The Nature of Sex: The Ins and Outs of Mating in the Animal Kingdom

Description

Thought about sex today? Of course you have! It's about the most natural thing any animal can do. But have you ever wondered how human sex compares to that of other beasts? It's far from merely inserting part A into slot B. The sex lives of our animal cousins are fiendishly difficult, infinitely varied and often violent. They involve razor-sharp penises, murderous cannibals and chemical warfare in an epic battle between the sexes. Like us, animals must first find the perfect partner. You think we have it tough? Try having to do it while being hunted down by predators, against a backdrop of unpredictable or life-threatening conditions. Then, sperm and egg must successfully meet. Can you imagine doing this when your partner is intent on killing you or when other disgruntled singles are determined to throw you off your game? The next task is to ensure that the resultant offspring reach sexual maturity in order to keep the cycle going. The myriad ways in which this is accomplished is ingenious. Join Carin Bondar on a fascinating journey from puberty to old age across the entire animal kingdom - it will forever change your idle daydreams about the nature of sex.

Dr Carin Bondar is a biologist with a PhD in population ecology from the University of British Columbia. She is an online and TV host for Discovery, the Science Channel, Animal Planet and National Geographic. The Nature of Sex is based on her independent web series, which has amassed over 30 million views on YouTube. Dr Bondar currently holds and adjunct faculty position in the department of biology at the University of the Fraser Valley and can been seen on Stephen Hawking's Brave New World, Outrageous Acts of Science, World's Weirdest and Badass Animals. Visit her website at www.carinbondar.com @DrBondar

A densely packed but hugely entertaining exploration of nookie in the natural world ... it is her robust relish for her subject and her informed unravelling of the science of sex that make the book so fascinating - MAIL ON SUNDAY