Sometimes, pop culture gifts us with sexuality media. The CSPH takes a look at Dr. Tatiana’s Sex Advice to All Creation by Olivia Judson.
Possible triggers for readers include cannibalism, murder, rape, incest, and spiders. The term “hermaphrodite” is also used, though only in discussing non-human members of the animal kingdom.
Judson discusses the various themes of the book when she states, “evolution does not obey human notions of morality, nor is human morality a reflection of some natural law.” Many of the topics in the book, like polyamory and cheating on a partner, are huge moral topics in the human world. The rest of the animal kingdom has it’s own rules, and human ideas of what is right have only held us back when it comes studying the world around us.
Different parts of the book are organized around general themes, and the chapters within them are grouped by related topics, such as crimes of passion or aphrodisiacs. The book is written as a sex advice column to the creatures of the world, and as with human advice columns, deals with misinformation (and, by extension, sex education), culture, and social concerns such as fidelity, monogamy, and homosexuality.
Judson’s personal views on these topics are heavily influenced by evolutionary biology; while many science-based books such as this may be difficult or dull to read for many people, this book is engaging, funny, and an all-around exciting read. The science is explained simply and with easy-to-follow examples that allow the reader to follow along without getting lost.
The questions posed by the animals are written according to their practices, being, and location, so each question has it’s own personality. The information provided in the answers can be read between the lines for advice on how to handle the sexual issues in the reader’s own life.
This book is excellent for anyone looking to learn more about science, sex, animals, or read a great collection of advice columns. The final third of the book contains references for each chapter for those looking for more information on the topics presented.
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