The Red Queen" may not be popular with everyone. Ridley thinks some of the stereotypical differences between men and women are inherent, rather than imaginary or even cultural. Two examples:

1.) Men are more promiscuous than women because they have less to lose from unwanted pregnancy. In fact, in terms of sheer reproductive ability, men have a lot to gain from sex with many partners.

2.) Women are better at verbal skills, while men are better at math, due to differing parental and occupational roles during prehistoric times.

Ridley is sure to stress that these are mere generalizations, akin to stating that "men are taller than women." It's true as a general rule, but isn't the case every time. It's also clear that Ridley isn't demeaning women (or men). He is describing perceived differences, not arguing inequality.

Whenever Ridley makes an argument, he backs it up with examples from other organisms (the cheating mates of supposedly monogamous birds, for example), and/or studies conducted by social scientists. He is also sure to give fair representations of arguments he doesn't agree with, and balanced explanations of why he doesn't agree with them. I find that even when I disagree with Ridley, I have to respect his opinion.

"The Red Queen" is an enjoyable, informative, and well-researched book for anyone with an interest in evolution or psychology.

I just can't get enough science. I work as an engineer all day, yet this is the kind of book I like to read during my off hours. This book is about evolution. If you don't believe in evolution, you're an idiot and you need to get educated. If you realize the previous question is like asking whether or not you believe in gravity, then congratulations on being well learned and please read on. This book mainly focuses on the sexes and how our two gender system developed throughout the course of history. The author is super smart, using big words that most people won't even know how to repeat. However, don't let this scare you away if you have a true passion and love of learning. If you want to explore where we come from, the biological meaning of life, and many other unanswerable questions this book is a great place to start.

We take for granted the deeper meaning of life during our everyday lives. We don't always think about where we came from, how we've developed, how human beings became the most dominant animal on the planet. So it's good to read a book like this every once in a while and regain an appreciation for the mysteries of life. The best way to explore the mysteries of the universe is through science. Our knowledge is limited, but always increasing. Someday we may be able to answer questions we never thought possible.

Like I said before, this book focuses on sex. Why are there only two genders? Why not three or four? Have you ever thought about that? What would people look like or how would they interact if there were more than two sexes? What if same sexes could reproduce as well? Do all animals, insects, and creatures reproduce sexually with two distinct genders? Nope. And it's fascinating the many different ways it happens throughout the world. Why are men and women attracted to each other? No, really why? What is it inside of us? And what about gays? Why does homosexuality even exist, since it clearly gives no evolutionary advantage? All of these questions and more are explored in this book.

This book discusses all things with evolution and gender - why two of them exist, and what and why there are differences between them. It ranges over the various possible theories and explanations step by step, which ones are likely or improbable, and why. It's (amazingly) doesn't seem terribly dated so many years later (copyright 1993), since while it relies on studies, it's mostly an exercise in logic. I appreciate writers who can acknowledge they might be wrong, give you different arguments and let you think about it for yourself.

Comparisons with the Selfish Gene are apt; it's got a similar logical style of writing and the material has some overlap. I'd recommend reading Selfish Gene first, since it is more general and basic, while the Red Queen is specific to gender. I found it very readable, with touches of humor; but not a fast read since it is methodical and thorough. As a well-read layperson, I didn't find it highly technical.

Since back in the 1960s when Desmond Morris published his now classic, The Naked Ape: A Zoologist's Study of the Human Animal There have been literally dozens of books published in this general genre, i.e. the mental/social/sexual evolution of man. Some of the works that have been offered have been quite good; others not so good. I must say though that of all these works, The Red Queen is probably the best of the lot; or at least of the ones that I have personally read.

With this offering the author gives us very logical insights into human nature, sexual selection, and the origins of our reproductive process via evolution. While there is much in this work that is not really new, there is also much to ponder over and information to consider.

I like the way the author has been quite forwarded in admitting that many of his ideas may quite well be proven wrong in that evolution, or at least the study of evolution, is a dynamic science and every changing as we learn more and more. I also liked the way the author was straight forward in his introduction and bluntly stated that if the reader was one of those individuals who believed that the earth and all on it were made in seven days and that the earth is only a few thousands years old, then this particular work is probably not for them. He wishes them well; not hard feelings, and then pushes on with his subject.

I found almost all of the author's arguments to be presented in a very logical manner and he has been quite careful to back what he says up with endless research notes and notations. I guess in short, I could pretty well accept everything he said...for the most part.

The first portion of the book deals more with the animal kingdom, and the second half deals more with humans. I appreciated the fact that the author was very to delineate the difference between the study of anthropology and that of evolution. Over and over again the author pointed out the differences between what is the custom of different peoples and the biological facts. I was very gratified that the author emphasized the fact that males and females are different...neither being superior to the other...only different, in particular in the way they select mates, view life and function within given situations.

While the author did tend to be a bit repetitive here and there and there were indeed a few pages that could be classified as "dry as dust," overall I found the book to be extremely readable and more than extremely informative. I learned much from this work and had a lot that I already knew reinforced and set out in a logical sequence. I knew many bits and pieces, but this work allowed me to put those little chunks of knowledge into a workable order.

I have been reading references to this book in various articles for a couple of years now and am quite glad I did not put off reading it any longer. Overall this was a fun and informative read and it will most certainly cause you to think and look at our overall human condition through a different lens.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

I read this book after my sister, who is in the STEM fields, told me about the topic and said she'd like it. Though I like science and try to kind of keep up with discoveries, I'm in the legal field so I was a bit worried that this book would be a bit over my head. Fortunately, Ridley does a great job of conveying interesting information in a way that is clear but not condescending. You can really feel the author's joy and excitement about the topic as you're reading, and it gets you excited in turn. There was so much fascinating information in this book about evolution and sexual creatures, and I really feel like I learned a lot! Now I can better articulate how evolution and natural selection work and how humans' actions tie into their evolutionary background. I highly recommend this book, even if you don't have a science background.

Matt Ridley has done an exceptional job in this book to provide insights on Evolution and the role played by Sex in the process. I have read a couple other books, Selfish Gene and Why Evolution Is True on the topic of evolution but the perspective taken by Matt is unique and remarkable.

The book can be vaguely divided into two parts. The first part talks about what sexual selection is and how sexual reproduction happens. There's a deep dive that talks about Meiosis mentioning Recombination and Outcrossing. This information is crucial to understanding many of the concepts in the book.

The second part of the book is about how two genders of the same species differ and the reason for those differences - just as the title says 'Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature'.

Chapters 6 and 7 are truly interesting and talk about polygamy in men and monogamy in women. "Polygamy and 3-D spatial skills seem to go together in several species." - Brilliant!

Witty and kept me curious till the end.

By reading this book, you realize how rare books like The Selfish Gene are, which logically presents scientific findings in an accessible and fun way. Alas, this book lacks the logical development and the fun. Studies are cited plenty, but rather haphazardly.

Even though I'm giving the book five stars, I admit that I'm surprised it's reputation is so high on the store. There are a *lot* of controversial statements within this book, and the work's inspiring legacy on Reddit's /r/theredpill culture seems like a strong foundation for feminist backlash. Certainly, the author presents many challenges to some key theses of second-wave feminism, and admits plainly that his counterclaims are less than 100% certain. Social anthropology remains a nascent field. I have no doubt that big data will eventually enlighten it with mathematical rigor, but we live in an age where the full implications of sex and gender and controversial because of their hidden scientific personality. This book is (1) a rigorous introduction to the genetics of sexual selection and (2) a fascinating analysis of how sexual selection impacts human behavior. The book's concluding thesis is compelling, in my view. That said, the book demands a healthy, mature skepticism. I am in love with Ridley's closing remarks validating this skepticism. Few authors respect the ephemeral strength of their insights. Well-done. -Ryan Mease

This book is a series of references and discussions of theories about the role of sex in evolution and how it relates to Human Nature. Why animals (including humans) make our sexual preferences real and what behaviors we use in order to mate and thus continue our biological lineage.

The Red Queen takes its title from a general evolutionary theory that can be described briefly. A species evolves to meet its current survival needs. The lion develops better jaws or is faster based on an "improved" musculature or its scent improves. The details are not important. The lion becomes a better hunter.

At the same time its prey also develops evolutionary "improvements". The gazelle may become more camouflaged, or be able to leap higher etc. and again the details are not important for this purpose. As the lion improves its ability to hunt its prey that same prey develops abilities to elude the hunter. Essentially with evolutionary changes, there is no distancing the hunter from the prey or visa versa.

