How Sex Works

Why We Look, Smell, Taste, Feel, and Act the Way We Do

By: Sharon Moalem

Narrated by: Oliver Wyman

“Read this book and discover sex again, but from a scientific perspective, and see why it evolved. It’s almost as much fun, and needs less energy.”
— Peter Macinnis, author of 100 Discoveries: The Greatest Breakthroughs in History

""How Sex Works manages to inject science writing with the prurient thrill of a gossip rag.""
—O magazine

Medical maverick and New York Times bestselling author of Survival of the Sickest Dr. Sharon Moalem presents an insightful and engaging voyage through the surprising history and evolution of sexual reproduction. Fans of Freakonomics, Blink, You: The Owner’s Manual, and Why Do Men Have Nipples will find many engaging insights in How Sex Works.

Good book, but could have had a bit more meat.

The book had a lot of great a-ha moments. There were some portions of the book which rummaged on medical theory or terminology but overall a great read with good insights.

enjoyable, informative, educational

I really enjoyed this presentation, and some of the genetic information to explain different sexual behaviors. thorough and easy to understand.

Excellent summary for senior students

Any additional comments?

This book takes sex as a mechanism of evolution for its scope, and doesn't stray much beyond this. It covers all aspects of sexual reproduction, mainly from the perspectives of anatomy and physiology. It also covers some aspects of behaviour that arise directly out of physiology, but doesn't go into any depth about sexual behaviour beyond what directly relates to evolutionary theory.

For example, the book's discussion on homosexuality considers how this appears to be a counter-evolutionary trait. It then analyses homosexuality from the perspective of how it may contribute to evolutionary success, or how it may arise as a byproduct of other genetic traits that bring evolutionary success. This is certainly a refreshing view, but probably controversial to some.

Though the book does limit itself to only published academic research (almost), it presents many ideas that arises from only limited research, and thus must be considered as tentative knowledge. To be fair, Sharon Moalem does frequently make this clear throughout the book, along with her repeated statements that we are rational creatures not completely enthralled to our genetic urges.

Overall, I recommend this book to senior secondary school and university students looking to round out their knowledge of sex.

Much Better Than Expected

I was interested in learning more about the physiology, but found the information on current sociological research to be thought provoking. This is worth reading, even if you think you know everything there is to know about how sex works.

Excellent & very informative

I recommend this book to whoever wishes to brush up or polish their knowledge of human sexuality. I enjoyed, learned and clarified my knowledge of sex. I will have my kids read it when they start college.