Do Gentlemen Really Prefer Blondes?: Bodies, Behavior, and Brains--The Science Behind Sex, Love, & Attraction [Paperback]

Jena Pincott (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 29, 2009

How do the seasons affect your sex life? Is your lover more likely to get you pregnant than your husband? Are good dancers also good in bed?
If you’ve ever wondered how scientists measure love—or whether men really prefer blondes—this smart, sexy book provides real answers to these and many other questions about our most baffling dating and mating behaviors. Based on the latest research in biology, evolutionary psychology, neuroscience, and cognitive science, Do Gentlemen Really Prefer Blondes? dares to explain the science behind sex—and opens a fascinating window on the intriguing phenomenon of love and attraction. Did you know…

•When a couple first fall in love, their brains are indistinguishable from those of the clinically insane
•You can tell a lot about a person’s sexual chemistry just by looking at his or her hands
•Your genes influence whose body odors you prefer

Viewed through the lens of science and instinct, your love life might be seen in a completely different way. This book provides both an in-depth exploration into our sexual psyches—and fresh advice for men and women who want to discover the secrets of successful relationships.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. In these playfully written scientific anecdotes, Pincott (Success) argues that desire is strongly rooted in evolutionary biases and consults a variety of studies—some familiar, others cutting-edge—to reveal the extent to which hormones dictate human behavior. Even idle ogling is a serious endeavor: humans constantly rate each other for levels of attractiveness, a signifier of male and female hormones. When women are ovulating, estrogen rebuilds the female face, making lips fuller and skin smoother; Pincott cites studies showing that strippers earned twice as much during the fertile phase of their cycles as when they had their periods, while those taking birth control earned significantly less money throughout. The book also has the scoop about whether penis size matters (it does), how the post-orgasm rush of oxytocin promotes bonding and why women are tempted to cheat during certain times of the month. It ends with a look at the neuroscience of love, which despite all the jostling and jousting of dating and mating, appears to be very much alive when measured by MRI studies of passionate couples. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"Witty, captivating, scientifically sound and great fun. Every curious man and woman will love this book."—Louann Brizendine, M.D., New York Times bestselling author of The Female Brain

“Answers around 100 questions we’ve all wondered about or asked…. A tremendous amount of potentially useful information in a well-written, entertaining, and easy-to-understand format.”—Library Journal

“Playfully written scientific anecdotes.” – Publishers Weekly, starred review


From the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Delta (September 29, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385342160
• ISBN-13: 978-0385342162
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.8 x 7.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #235,817 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jena Pincott writes about the quirky, hidden side of science -- the shocking, subconscious, under-the-radar stuff. She is the author of Do Chocolate Lovers Have Sweeter Babies? Exploring the Surprising Science of Pregnancy, which received starred reviews from Kirkus and Library Journal. Her previous book, Do Gentlemen Really Prefer Blondes? is about the science of love and attraction. Translated in 17 languages, the book received a starred review in Publishers Weekly. Her writing and interviews have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Redbook, and other publications.

Jena has a background in biology. Formerly a senior editor at Random House, she blogs at Psychology Today and Huffington Post. Jena's other books run the gamut from self-help and motivation (Healing and the bestselling Success) to science, technology, and history (Technomanifestos, Making the Cisco Connection). She also writes science fiction.

Jena lives in New York City with her husband, Peter, and baby daughter.

Read her blog at www.jenapincott.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars LOVE this book!!, October 14, 2008

By 

Elizabeth A. Essenfeld "Elizabeth Essenfeld" (Simsbury, CT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Do Gentlemen Really Prefer Blondes?: Bodies, Behavior, and Brains--The Science Behind Sex, Love, and Attraction (Hardcover)

Yay!! Finally! Some reasoning behind all those questions we have! Why DO we want to be super skinny even though logically we know it's less attractive? Why DO we fall for the bad boy when Mr. Perfect is standing right next to us? Years of research have been conducted for these questions and so many more, only we don't have to go digging thru endless university studies or blow the dust off piles of reference books in the basement of our local libraries ... Jena Pincott did all the sifting and filtering for us! She's handed us a concise, comprehensive, well researched, scientifically-based answer to each relationship question we've ever had wrapped up in small, easy-to-swallow, purple-tinted chapters. It's perfect! Perfect to read for your own curiosity, perfect as a gift to a recently dumped girlfriend, perfect to use in arguments with your partner ...

The only thing left now that we have the reasons behind our feelings/choices is the answers on what to do about changing them. This is not a criticism of Mrs. Pincott, mind you (she definitely accomplished her goal in this book of reasons) but more of a plea from a reader/fan for a follow-up book with the scientific solutions to consciously alter our perceptions to making better relationship choices.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Converstion Starters!, November 23, 2008

By 

Zenaide Andrade (nyc) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Do Gentlemen Really Prefer Blondes?: Bodies, Behavior, and Brains--The Science Behind Sex, Love, and Attraction (Hardcover)

I think this book is terrific ! The questions answers in the book
make great fodder for provocative conversations with friends and
boyfriends. Some of the ones I loved: are "Is a meat-heavy diet a turn-
pff? Why do roller coaster rides and other thrills make people
lustful? What smells have been found to turn people on? How do the
seasons affect your love life?" It's funny, charming, and well--
written. What I like about it is that it's not heavy and dull like
most science books, but there are sources if you want to go back to
the research behind the author's findings. I'd call it a cross
between a science book and the best of Cosmo. Highly recommended for
women who are looking for a new view on love and dating.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars evolutionary biology explains everything!, July 15, 2009

By 

college professor - See all my reviews

This review is from: Do Gentlemen Really Prefer Blondes?: Bodies, Behavior, and Brains--The Science Behind Sex, Love, and Attraction (Hardcover)

I picked up this book initially because I wanted to know the answer to the question in the book's title: Do Gentlemen Really Prefer Blondes? (because I do!). The book explained several questions that I had been curious about. Since I am a face man, I was curious to know why certain faces are so irresistible to me. The answer was surprising and yet completely understandable in evolutionary biological terms. An attractive face is a symmetrical face, indicating genetic and developmental health of the individual and therefore his or her attractiveness as a mate. Why is long hair sexy? It's not obvious, but again it's explained by evolution and biology. Can semen in your body from your partner make you happy? Why do men have more casual sex than women? You can say the answer is that they are dogs, but that's not the evolutionary reason. And for you singles: you should know that intercourse with a partner is more satisfying than masturbation. Love makes you blind. It turns out it's not just a saying. What body language do men or women use to let you know that they are interested? This too has to do with the evolution of human behavior.

I learned a surprising amount of evolutionary biology and psychology from this book!