Like the Red Queen indicates in the Alice and Wonderland tale, the faster you run the more everything stays the same. As the prey, the more you develop to withstand your predator the more your predator develops their "capture" skills. This describes the point of Matt Ridley's Red Queen. Everything evolves but the world gets no closer to "solving" its many dilemmas.

This book is an enjoyable and thought provoking book. Ridley introduces a tremendous number of theories to corroborate his notions and often tells the reader why he rejects them. This left the reviewer wondering if Ridley was teasing us with ideas but leaving us with little that was conclusive. That appears to be the case but the author does not offer anything but his Red Queen theory as the point of the book.

The many theories and references force the reader to investigate further in order to develop their own understanding. Ridley offers plenty to choose from. The reader can enjoy this book for its references and suggestions but it would be hard not to enjoy the prose that includes many subtle pieces of humor. He suggests at one point that a peahen reading this book might disagree with him. While the reviewer is not so sure the peahen would disagree he does feel confident that reading this book will enlighten a person and provide them with ideas to pursue for further investigation.

I found this book concerning scientific research on the evolution of sex pretty darn good, but rather complicated. Dont expect light holiday reading, but do expect a congenial informative style, and a smoragasboard of ideas regarding the evolution of a very complex part of biological behaviour, with particular reference to one homo sapien sapien.
Matt Ridley provides a good overview of scientific debate and research regarding the evolution of sex in the myriad species of earth (blue planet, third rock form sun). He melds the tension between inborn/innate characteritics and learning/culture amicably. This 'tension' is a perennial one, being more about definitions and models than absolutes, but one in which a better understanding and complementary framework is gradually gaining consensus. Any scientist worth his salt will realise that the tension between these two complimentary parts of our existance will be continued to be modified, updated, redefined and reviewed with the further gathering of knowledge. There are no absolutes when it comes to such things. Matt Ridley manages to hold and communicate this understanding pretty admirably.
Having read and admired some of his works, I do detect a subtle bias in his discourses, but it is not a bias which is held without evidence, nor one in which the tension between doubt and certainty is absent. He backs up his assertions with empirical evidence, he bases models of the human condition on such evidence, and he allows room for modification and review where necessary. Just the way science should be. He does have his leanings, but he makes it clear where these are, holding these with sobriety.
There are many theories of sex outlined in this book. I won't spoil the fun by detailing them. Be prepared for the Red Queen, Cain, sex, asex, changing sex, no sex, lots of sex, fungi sex, bacteria sex, sea horse females with a kind of penis, selfish genes and sex, organisms which appear to be all female, male redundancy, female choice, male choice, female redundancy, marriage, hermaphrodites, harems, infidelity, monogomous albaltrosses,promiscuous bonobos, cheating cuckoos, prancing peacocks, the list goes on and the discussion is fairly exhaustive.
As I said, don't expect "Where I came from" part 2. Rather: "Where I came from, a general guide for the species of earth, with particular reference to homo sapien sapien" (adult informative version).
Richly decorated.

I read this book about the same time I was reading the Selfish Gene and it was a great companion book. Ridley seems to fully accept the selfish gene theory and uses that as one of his basis for the idea of evolution. I preferred this book over Dawkins book, Ridley is a far better writer and the book focused less on the concept and more on explaining things using good analogies and tons of scientific studies (and open ended speculation). I also really liked that right from the beginning Ridley doesn't attempt to spend any time arguing with creationists, it makes the book far better because I don't have to read the same creationist stuff again and again which seems to be a problem with so many evolution books. I think anyone interested in evolution and biology should pick this book up.

After reading Robert Wright's 'The Moral Animal' (another excellent book on the subject) i was ready for more, and this book certainly keeps up the high quality penetrating and provoking analysis that these writers bring to their subject. And often funny too. Fascinating to read this book on an essentially very technical subject, and to be dragged face to face with such a humbling thought that yes, we are very much animals, whether we like it or not. I think the writer maks a few excellent and refreshingly well-balanced and reasonable points on biology , feminism and the essential biological differentiation (please note: nothing about 'inferior' or 'superior') of men and women, just as there are differences between sexes in other animals. The question of why there are two sexes for humans in the first place is as startling as it is profound, and the writer brings a first-rate pen and mind to this question that for long was not questioned at all except the rare biologist who dared raise it. In reading i found that my mind sometimes wandered off a bit when going through some technical aspects but that is probably just me, i never liked nor understood biology very much at school. It then only testifies to the skill of the writer to bring the subject matter alive that I did read this book and loved it so much! And i hardly ever give 5 stars...

I can't add very much to the excellent reviews already posted. I'll just say quickly that I enjoyed very much the fresh insight into mating practices among the "lower animals" and among humans. I've read a lot about evolution and biology and so forth, and still found much new material here. I really enjoyed learning about how scientists finally discovered the rampant adultery among birds and how incredible they are at hiding it.

Several reviewers warn about having to "make it through" the first part, and I certainly understand that if your primary interest is in the evolutionary origins of human sexuality. However, I really enjoyed the first part as well, because it provides a broad understanding of sex in evolution and give lots of fun examples about different behaviors and adaptations.

Although I didn't give the book 5 stars (I reserve that for the best of the best), it showed me that Mr. Ridley is a great writer and I'll check out his other books (I think I'll start with Genome).

I am not a biologist, anthropologist, genetecist.... or, indeed, any sort of 'ist' in the scientific sense. This book covers some very complex biological issues, but it does so in a way that can easily be grasped by the lay-person... perhaps I don't understand all the minutiae of the processes and principles being discussed, but at least I am led by Mr Ridley to a basic understanding of those things.

I read a second book by this same gentleman (I forget the title for the moment) and I didn't enjoy it quite as much, but this book is a great read for the non-scientist who wants to learn more.

I think, even though I am admittedly not as long-steeped in the studies of Mr Ridley, not always convinced by everything he suggests but I have no doubt that Mr Ridley is enough of a scientist to allow for the possibility of error or in his conclusions. I have read this book several times already and will read it again.

C. John Thompson

This is an excellent book. Every few paragraphs or so along the way, you are almost forced to stop reading so as to give yourself more time to think about and digest the truly interesting details or studies Mr. Ridley has just outlined or explained. And, unlike other books of its sort, it does not seem to have any blocks of five or ten pages of sheer tedium buried anywhere inside. If there are any boring bits, I simply do not recall suffering through them.

But there is one bit of faulty reasoning which Mr. Ridley does not seem to catch along the way, but he is not alone. It has to do with the question of why organisms reproduce sexually. This topic is one of the first big questions addressed by the book. While the answer in the book is most probably right (and I will not give it away here), the problem of sexual reproduction as stated is wrongly conceived.

According to the book, an asexual organism has a genetic advantage over a sexually reproducing organism of the same species because the latter only donates half of its genetic information to each of its offspring, whereas the former passes on all of its genetic code to each and every one of its offspring (by foregoing meiosis, and simply cloning itself, so to speak). So, the reasoning goes, if both the asexual and the sexual individuals have the same survival and reproduction rates (obviously a key assumption), the genes of the asexual individuals will very soon crowd out those of the sexual individuals, that is over the course of several generations, giving rise to a population of asexual organisms. Looked at this way, it would appear that any given species of sexually reproducing organisms is vulneralbe to being replaced by asexual members once the mutation arises which allows for an individual to dispense with sexual repoduction.

The flaw with this reasoning comes from looking at an individual's whole genome instead of looking at what, genetically speaking, determines what type of repoduction the individual organism will practice. Individuals which reproduce sexually do indeed sacrifice half of their genetic content per offspring, but that is irrelevant to the problem. The gene (assume it is one gene for the sake of simplicity) for sexual reproduction is simply not out-competed numerically by the gene that causes asexual reproduction for one simple reason: in order for a sexually reproducing organism to have an offspring, it must receive a genetic contribution from another sexually reproducing organism. In this way, all of the offspring of any given sexually reproducing individual will end up with two copies of the gene for sexual reproduction (I know I should say allele) -- one from each parent, instead of both from one parent. Therefore the sexual gene suffers no automatic disadvantage because all sexually reproducing individuals produce offspring which contain two copies of that same gene. So, by virtue of meiosis alone, the sexually reproducing population is not vulneralbe to being replaced by asexual individuals.

This does not mean that there are no other serious costs to sexual reproduction that are relevant, and may be worth avoiding if at all possible by asexual reproduction, but the biggest reason cited by the book is actually no reason at all.

I happily concede that even if I am right, this takes nothing away from The Red Queen, as this issue is but one of many addressed by Mr. Ridley.

