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Taking a little break between classes!

Much of what we take for granted about human sexuality is downright weird by the standards of the rest of the animal kingdom. This book tries to look at why and how these practices evolved.

It's an interesting how others might see us account. The book dates from 1997 and it particularly shows when talking about sex that cannot result in procreation such as during pregnancy etc., without any mention of homosexuality in our and other species.

#naturalitsy #midwintersolace @AllDebooks @Chrissyreadit @TheBookHippie

I'm not sure, but this is either the first book that got me into this area or one of the first. It's a fascinating look at the octopus, and Peter quickly became an auto-buy author for me.

There's nothing relevatory here if you've taken basic biology but there is much that is clearly explained if you are new to these concepts. And Prosanta is charming so the book is a delightful read. I do wish it were a tad less judgmental, because this isn't a book that's going to change anyone's mind scientifically or politically - folks who desire to disprove evolution for reasons of faith or politics will be immediately turned off by the tone.

(2000) The author argues that science provides a rich basis for religious thought, sentiment, and practice. The structure is a series of .... meditations, devotions, object lessons, call them what you will ... that draw on "the epic of evolution" to demonstrate her case. This is my religion too, to the extent I have one, and I liked it much.

I don't often read religious nonfiction but when I do, it's because the #BookSpin fates told me to.

Seriously I'm looking forward to both of these, one of them meditations on nature-based spirituality; and the other a history of the homogenization of evangelicalism. Both of them I've heard good things about.

Thanks for the numbers @TheAromaofBooks !

(2008) Sometimes a book sits so long on your TBR that by the time you get around to it, its moment has passed. I feel like that's what happened with this book, which argues that little attention has been paid to the ways that human evolution has made us vulnerable to certain flaws in reasoning. But recently there has been no shortage of books doing just that, and sometimes doing it better. Maybe if I'd read it in 2008...

Thorough and not unpleasant to read but fairly dry and academic.

I was looking forward to this book as I have a strong biology/chemistry background. I really wanted to like it but couldn't get further than halfway due to Darwin's painful ramblings and long drawn-out arguments. While there is substance there (obviously, it's an historic work), the diction and argumentative structure just isn't there.