This new book Sex at Dawn (that’s an affiliate link, so I’ll be grateful if you purchase the book) promises to explain the prehistoric origins of human sexuality.
I haven’t finished the book yet, but the first thing that I noticed was the tone of the book. Whether by design or by over-zealousness, its try-hard tabloid-like proselytizing of the casual nature of sexual relations serves to either delight or annoy its readers. Of course it isn’t hard to guess which side of the audience I’m on.
It’s no secret that I am fiercely conservative when it comes to matters of love, sex, and family. So one might point out that I’m simply being biased against such material. This is far from the truth. I have always been a proponent of seeking out the truth. But I have also found that it is not necessary for me to live in accordance to any particular truth. I live in a way that I see fit, regardless of what general consensus and evidence may dictate. There’s the truth, and then there’s what I believe in. As a result, my appreciation for the truth isn’t affected by my philosophy.In any case, take this excerpt for example:
Yes, a few candles here, some crotchless panties there, toss a handful of rose petals on the bed and it’ll be just like the very first time! What’s that you say? He’s still checking out other women? She’s still got an air of detached disappointment? He’s finished before you’ve begun?
Well, then, let the experts figure out what ails you, your partner, your relationship. Perhaps his penis needs enlarging or her vagina needs a retrofit. Maybe he has “commitment issues,” a “fragmentary superego,” or the dreaded “Peter Pan complex.” Are you depressed? You say you love your spouse of a dozen years but don’t feel sexually attracted the way you used to? One or both of you are tempted by another? Maybe you two should try doing it on the kitchen floor. Or force yourself to do it every night for a year. Maybe he’s going through a midlife crisis. Take these pills. Get a new hairstyle. Something must be wrong with you.
Does this seem like something that belongs in a serious book with serious allegations and assertions? Frankly, it’s rather unbecoming. It detracts from the content that it is presenting. If Dr. Ryan and Dr. Jetha wished to be taken seriously, they really ought to have made the decision to drop such facetious and satirical passages. So far, the book tries so hard to convince you that everything that you know about sex and evolutionary reason for human sexuality is wrong. They make promises to answer questions about why men suffer from premature ejaculation and a host of other questions that sound like they come out of an e-mail spam script. It’s very difficult to take this book seriously when it treats it audience like a bunch of hicks sitting around watching Jerry Springer with their thumbs up their behinds.
Look out for my review of the book when I finish reading it.