Why do we have sex? One of the pivotal questions in Science is tackled in this well written, informative and interesting read. Ridley refers to hundreds of sources to provide a well thought out, logical response. Ridley argues that the costly phenomenon of sex was "invented" by nature to combat that ever so simple, yet effective enemy: the bacterium (and other microscopic parasites).
In his investigation he examines the behaviour of males and females, dwelling on their differences and how these have evolved to more effectively facilitate reproduction. He also examines the strategies used by each gender to acquire a "mate" and explains how these originated and how they explain our behavour in the present day.
This book is a wealth of information that is a must for anyone fascinated by nature. The reader will be spell-bound by the discussion on various aspects of our humanity that have become so prominent from such humble beginnings.

Ridley, a biology major and journalist, sets out to bridge the gap between scientist and layman in this examination of sex, and in general he does a good job. Occasionally he has trouble deciding which hat he's wearing - a long list of biological examples, for instance, without any explanation of what they mean; on the other hand there's quite a few tortured metaphors and an excess of anthropomorphism.

The book is roughly divided into two parts. The first is, Why sex? Ridley examines sexual reproduction from an evolutionary perspective to figure out just how requiring two genders to reproduce could have been advantageous to our prehistoric ancestors. It's not as silly as it sounds - as Ridley points out, there's many species that don't reproduce sexually, and theoretically they should have been able to outbreed those where only 1/2 the population could actually bear offspring. Sex must confer some advantage, and Ridley explores several theories as to what it could have been. He has no hesitation about playing favorites, and if anything his condescension towards some schools of thought and his endorsement of others spoiled this section somewhat. It's also very, very heavy with examples, many of them redundant and others so obscure you wonder if Ridley's just showing off his background.

In the second part, Ridley looks at how sex has shaped us - by us, I mean sexual species in general and humans in particular. He looks at sexual selection - the peacock's tail, for instance - and compares it to the male preference for female beauty and the female preference for male wealth. He examines the age-old question of monogamy vs. polygamy to figure out just what humans are, by "nature", predisposed to. He even looks at how sex might have played a role in that most human of traits, intelligence.

This book is a great primer into evolutionary psychology and biology in general. Unlike some of his other books, I don't think you really need too much of a background in biology to follow him. Some of his examples will make you chuckle, some will have you scratching your head, and many will make you think. The text is dense but not incomprehensible; Ridley is one of the best I've ever read at writing for the layman without writing down to them. If you've ever wondered why the sexes act the way they do, this is the book for you.

Very interesting, very difficult to review. The types of people who will read this book are widely differant. I will attempt to provide a dynamic review from three prospectives. The layman will appreciate this book because everyone needs to understand this topic and this is THE book about how and why. The layman who is religious or spiritual, believes in free will, or enjoys the breathing room that hard science seems to infringe will also enjoy as Mr. Ridley's book as he leaves ample room here for a compatabilist point of view as well. Allow me to add that everybody needs to understand this stuff and this book is a 6 star as an introduction to evolutionary psychology. Compatibalism maybe a responsible position givin the state of the country with respect to education and belief structure and perhaps short term book sales. This book does not however have the precision of Dawkin's "Selfish Gene" that makes a science book timeless but then they rarely do. Mr. Ridley extrapolates some excellent ideas and insights he sees in the work of those in the field but misses to nail the conclusion once and for all. Many will miss the flaw in circular evolution arguement at the end of the book but that does not detract from the fact that this maybe the most upto date book there is on the subject. This brings me to the biologist.

Some friends of mine at Cal Tech and I have all read this book recently and everyone really enjoyed it. They however were more cautious than I as they are scientist and are sceptical of popular science books and rather read the journels themselves. For those of you who are not informed, Mr. Ridley is and excellent writer and has a firm understanding of the field as he used to be a scientist himself, he is not however a current field scientist which I am told makes a big differance. This seemed to be scientist snootyness at those who can actually communicate to the laymen the beauty of science better than the scientist. Suprisingly, they were actually impressed with Ridley much more than I. It's not that Ridley doesn't make a provocative arguement with great wit, which he does brilliently, but that he hasn't covered his bases properly like most scientist seem to. I have a hunch that this is a product of working in a university as a professior and scientist who is constantly under the pressure of his peers and bright students to keep the rhetoric in-line and iron out the kinks in the arguement.

The third reader is the intellectual. The book is Politically correct because if it wasn't, you wouldn't be reading it because you never would have seen it anywhere so I see no reason for complaint as evolutionary psychology needs to take smaller steps. Ridley presents ideas with a grounded undertanding of truth is science with respect to PC arguements. What he needs is to teach and spend more time debating with others before he can satisfy this groups desire to complain about minor imperfections while enjoying Ridleys ablity to clearly construct conflicting points of view. The bottom line is that everyone that does not read this book or one that succeeds it is at a strong disadvantage to those that do.

This is the book that first demonstrated to me the power of evolutionary psychology to help us understand ourselves. Published a year before Robert Wright's The Moral Animal, which covers much of the same territory, this is to my mind a more sophisticated and more direct exposition. Both books are characterized by a sly wit and an incisive expression, but Ridley meanders less among the relics of Freud and Darwin and is less concerned about whether we're moral or not and more concerned with what's sexy and why. He had a lot of fun with this book and it shows.

The "red queen" is a metaphor for an arms race. In an arms race both sides run as fast and as hard as they can to stay in the same place relatively speaking. In evolution the arms race is between parasite and host or between predator and prey. Both are running as fast as they can just to keep up, because when one gets an advantage, the other finds a counter. The red queen comes from Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There (1871) since that monarch ran as fast as she could but never got anywhere at all. The red queen is also a metaphor for the theory that there is no "progress" in evolution, that "...species do not get better at surviving... Their chances of extinction are random" (p. 64).

Ridley covers a lot of territory here, ranging from sex to the handicap principle to gossip to why our brains are big (to figure out what the other person is up to!). The Red Queen answers the question, "Why is there sex?" Apparently we have sexuality rather than asexuality because of the arms race between microbes and our immune systems. Sex is a way of storing defenses against parasites in the gene pool of the species and then mixing them anew each generation to fool the microbes. Without the gene pool and the DNA mixing, the microbes would quickly evolve a way around the organism's defenses; but with sexuality the organism juggles its "locks" every generation and so is able to keep up with the fast-mutating microbes. When again the microbes evolve the keys to these locks, the gene pool is mixed again and the organism comes up with an old lock that the microbes again have to evolve a key to. With the same logic, and in a larger sense, sex has evolved as a means to randomly pit many phenotypes against the environment.

Some of the fun is the incisive way Ridley presents the ideas, and the ideas he chooses to present. For example, note how effectively he demolishes Freud's naive incest taboo theory on pages 282-286. Also interesting is his presentation of the idea that it is not thinness in women per se that attracts men, but a low ratio of waistline to hip line that fetches them. There are chapters entitled "Polygamy and the Nature of Men," and "Monogamy and the Nature of Women." In Chapter 9, "The Uses of Beauty," Ridley goes into some detail on why men prefer thin and blond women. And on pages 217-218 he explains why women cuckold their mates: "This is because her husband is, almost by definition, usually not the best male there is--else how would he have ended up married to her?" She wants the parental care of her husband and some other man's superior--she thinks--genes.

Ridley is rather modest and says that most of the ideas in the book are not his and at any rate many of them will undoubtedly be proven wrong. This is refreshing to read when I think about all the delusive ideas so proudly trumpeted by popular books on evolution and human behavior in the past. Desmond Morris's The Naked Ape (1967) and Elaine Morgan's The Aquatic Ape: A Theory of Human Evolution (1982) come to mind, both fine books, but now seen to be substantially mistaken.

Written in an engaging and lucid style, The Red Queen really is the best of a number of books on evolutionary psychology to appear in recent years and one that is a delight to read.

Matt Ridley's Red Queen is both a terrific introduction into the burgeoning field of evolutionary psycholgy and a scientific explanation for why the sexes differ. Ridley's book is based entirely off other scientists ideas, but his great contribution is to put them all together in a cohent and readable form. Ridley is a gifted writer with a knack for making the difficult accesible. But what makes this book so wonderful is its central thesis: That human gender differences are biological, stemming from divergent interests in the way males and females in the animal world seek to reproduce. While this has been well-established in other places, what is even more interesting is Ridley's examination of human reproductive strategies. Men seek beauty and youth in women, while women seek wealth and stablity in men. Every single assertion Ridley makes is backed up by a wealth of scientific date, ranging from experiments to human history and deductive logic. The scientific rigor of this book is impressive, and mostly irrefutalble. There are other implications of this book as well. The most obvious is that it destroys environmental explantions for male-female differences, and culturally constructed views of beauty. But the implications range far beyond that, to our very perception of gender roles in society, and how we should deal with them. Finally, this book is a great introduction into evolutionary pyschology, a new field that is improving by leaps and bounds every year. Evolutionary Pschologists continue to probe into human behavior, helping us understand the biological, and immutable, sources of the human condition. We can expect even more breakthroughs in the years to come, and I certainly hope Matt Ridley chooses to write another book explaining the newest thinking.

