MARC Record from Library of Congress

LEADER: 02602cam a2200397 a 4500
001 2009045457
003 DLC
005 20100812134528.0
008 091027s2010 nyua b 001 0 eng
010 $a 2009045457
020 $a9780061707803 (hc)
020 $a0061707805
035 $a(OCoLC)ocn456180239
040 $aDLC$cDLC$dBTCTA$dYDXCP$dC#P$dBWX$dBUR$dVP@$dYAM$dDLC
050 00 $aHQ12$b.R93 2010
082 00 $a306.7$222
100 1 $aRyan, Christopher,$d1962-
245 10 $aSex at dawn :$bthe prehistoric origins of modern sexuality /$cChristopher Ryan and Cacilda Jethá.
250 $a1st ed.
260 $aNew York :$bHarper,$cc2010.
300 $axiii, 400 p. :$bill. ;$c24 cm.
520 $a"A controversial, idea-driven book that challenges everything you know about sex, marriage, family, and society"--Provided by publisher.
520 $aSince Darwin's day, we've been told that sexual monogamy comes naturally to our species. But this narrative is collapsing. Here, renegade thinkers Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jethá, while debunking almost everything we "know" about sex, offer a bold alternative explanation. Ryan and Jethá's central contention is that human beings evolved in egalitarian groups that shared food, child care, and, often, sexual partners. Weaving together convergent, frequently overlooked evidence from anthropology, archaeology, primatology, anatomy, and psychosexuality, the authors show how far from human nature monogamy really is. With intelligence, humor, and wonder, Ryan and Jethá show how our promiscuous past haunts our struggles over monogamy, sexual orientation, and family dynamics. Human beings everywhere and in every era have confronted the same familiar, intimate situations in surprisingly different ways. The authors expose the ancient roots of human sexuality while pointing toward a more optimistic future illuminated by our innate capacities for love, cooperation, and generosity.--From publisher description.
504 $aIncludes bibliographical references (p. [315]-380) and index.
650 0 $aSex.
650 0 $aSex$xHistory.
650 0 $aSex customs.
650 0 $aMarriage.
650 0 $aMonogamous relationships.
650 0 $aPrimates$xSexual behavior.
650 0 $aSexual behavior in animals.
650 0 $aSocial evolution.
650 0 $aHuman evolution.
700 1 $aJethá, Cacilda.
856 42 $3Contributor biographical information$uhttp://www.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy1012/2009045457-b.html
856 42 $3Publisher description$uhttp://www.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy1012/2009045457-d.html