The authors, Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jetha focus on the early humans closest behavior to the chimps and the often ignored bonobos. For the bonobos, as well as the pre-agricultural humans, sex was more “casual”: multimale-multiple female relationships were the constant. And sex for all, not just for the top 10-20% of the pack.

Today’s view, as echoed and quoted by psychologist Donald Symons [The Evolution of Human Sexuality] is “among all peoples sexual intercourse is understood to be a service or favor that females render to males.” Robert Wright: “High MPI (male parental investment) makes sexual selection work in two different directions at once. Not only have males evolved to compete for scarce female eggs; females have evolved to compete for scarce male investment.” -The Moral Animal

Ryan and Jetha make the point of nonreproductive sex being the norm in humans like in our close cousins the bonobo. “Sex for pleasure with various partners is therefore more human than animal. Strictly reproductive, once-in-a-blue-moon sex is more ‘animal’ than human. In other words, an excessively horny monkey is acting ‘human’, while a man/woman uninterested in sex more than once or twice a year would be, strictly speaking, ‘acting like an animal’.” –Sex At Dawn

There was plenty of sexual opportunity for the pre-historic men and women. Everybody had their fill, and then five more for dessert.

Quote of the day: “We are here on Earth to fart around, and don’t let anybody tell you any different.” -Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

Minimizing jealousy and sexual possessiveness is described in various isolated primitive populations from around the globe. Why is it that men don’t stress that nowadays? All those dating coaches prime men to be “ideal” matches for their dates. What about stressing non-possessiveness? Nobody talks about that.

You look at those pre-historic conditions. For every woman was a “whore” [as in available]…but is is only now [last few thousands years] that it has become transactional sex [hence what we make of the term whore]. That’s the main message of the book.

You wanna get back to “basics”? Get rid of the transactional part.

But you have to work some more, too. Get rid of “my” and “mine”, too.

If I told you a personal secret, would you keep it? [Hint: No dating coach will tell you this]

Infidelity is the hottest ticket to a girl’s heart. 

“Throughout the world, the shift to agriculture accompanied a dramatic drop in the quality of most people’s diets and overall health.” -Sex at Dawn, 2010, something that has become even clearer to this day

Novelty fact I learned from this book: the word testify comes from the act of swearing on one’s balls.

Ryan and Jetha: “Sexual monogamy itself may be shrinking men’s balls.” Good luck, men.

Buy Sex at Dawn