I personally found this book to be a fascinating compilation of "high-end" expert research and theory from overlapping and relevant fields. Evolutionary psychology differs from other scientific fields of research in that the dynamic is perceived to be simple or highly complex and convoluted based on the "factors in play" (the data points being analyzed). So who is the arbiter of the "correct" factors? The "truths" and theories indicate that the earth is roughly 6B years old, life 3-4B, humanity ~800k, recorded history ~5k, and "civilized" society maybe 800 years depending on your personal definition. So I tend to believe that the 800k years of human evolution are the product and predisposition of human behavior in the frame of environmental influence. Which in turn renders it "more relevant" to the personally subjective "meaning of life" than the traditional societal "norms" of known history. The idea of human "pair bonding" (marriage) is also of extreme interest with respect to the genetic "instincts" of human attraction. Genes, physiology, environment, psychology, social dynamics, evolution, chaos, theology, eugenics, and other factors all went into the "pancake batter of life" up to BILLIONS of years ago and we're all living the products while creating the subsequent batter. If you've filled your personal quota of what you want to know and believe about the life experience...do not bother reading this book. If you perpetually seek wisdom, enlightenment, that philosophical spark, or even a massive salad of brainy scientific buzz words....I highly recommend that you read this book. Matt Ridley is a tier 1 science writer, in my opinion...maybe not the "captain of the A team" quite yet but I can tell you with great certainty that I will pre-order all of his subsequent works without hesitation. Analyzing at his level is an experience.

The Red Queen is a book that describes the evolutionary psychology of sex. In a series of fascinating arguments, author Matt Ridley uses Lewis Carroll's character from Through the Looking Glass to explain why humans have sex. Just as the Red Queen must keep running in order to stay in the same place, humans constantly battle to stay ahead of internal predators. Ridley argues that humanity's best strategy for defeating these predators is sex, since it is the only way to break that endless cycle. He provides interesting insights into human nature, and in the process he also proposes explanations for things like concepts of beauty, reasons why men propose marriage, and why women are more likely to become pregnant through adultery.

Ridley's arguments are powerful and convincing, partly because he relies on existing research and scientific evidence as proof, but also because of his own authoritative style. At the very least, his notions are entertaining and fun to consider.

This is the book that introduced me to what has become a favourite avocation: Evolutionary Biology.
The Red Queen is a fascinating and accessible introduction to a profoundly interesting way of looking at the world. While reading it, I couldn't put it down. I found it far more fascinating than bestseller fodder like The Hotzone, and to have more staying power than the other usual fare of the bestseller lists (i.e., diet and smarmy self-help books).
In trying to answer the seemingly simple question of how sexual reproduction came to dominate despite the faster reproductory potential of the asexual strategy, Ridley has cover the entire subject of how we came to act and function the way we do. After reading it I found could not look at things quite the same way again.

Ridley writes the most interesting book out there on human sexual sociobiology. He takes a very unbaised scientific stance, but nonetheless paints some very frightening truths if you are a politically correct type person. He uses excellent examples that are well documented from the scientific literature of humans and animal species, and which he expresses in an understandable anecdotal fashion. I agree with his solution to the "why sex?" paradox, and have been a proponent of this view for some time. Whether you agree or disagree with his views, his arguments are well constructed with strong scientific foundational backing...all the best to Mr. Ridley...Kenneth Giuffre', MD, author, "The Care and Feeding of Your Brain" (also a wonderful book for understanding the brain,I might add).

This is a fascinating book that I really enjoyed. The book challenges the Politically Correct idea that was unfortunately forced on the children who grew up in the 90's - that Men and Women are exactly the same, and anyone who says otherwise is sexist. The book states the obvious: men and women have brains that function slightly differently.

The only reason I did not give this book 5 stars is that the first few chapters are filled with a lot of scientific jargon, and technical terms that seemed unnecessary. You could probably skip the 1st 3 chapters and not really miss anything important to the book.

Still a fascinating read. I recommend it.

Red Queen single-handedly lists, analyzes and conjectures on the evolutionary ideas that are used for explanation of the many phenomena related to sex. Why sex exists at all? Why two sexes? Why the ornaments? How do these apply to the behavior and life of human species? Matt Ridley tries not to skip even the most far-fetched ideas, elaborates on each and does not necessarily take a position or reach a conclusion in each case. In my view, this becomes both the strength and weakness of the book: It is very comprehensive, it is rich, but it is dilute; it gives you many ideas, but almost none being very convincing (unlike his other book Origins of Virtue). This book is very very broad in its scope and comprehensiveness as the ideas presented here go. It could easily be a textbook on the subject. In terms of the relation between sex and behavior though, I was a lot better convinced by the Moral Animal.

I would, if it wasn't too crude an assertion, say that this book is a bit hastened. It is not as good as the author's other books, in terms of prose. But he being one of the best science writers around, even this is strictly superior to many science books out there. Also, even though I will sound priggish, I can't help noting that Bob Marley's lyrics is not "No woman, no cry" and it does not mean when there is no woman we do not cry. It is actually "No, woman, no cry." Another interesting thing is the Hume mention in the last page, where he says his treatise on human nature fell dead-born from the Press. Ridley implies some subtle meaning in this sentence, and that meaning is subtle, but Hume doesn't mean that (see Hume's autobiography).

These noted, this book is a must-read for anybody interested in the evolution and the queen of the problems in evolution, evolution of sex.

This book is absolutely filled with interesting theories on the evolution of sexual behavior and of the effects of selection preferences on the evolution of various species. I found particularly interesting the notion that gender is not a necessity for reproduction nor even necessarily a good plan for projecting one generation's genes into the future. It hardly occurs to a member of a species that places so much emphasis on sex and gender that their occurence and persistance actually need some explanaton. Ridley does this with flare, illustrating with examples from other species what is possible and mathematically what is likely to occur genetically with various approaches to reproduction. He also provides an overview of most of the theories of why gender occurs and reasons why most theories don't quite hold up when examined against what actually occurs in nature. His own theory of parasite and infectious disease resistance and an "arms race" of sorts between host and parasite seems quite plausible as an explanation for the rise of gender. He also gives a thorough account of how selection of certain noncounterfitable traits exhibiting the health of prospective mates has caused a similar Red Queen stalemate between the sexes and has led to the types of behavior seen as characteristic of male and female humans. An interesting book.

Matt Ridley is a brilliant science writer. He has chronicled the human genome project and written a biography of Francis Crick. Both were excellent insights into the world of the gene, and this work exceeds both of them. From the origins of sexual reproduction to why men treat a woman's vagina as their property, from evolutionary sexual selection to the psychology of sexual behavior, this book is a brilliant insight into the evolution of the genome by sexual reproduction. This is a great book for fans of biology and those with more than rudimentary knowledge as well.

Some of the ideas expressed in The Red Queen are brilliant, and their applicability to the nature of human sexuality are quite interesting. However, Ridley's very methodical approach to categorizing and cataloging the varieties during the first 120-150 pages can be painfully slow.

Once Part II kicked in, I was glad I persevered. After the first part apparently sets the stage for some descriptions related to human beings, I found myself unable to put the book down during second half. No need to add on to what has been written by others, but if I had to do it again, I definitely would have skimmed Part 1.

Still worth the effort and quite a conversation piece. In the month since I finished, I find I bring it up in casual conversation regularly, and even during the course of book club conversations about male and female perspectives to similar actions, perceptions, or mating rituals. Definitely recommended!

Sex is actually an evolved defense agaisnt evolving predation-There is a new book that reveals the missing 1/2 of the theory of evolution

This book is a nice try at explaining sex but it falls a bit short when looking at the big picture:

The UNselfish genOME is a brand new book that says Dawkins and Darwin are right, but missed the 2nd Half of the theory of evolution. The reason they could not see it is they are trying to work the problem from a bottom up approach-starting with the gene.

In the Unselfish Genome- a top down approach to evolution reveals the purpose of sex and aging and all of evolution's various unexplainable oddities including asexual reproduction and homosexuality and menopause.

