Books like Why is the penis shaped like that? by Jesse Bering

Exploring the science of sex through candid interviews and groundbreaking research

Psychologist Cordelia Fine debunks biological myths about gender, blending evolutionary science, psychology, and neuroscience to argue for a more equal society.

"When homo sapiens made their entrance 100,000 years ago they were confronted by a wide range of other early humans--homo erectus, who walked better and used fire; homo habilis who used tools; and of course the Neanderthals, who were brawny and strong. But shortly after their arrival, something happened that vaulted the species forward and made them the indisputable masters of the planet. This book is devoted to revealing just what that difference is. It explores how the physical traits and cognitive ability of homo sapiens distanced them from the rest of nature. Even more importantly, Masters of the Planet looks at how our early ancestors acquired these superior abilities; it shows that their strange and unprecedented mental facility is not, as most of us were taught, simply a basic competence that was refined over unimaginable eons by natural selection. Instead, it is an emergent capacity that was acquired quite recently and changed the world definitively"--

"A fascinating look at how the brain controls our relationships and romances. Neuroscientists, psychologists, and most men and women readers today have learned that the brain is Grand Central Station for our most erotic associations, memories, and secret desires. The latest research shows that the popular myth is true: Sexual orientation and identity is hard-wired, the result of our neurological predisposition, not a choice or result of socialization. We instinctively crave connection and relationship as an essential part of our well-being, self-esteem, and pleasure. The process of achieving and recovering from orgasm ignites the same pleasure centers in the brain as exercise, music, religion, food, alcohol, and drugs. Sexual desire can be triggered by a thought, a smell, a touch, or the sight of an object of desire. These sensorium are located at different parts of the brain, and can be activated indefinitely into our senior years. Filled with little known and fascinating information about the brain. The third Scientific American book in the series about the brain. The core science and latest research is drawn from the prestigious Scientific American and Scientific American Mind magazines"--

Explores how the penis has shaped Western culture, revealing its symbolic power beyond biology and tracing key moments that redefined its meaning throughout history.

"Few things come more naturally to us than sex--or so it would seem. Yet to a chimpanzee, the sexual practices and customs we take for granted would appear odd indeed. He or she might wonder why we bother with inconveniences like clothes, why we prefer to make love on a bed, and why we fuss so needlessly over privacy. Evolution and Human Sexual Behavior invites us into the thought-experiment of imagining human sex from the vantage point of our primate cousins, in order to underscore the role of evolution in shaping all that happens, biologically and behaviorally, when romantic passions are aroused. Peter Gray and Justin Garcia provide an interdisciplinary synthesis that draws on the latest discoveries in evolutionary theory, genetics, neuroscience, comparative primate research, and cross-cultural sexuality studies. They are our guides through an exploration of the patterns and variations that exist in human sexuality, in chapters covering topics ranging from the evolution of sex differences and reproductive physiology to the origins of sexual play, monogamous unions, and the facts and fictions surrounding orgasm. Intended for generally curious readers of all stripes, this up-to-date, one-volume survey of the evolutionary science of human sexual behavior explains why sexuality has remained a core fascination of human beings throughout time and across cultures."--Jacket.