The UNSelfish GenOME- How Darwin & Dawkins Missed The 2nd Half Of The Theory Of Evolution: New Research Identifies The Hormone Changes That Control Human Aging - there is a new sheriff in town!

The Unselfish Genome- How Darwin & Dawkins Missed The 2nd Half Of The Theory Of Evolution: New Research Identifies The Hormone Changes That Control Human Aging

I thought Genome was a great book, and I think The Red Queen is even better. Matt Ridley has assembled quite a collection of interesting facts and studies that have been done in regards to reproduction and evolution - and not just in regards to humans. After saying "huh. that's interesting" to myself several times in the first two chapters, I started taking notes on all the information I wanted to share with others, and by the end of the book I had several pages written down.
I highly recommend the book. It's not dry at all, and requires no prior knowledge to enjoy.

The beauty of evolutionary biology is the absolute simplicity of its central tenet: traits (genes) that benefit a creature will be passed on to the next generation. Traits that don't, won't.

Sex, being the mechanism through which these traits are passed on (for sexual animals), plays then a central role in evolution, and in shaping the characteristics of species, since species are as much a product of natural selection as they are of sexual selection. In this book, Ridley choses to focus on human beings, but a similar book could be written about any other sexual species.

Ridley covers a lot of ground in this book, begining with the the actual mechanics behind sex and the theories for it's existance, to how it has shaped human beings and the differences between the sexes.

The book will definitely make you think, and provide you with refreshing views on topics such as incest, what constitutes beauty, polygamy/monogamy, the prevalence of pair-bonds in humans, and why men and women think differently. This is all done from an irrefutably scientific perspective, which is more than anyone can say about the garbage spewed on these topics from the likes of sociologists, psychologists and feminist "thinkers" for the past one hundred years.

I highly recommend this outstanding book.

Explains why there are two sexes instead of a million, also explains why we are dioecious (two separate sexes) instead of hermaphroditic. This was enlightening but it could have been written in a more instructional way, to help us really understand the material. More tidbits: wealthy people are more likely to have boys, but there is an incentive to keep the sex ratios 50/50, so poor people then have girls. In fact if you poorly feed women they become much more skewed to have girls. And dominant women are more likely to have boys. It's certainly not obvious why we should have sexes: each partner only passes on half their genes, and only the woman can bear children. But this ends up justifying itself because of parasites. Interesting case described by Lienhart and Vermelin of a French family where the women only had female children. A given woman does equally well with monogamy and polygamy; the difference is in the men, some of whom are enormously successful and most of women have no children. Women have narrow waists because they don't put fat there. They put it on their buttocks in order to make their hips look wider, as having wide hips means you can give birth to babies without them being stillborn. Ditto for breasts: it's cheaper to lie and put fats on breasts then to increase the mammary tissue. In despotic societies there is unbelievable polygamy (15 thousand wives for the Chinese emperor, etc.) An interesting fact about orgasms that this book teaches: for a woman to have no orgasm or orgasm a minute or more before the man ejaculates, she retains little sperm. If she has an orgasm less than a minute before his orgasm or up to forty-five minutes after him, her vagina retains most of the sperm. And in fact, when women cheat they tend to have these "retaining" orgasms more, and they cheat when they are most fertile.

In a lot of science fiction aliens look like us except they are green or have large eyes. I'd enjoy reading science fiction that has more exotic aliens. One way to make aliens different would be for them to have three or more sexes. The only science fiction book I've read that does this is Isaac Asimov's "The Gods Themselves".

Overall, it's a great book. The first part about WHY sex at all is incredibly fascinating, and on par with great books like The Selfish Gene. But the second part, when we start talking about humans in particular, is a mixed bag. Some conclusions and proposed theories are incredibly innovative and enlightening (especially the part on sexual cheating), but others are really a hot mess (most of the parts on men/women differences).

I see two big problems:

1/ Ridley is much less objective and much more "I have a point to prove" in those parts, because of course it is much more political. He never questions assumptions (men go hunting, women stay in the cave) - clichés that are getting a bit old by now, and are not justified by his arguments. (He shows no proof, just a logical argument "women couldn't go hunting, they had to keep their children" - what about childcare, vastly developed in human and animal societies??)

2/ The book is too short. It's too scientific to be a casual reading book but too short to be really scientific and go into details about theories and explanations, and go to the end. I feel that a lot of theories are mentioned briefly, and dealt with in only a few pages instead of being properly explained and dismantled. I don't see why, since let's be honest, people who don't care about that aren't going to read that book anyway, so it feels like he just COULDN'T do it instead of wouldn't.

IN CONCLUSION though, I highly recommend this book, especially the first part, which has many fascinating aspects, and even in its weaker passages at least stirs discussion.

The Red Queen is a formidable woman who runs like the wind but never seems to get anywhere. We change, but so do our enemies, rivals, competitors; thus we always wind up right where we started. Once again, Matt Ridley provides a flowing narrative on the subject of human nature and human nurture, albeit in very small font. See also THE BLANK SLATE by Steven Pinker and THE NURTURE ASSUMPTION by Judith Harris. All highly recommended... - lc

Science writer Matt Ridley's book "The Red Queen: Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature" is outstanding. I have read at least 20 other books by various authors on this subject, and yet Ridley's book contains a vast amount of original work and brilliant viewpoints.

His language is accessible, witty, and moving. His explanations and arguments are well researched, and elegantly written.

Ridley takes you on a journey, for those willing, into nature's infinite world of sexual evolution using existing species as examples. You'll end up realizing how constricted our society is in relation to our nature. The book opened my mind to how diverse our society can be, and how we limit and restrict ourselves. I find this book to be one of his best works.

Experts in every field of living systems should read this book, the implications are staggering. Although written entirely from a biological / genetic / nature point of view, anyone could use the material to develop an improved system. For example, improved political systems, draft laws that make sense, market products more successfully, understand the criminal mind-set, raise children better, better discern the cause of war and violence, etc.

In a nut-shell, if you want to understand the infinite possibility of human potential, this book gives you the "theory of operation" and should be considered the bible on how central sexuality is to the nature of humankind and our modern civilization.

This work is a very convincing scientific exploration of the influence of sex - the mixing of the genes of two people - on the evolution of mankind, illustrated by numerous well chosen examples.
The author defends strongly and convincingly very controversial opinions, like the idea that men and women have different minds, or the fact that the Christian Church tried to prevent people from siring legitimate heirs. His anti-Freud and pro-Westermarck opinions as well as his view on infanticide are equally impressively defended. A very bold book, not to be missed.

I remember flying on an airplane 6 years ago and having the stranger sitting next to me highly recommend this book. It ended up taking me three years before I finally obtained a copy!

This book is phenomenal. Starting from the first organisms on the planet and building up to modern day human beings, this book gives a detailed account of evolution and covers numerous theories, supported in great detail, as to how humans are they way we are.

The only reason this book gets 4 stars from me is because it is written in text book language and it can be hard to follow at some points. But stick with it - the end of the book is where most of the interesting points emerge.

Mating strategies, biology and genetics. These are all the things which make this book stand out. Controversial in places and written in an accessible manner, though not too easy for someone without a biology background.
Ridley's in depth knowledge and wit is clear from the latter chapters of the book. It certainly helps one understand the nature of human sexual desires. I would say that it is a classic. I'll now read more of Ridley's books.
The early chapters are a bit difficult to comprehend though, as they deal with more mundane biology issues.
Witty and informative science writing at its best!!

This book was my introduction to Evolutionary Psychology years ago. While browsing the store, it has been recommended to me again. I am writing primarily as I feel that 5 stars are not enough.
Elsewhere on these pages, many have reviewed the book itself. I would like to add that not only does the prose sparkle, but reading the book might make you view people's behaviour anew. I found myself doing that.
Read this book. It is provocative and entertaining. This is one of the few books that actually had me 'tingling' like a good mystery does......

Sex sells. And so it should. Zoologists recognise sex as a major driving force in evolution. In this enthralling book, Matt Ridley turns his attention to the implications for humans. Polygamy, monogamy, infidelity, beauty, sexual jealousy; all can be understood anew in the light of evolution.
There are surprising conclusions to be drawn. For example, polygamy may not serve the interests of men, since it excludes many from sex entirely. Monogamy may be the result of the male majority competing for a slice of the sexual pie (mmm... sexual pie).
Ridley is an excellent guide in this exploration of human nature. His style is seductively easy to read, sometimes lulling you into accepting his arguments uncritically. But keep your wits about you and you will enjoy an engaging and clear - if somewhat whistle stop - tour of how sex has shaped humanity. This book can be read by anyone interested in what makes us human, from school pupils to professional scientists.
One final tip: the first section of the book concentrates on animals other than humans. This is necessary to set the scene, but for the really juicy stuff, skip to the later chapters.

"Men and women have different minds - says Matt Ridley in one of the central chapters of his book-. The differences are the direct result of evolution. Women's minds (and bodies, as he states in a previous pharagraph) evolved to suit the demands of beraring and rearing children and of gathering plant and food. Men's minds (and bodies) evolved to suit the demands of rising in a male hierarchy, fighting over women and providing meat to a family".
To arrive to this and other conclusions, Ridley goes a long and difficult way through biology, genetics and continents, starting with a basic question: why is there sex at all? After all, many species reproduce without it. The first three or four chapters of "The Red Queen" may be a little onerous, but apparently they are necessary to support the last ones.
This is a book about evolution with a focus on human sexuality and the human mind. Everything on humans - our bodies, our behavior towards the opposite sex, even our minds and social rules - is a direct result of a process called sexual selection that allows the reproduction of the fittest, therefore transmiting their genes to the next generations.
When answering why there is sex at all and how men and women's bodies and minds evolved in the last million years, we come to many uncomfortable truths about adultery, rape, incest and life. Why do more rich men marry beautiful women and not the other way around? Why have the attempts to sell pornogrphy to women and romantic novels to men failed? And above all this: why did evolution produce different minds in men a women?
Take all of the above and pack it with a red cover, and you have one of the most amazing readings of the year.

Ok this book is awesome. However, whenever I see an attractive girl, I no longer think "wow, she is gorgeous". Now I think "hmm, the only reason i think she has great legs, a nice booty and pretty face is because my genes are programed to like that." Although, I will admit that it is REALLY interesting to know why certain traits are considered attractive and how evolution shaped our idea of beauty.

There were a few parts of this book that bored me though... there is a lot of bird talk. Not that birds are bad, I am just interested more in humans. But nontheless, this book is still fascinating, and I highly reccomend it... not that my reccomendation means anything to any of you, but still, its darn interesting book.

Want to find out why men seem to have an obsession with women who have wide hips and a big butt then read this and stop kicking yourself (na macho tu)

However intelligent we think we have become as humans at the bottom of it all we are all basic animals whose major decisions are actually based on instinct and a need to procreate

And this is one of several books on the market addressing the issue. Others include The Mating Game and Sperm Wars.

This book takes a look at how various species select based on certain genetic types - and helps to explain the rationale and importance of beauty.

The real secret for men is that attraction has more to do with an ability to charm women than do money or looks. Harder to master for some, but ultimately much more effective! Biology bears this out as well.

- GiddyupGuy.com

I've owned this book for three and a half years and it still sheds light on re-reading. This book is a survey of how Evolutionary Biology (Sex) affects the human mind. It's starts off slowly with a survey of why sex is necessary i.e. genetic diversity is good. It then explores the ways sex works for the animal kingdom before zeroing in on humanity. Ridley then covers male desires from sex and female desires from sex. It's certainly given me an insight into what people are seeking from relationships at a deeply fundamental level. I'm a layman in this field and find that the book gives great food for thought on human behaviour and concludes by explaining how the great works of literature are the places to look for insight to human nature. This book is an essential for any modern library. You will refer to it again and again.

This is an extraordinary account of why we, humans, are as we are. Ridley develops a conclusive argument for how genetic and evolutionary influences moulds our reality. He demolishes the foundations of those who claim that the "evils" of society are the causes and drivers of human behaviour.
Ridley also shows that the differences between women and men are rooted in in-born features rather than as a consequence of patriarcal societies. This in no way justifies gender inequality. The key point here is that the social engineering agenda of bureaucrats is essentially flawed because our nature dictates the way we are.
Overall, a great read for free-thinkers and free-spirits.

A very good book but drags from about the time they start to talk about aphids and plants. I skipped until ch 6 or 7 when he started to discuss humans again (which was my reason for reading it) and it is there that the book really shines.

Hardline gender-ideologues won't like the book because it shatters the "blank slate" theory (basically that males and females are born almost exactly identical, psychologically, and only culture makes us different) and observes some uncomfortable truths about both men and women. Just read some of the 1-star reviews and you'll see that it is politics driving their opinions, rather than science.

One of the mysteries that I've been struggling with for the past few years is why so many people engage in extramarital affairs. If most people agree that it's wrong to break marriage vows, why do so many people do it. Another way of looking at the question is by asking why we are so obsessed with sex that it overcomes our better judgment.
Although I don't agree with everything in Mr. Ridley's book, it adds a dimension to the debate that I hadn't really considered, which is that almost all human behavior is driven by sexual urges and reproduction at an evolutionary level. The behaviors that lead to successful reproduction are likely to be passed to later generations, while the only trait that cannot be passed along is abstinence. From this model, people will engage in all kinds of seemingly irrational behavior when doing so is biologically advantageous.
My fundamental distress with this premise is that it diminishes the value of human reason, which is something that evolved through generations just as much as the biological drive to reproduce. While Mr. Ridley premise is that one of the main values of being smart is that it allows the brainy people to outwit their sexual competitors, I get depressed when I think of us as essentially no more than reproductive machines.
Mr. Ridley writes a good story that adds some nice twists to understanding human behavior. The writing did not move as quickly as I would have hoped, and some of the details about other species' sexual behavior dragged at times, but I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for explanations for behaviors that might not otherwise make sense.

I think the book will be liked by a layman rather than people who have been working in this field. Although I found it to be informative and insightful, I don't agree with some of Ridley's conclusions. He himself proclaims - "Half the ideas in this book are probably wrong". Nevertheless a good read. I wouldn't mind reading it again after a while.

To summarize anything I might say below - this is an incredible book. Mind-blowing. If you're reading reviews (as I do) trying to find the few people who didn't love the book so you can have an "unbiased" view, very good for you. (that's how I choose books, usually) My unbiased view is this - I *very rarely* give out fives. This is one of the few books that deserves it.
Matt Ridley explains in the epilogue of The Red Queen that half of his ideas are probably wrong, just like those of Freud, Jung, and many others. But this common-sense attitude, projected onto the evolution of reproduction, is EXACTLY what about this book makes it so incredible.
Ridley is grounded in a reality unfettered by religion, social science, social mores, or really any sort of external "moral" influence. (Not that he's the antichrist or anything - he's just not letting standard social concepts influence his ideas.) A few people who don't usually want to accept reality (ultra-conservatives) will hate this book. Fine. If you believe in creationism, go elsewhere. Otherwise, read this book! This is not a political or an ideological work - this is a scientific text on human evolution, and how it has been influenced by sex.
I have been able to RIVET people with discussions of facts and theories from this book. It's the best money I've spent on a single book in quite a long while. And in case I sound like way too much of a suck-up - I haven't read any of Ridley's other works, not because I haven't bought them, but because I looked through them in bookstores, and every one I looked at seems either uninteresting, wrong, or awful. But this one is GREAT!

This book is a classic. Many will find the genetics chapter tough going, but even if this chapter is skipped the remaining text is convincing. The numerous, interesting studies and citations backstop superbly informative and persuasive text.

This is a thorough, cogent and very readable treatise on the one subject that fascinates us all. I have also read Ridley's "The Origins of Virtue." In characteristic style, his conclusions are sometimes disturbing, sometimes exhilarating, and always illuminating. Each step of the way, Ridley builds his case by citing behavioural research performed by many different disciplines on the whole gamut of the animal kingdom. However, the book stretches far beyond pure science. He offers the reader an holistic and mind altering viewpoint of sex and human behavior by weaving in the thoughts of poets, philosophers and literary writers. This is mandatory reading for anyone that is trying to make sense of the human condition. Read this book and your world will be fundamentally changed forever, but be prepared to have some dearly held beliefs challenged and torn down!

With a casual disregard for political correctness, the post-feminist generation is reintroduced to basic human nature. What for millenia was taken for granted as so fundamental that it needed no explanation, became the height of impropriety to mention in polite company. In fact, it's been a bizarre inversion of reality that's taken hold as the popular opinion in society. Because it's soft and cuddly and non-offensive and doesn't threaten to hurt the feewings of the poor widdle wadies out there.

There is no greater testament to our ability to suspend disbelief then the denial of human nature on such an elemental, such a rudimentary level. When Ridley dropped this book like a bomb in the mid-90's at the height of the PC movement, it was like the lone voice of reason in a sandstorm of blather. That we should have to go to such lengths - all the way down to the DNA, just to demonstrate common sense is nothing short of absurd.

A magnificent work of popular science. Instantly a modern classic. Eminently accessible to the laity, well written, engaging and entertaining. Any sex education curriculum would stand to benefit more from the inclusion of this book, then any other save a text on health and safety. Don't expect to see it on your school district's reading list any time soon though. But that doesn't mean you can't give it to you adolescent age child.

Well if you are in your quest for understanding human nature and behavior, this is the right book!

It is a technical and yet not boring. And it does answer a lot of very deep and interesting questions, while mention the other school of tough to let you know of other person opinion.

If you are as much as I in learning of human behavior you must read this book. Also read the Evolution of desire from David Buss which is even more oriented toward the human mating strategies.

But be aware that those books are raising and answering questions that could check some of your core beliefs like it happen for me. When you start analising feeling like love and reproduction, they are ideas that are hard and disturbing to contemplate but it does not make them less true.

just a short review, I've had this book for about 3 years and just not getting to do a review. If you like evolutionary stuff this is the book for you. an easy read and takes a lot of evolutionary idea's of animals and applies it humans and in a lot of ways makes sense. If you're interested in delving into the human mind this has some really great idea's and concepts.

The Red Queen is a great book overall. Writen very professionally, and clear for the most part. If you want to learn about evolution and where we come from, you have found the right book. Love the analysis and the different concepts. This book opened my mind to things and concepts I had no idea about. Although I feel like it's a long read; atleast its filled with rich content, worth reading. Overall I enjoyed reading this book, and recommend it to anyone interested in the subject.

Because of the title, I was expecting a lot more discussion on human nature in this book.
The first half of the book focused on how sex and gender differences developped at all. Examples were given from various animals, but rarely was there a discussion on humans.
The second half of the book was almost entirely about humans and gave evolutionary examples for why humans act the way we do. This half of the book was EXCEPTIONAL, and I could hardly put it down. This half of the book should be required reading for anyone attempting to better understand human behavior.
Please let me know if this review is helpful. Thank you.

This is a great book on sex and how it evolved. The most striking part is the analysis of humans surely. It helps you to understand your own sexual dilemmas and see your partner in a different way. First chapters develop the core ideas of the book using the sound scientific arguments from the animal kingdom. And later chapters analyse the human sexual nature using the guidelines developed previously. This is an excellent book because: it has sound scientific arguments, represents many opposing views at the same time, is not restricted with popular ethics, and is even amusing by its examples. Just read it and you feel much more wiser and lighter afterwards.

Ridley is one of the best writers on this subject. It is delight to read! Whether you are a novice or well versed on the subject you will find the facts interesting and easy to follow.
Highly recommended!!

This book gives us a glimpse of our true nature. It explains us many urges that we have and destroys many myths that we have. Matt Ridley have made a significant contribution toward mankind. Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whether you buy into the "Red Queen" theory or not, Matt Ridley perfectly describes evolution in terms anyone can understand, in an organized and metaphorical way. I hope he continues to write and resolve the unanswered questions of our most basic minute natures.

This book is absolutely fascinating. Be warned - unless you're prepared for some pretty matter-of-fact facts about humans as sexual beings, you're going to be offended by the contents of this book.

This book seeks to recognise common behaviour in both sexes, and compare it to that of the animal kingdom. Ever wondered why we behave so strangely in a relationship? Ever wondered why we feel what we do when we're not in a relationship. Yet again Matt Ridley excels by teaching us popular science in the guise of a fascinating and entertaining book.

Highly highly recommended.

I first read this book when I was 14. It was recommended to me by the father of my boyfriend at the time with these words of advice: It will change your life. And it certainly did. Everything in this book rang so true for me that it seemed I was reading my own subconcious thought. All the questions that had been pushed aside in my mind for fear of what the answers might be were answered.I consider this book to be one of the most valuable experiences of my life and I heartily recommend it for those of you who aren't afraid of opening your eyes.

I rarely write reviews, but have stumbled upon such wonderful books in my summer reading list that had to make some exceptions. This is a unique book that will answer the questions you have asked yourself numerous times. Why do humans have to undergo such a complicated process to reproduce? Why do we have genders? Why are men and women so different? Read this book and find out!

Red Queen is a principle of evolutionary biology. (continuing developement is needed to maintain fitness) Sex is the humankinds tool for this and this gives biological underpinnings of many motives of our culture/behaviour.

As such theories, it might or might not be true, in any case it is interesting to think about the questions raised. The opinions of living scientists is confronted, which is sometimes interesting, sometimes confusing for me. The "glue text" is sometimes humorous, sometimes boring.

The italian version has been traslated by one of my biology professor, and it's because of him that i really appreciated all the Matt Ridley work. I definitely advice to everyone this book because it's a funny way to understand the biological reasons of sex, not only in humans.

If you are buying this book because it is on a PU reading list or on Style's recommended reading list, your reality of male and female interactions will change. Just remember that the world is not out to get you. It can give you a negative view on life, thinking that every LTR is going to cheat on you for better genes, and you are nothing more then a vehicle for your DNA.

Just, be happy and read this book.

Matt Ridley's book, The Red Queen, is a useful tool for both beginners interested in the ideas of evolution and sexual selection and experts who would like to get an overview of the research and the scholarly debates surrounding evolution. While Ridley's book is more of a review of historical and contemporary research, the prose is quite good and effortlessly guides the reader through what can often be the convoluted and esoteric language of biological, ecological, and genetic studies.

A convincing evolutionary perspective on the origins of sexual reproduction and many behaviors that do not immediately seem understandable in terms of "survival of the fittest", including altruism. Easy to read for the layman, but still well-supported by references. A must-read for anyone interested in evolution or the philosophically inclined.

Ricley is a master of the human and animal scene. You will never view a historical film, observe animals on TV or in the zoo without thinking of this book. You may disagree with him, but he is stimulating. Ridley is encyclopedic. An amazing writer. Try his other book, "Genome."

I found this an absolutely facinating read. It's about the evolution of human nature and about sexual politics, in my opinion. It's also a very fun read and anyone who reads this might just come away from it with a better udnerstanding of the opposite sex, as I have. A good read to keep around to re-read, too.

Ridley writes on page 6, "To those who believe ... that human nature cannot have been designed by selection but by an Intelligence, I merely bid you a respectful good day."

I wish I'd taken Ridley's word for it and closed the book at that point. Against my better judgment, I continued reading, hoping to get a glimpse of what seems to have fascinated many other readers. Instead, what I found was nothing but conjecture that comes out of the gate with a full embrace of Darwinian evolution. If you have the slightest skepticism toward Darwinism, or if you're one of the millions of people who believe this universe was designed by an entity with a mind, you'll probably find that reading this book is like watching a room full of intellectual elitists searching for a key that's been plainly available to them from the beginning.

i was recommended to read this book from a course on dating to help me understand how women and men behave with regard to chosing mates.

it was very easy to read, not too much jargon, i read it every night before bed and finished all 350 pages in about one week, it was one of those you can't put down.

I'd seen this book referenced too many times to count, but never picked it up until recently. However, I was disappointed with it in comparison to Ridley's others (Agile Gene, and Genome). Although he seems to dazzle people with evolutionary psychology (Just as Miller does in The Mating Mind, Wright does in Moral Animal, and Buss does in his books), Ridley falls into the same Evo Psyche troubles as the others listed above do.
1) They're blinded by the stereotypical ancestral habitat and because of that refuse to acknowledge how the sexes adapt, and how malleable sexual preferences are. By stating first that selection pressure can change the hierarchy of the sexes in a matter of a few generations (Ridley, Miller, others), but then assume that because such changes didn't happen frequently in OUR ancestry men and women are trapped in their gender roles (Women seeking status, men seeking looks), completely reduces our adaptability, and evolutionary change in general to something insignificant.
2) They avoid addressing the power of the environment when addressing the anomalies in their theories, too focused on the power of the gene, and less on influence of the meme (i.e. celibacy, altruism, etc.)

Other peculiarities with Ridley in particular, is his frequent habit to give up in the face of opposing ideas. This not only applies to the Red Queen, but his other books as well. He'll often list 2, 3, or 4 different views and then admit that he has no idea of how to resolve them either. And because of this he often comes off as a journalist rather than a scientist (he is the editor of a magazine, maybe that's why). So, although his books are informative, they're also devoid of insight.

Frankly, this was a disappointing book from both a biological and a philosophical perspective. While the inferences made were coherent within the structure of Ridley's thought, the author left out an enormous amount of details and counter-examples which first year college students studying evolution would know. For example, Gould and Lewontin often comment that biological structures are not necessarily the result of adaptive changes, particularly on the genetic level. Instead, they may be secondary outcomes of additional adaptations. The study of human sexuality as well as evolutionary biology simply has not advanced to the stage where a scientist can accurately state which gene or genes lead to certain sexual behaviors, why a biological explanation trumps cultural explanations for gender roles, and why Ridley's extremely diverse and yet shallow argument sheds any new and more importantly scientifically verified light on the subject of human sexuality.
As a work of science or social science, Ridley's book is severely flawed. Numerous examples which he uses to support his argument contain no citations and gloss over large sociological, political, and biological debates. As an example, he cites a Northwestern Pacific Indian tribe and their remarkable ability to shift their marital structure based on economic conditions. Yet, his citation does not refer to any study where this material is presented. Instead, it is merely used to support his final epistemological claim.
Ridley's argument is entertaining, but filled with fictions. As an introduction to evolutionary psychology, you will not find a better one. Unfortunately, the book is also indicative of the weaknesses of the field, and the enormous distance it must go if it is to present a convincing argument concerning human nature.

Perhaps I had expectations for this book which were not met. Still, I was hoping for a more readable book and ended up trying to decipher his dry style. Although there were some interesting points made, his conjectures were hit and miss and I couldn't make it all the way through the book. Not a good to read for a layman.

I have always been interested in the sex drive that I live with. It is so persistent and yet it is impossible to know how it compares with the experiences of other people. Perhaps Mr Ridley's book would shed some light, give some understanding of the drive and what it is. But I had, of course, already given some thought to the subject. It seems to me that there are three basic reasons for our society's attitudes to sex (which, incidentally, I think are appalling with regard to assisting young people). Firstly, there is health of the actively sexual person and the health of the child that they may parent. Secondly is the care of the child that may result, and finally there is the social impact of interfering with relationships which are, it seems to me, evolved to provide child support. Mr Ridley gets so involved in comparing the mating behaviours and sexual relationships of different species that these common sense points are glossed or missed. He doesn't explain that sexual relationships are often associated with minor health problem at their commencement - and that health issues might extend to major problems such as AIDS. It seems wise for people the have one sexual partner with whom their body becomes familiar. He does discuss the incest taboo but almost dismisses the likelihood of genetic impacts except for children born from union between children and their parents. The matter of unwanted pregnancy is anthema to Mr Ridley's thesis that the genes drive the sexual urge. Consequently there is no mention of contraception. If the genes are running the show why would we have ever developed contraception, ever had the will to do it? It irritated me immensely to read that the genes want to push on into the next generation (not unique to Mr Ridley}. Genes do not think, they do not actively attempt to do anything. It may seem so to us from our perspective as the latest generation of the species. But we are here only because the chemistry of the genes allows it, and that chemistry is automatic and spontaneous. People do make conscious decisions to have children - ask any couple who has had to resort to adoption or IVF to achieve this end. Of course some children are not planned but moderm man does have the capacity to control the birthrate, and this was done in ancient civilisations and in some modern societies by infanticide - surely, again, counter to Mr Ridley's thesis. Finally there are the social issues. I disliked (but perhaps the research that indicates this is correct) Mr Ridley's thesis that humans have evolved in a manner that leaves man with a desire for promiscuity (to scatter his seed) but woman with a desire for monogamy (affairs will not greatly increase her chance to parent children 'as the genes demand'). This seems to be an apology for the behaviour of some men (note: some) and ignores the behaviour of some women.
I suspect that, with a better control over health and pregnancy risks in sexual activity, the social aspects of sex will change, that close friends will cease to deny themselves that final expression of commitment and caring. I suspect that partners will becomes less jealous and that we will all engage in more intimate adventures, more sharing encounters. But that is the future - generations from now. While Mr Ridley spends a lot of time in the past (where none of us live) he gives little thought to the future where we and our children will live.
Some reviewers found the first few chapters of this book difficult to read. I found all of it a labour, but perhaps that was because I was increasingly disappointed in what I was reading and what wasn't covered. To note that human society, as far as sexual relations are concerned, most resembles the societies of some birds seems to have no value to me at all. At times Mr Ridley notes that research he is quoting is controversial. I got the distinct feeling that he was not describing with even handedness current research into this subject - but that he was selecting research to foster a pet theory of his own.

This book talks a lot about evolution of plants, animals, and insects and talks about sex chromosomes in these things for at least the first 100 pages, how is that relevant to the human species ? It's like comparing apples and oranges and I was rather annoyed by it. I wish the author would get to the point a lot quicker.

This book was informative and interesting up until Chapter 7 when it took a serious nosedive into the murky ignorant abyss of parochial androcentrism. I realize that this book was written in 1993 but that is no excuse.

In this day and age it is inexcusable for scientists or science writers to have such a gross lack of scientific/ empirical knowledge about the female physiology, psychology, sociology or history. To rely on antiquated folk theories about female human beings is simply bad science. It indicates a serious lopsidedness in deep research and understanding and furthers ignorance as well as fuels sexism that is so firmly entrenched in certain disciplines, namely evolutionary biology, that it baffles the intelligent mind!! Parochial androcentrism is at its best in this book. From the use of words like "marriage" & "adultery" when referring to animals mating systems to giant assumptions about female human anatomy (that women are not normally promiscuous, or that female mammals can't conceive while nursing their young, or that female humans have no idea when they are ovulating (!!!)) that were disproven in academic/medical circles a long long time ago; I am forced to ask myself, what rock has this guy been sleeping under and for how long!?!? This book is about human sexual nature and he is only fairly representing one side of the equation, it would be my assumption that when writing a book that involves 2 sexes that you would want to do as much current research on both sexes that you could possibly do. My only hope is that some scientists have jumped on board and cleared up most of these gross misconceptions and outright errors.

I simply have no idea why this book was written except to self aggrandize the author about how smart he is with all the minutia about various organisms and how that applies to human behavior. All of the juice (results) of all the experiments etc could have fit into just a few pages so that the reader could actually understand something useful. As is, the book was so god awfully boring that I actually went back to the book reviews on the store and got more useful information from reading the reviews than I ever got from trying to wade through the jungle of dry, boring, and painful information this fine author would put you through just to get a few great points. So there's a choice: you can either buy the book (forget the cost, what's 20 hours of your time worth) or spend 5 or 10 minutes reading the reviews and get even better the essence of what this guy is pontificating? No offense Mr. Ridley, but you're forgetting why you wrote this book, which is to inform the lay person who wants results, not lab methods (last time I checked) not put people to sleep. But thanks for the effort.

I bought this book hoping to gain knowledge and insight to sexual evolution and non-textbook like explanation. This book is not a good read, the author is dry in his explanations of the subject restating what is common knowledge twisted just enough to appear as though he has some kind of brusque new insight... All while coming off like an atheist jerk! I couldn't even make it through the first chapter!

I have to give this book two sets of ratings....it gets "3 Stars" because Ridley takes the theory of Evolution (and I must remind you it is a theory) and claims human development came from animal development. In one instance he says our legs evolved from fins (wow...lol). He also says that anyone who believes our human nature was designed by an Intelligence (God)... "I merely bid them a good day. I can't fathom intelligent people that are Atheist/Agnostic....it is counterintuitive.

I don't have time to debunk the theory of evolution here..I used to believe in Evolution but after careful research, common sense and logic I came to the conclusion it's bull.

Anyway, I give the book "5 Stars" because of the following:

1) If you want to understand women better and be more successful at dating he gives excellent empirical data what women are attracted to....not what they SAY they are.

2) It is quite ironic....coming from an atheist (based on his above comment...."I bid them a good day.....).....if you read between the lines in the first half of the book, he damages the positions of Pro-Abortionists and Pro-Homosexual supporters.

I thought this book oversimplified genders too much. How things work in a tribal society and modern western society is very different. Yet Matt takes studies from a tribal society and considers them universal. It is apples and oranges. You see gender roles being much more fluid and flexible in the modern day western society.
I give this one star because it missinforms. You may become dumber by reading it.

This is interesting only if you want to do a very detailed study on Sex and Evolution of Human Nature. Not something I would recommend if you are just looking for some dating techniques or How to....type suggestions.

Ridley's conjecture and supposition swirling about the knowledge are deeply offensive to me. I guess that is what drew my interest, how much more can this author offend a human being, especially to those that are male, which is the focus of Ridley's writing, maybe because he would be unpopular if he tackled the other sex. Apologies made to those that are female, why? I can only guess that western society, political correctness etc have shaped the lens through which the author sees the world. Still, I was interested in what he had to say, I received something like a punch in the face. Indeed I'm flummoxed as to why other readers haven't expressed opinions of disgust.