Making Sense of Sex: How Genes And Gender Influence Our Relationships [Hardcover]

David P. Barash (Author), Judith Eve Lipton (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1559634529 | ISBN-13: 978-1559634526 | Publication Date: September 1, 1997 | Edition: 1

The authors integrate biological and anthropological findings with real-life stories of individuals to address the conundrums that surround male-female behavior and relationships. Drawing on the latest research in evolutionary biology, they trace the multifaceted gender gap to the basic, defining difference between males and females: that one makes sperm, the other, eggs. They show how that distinction explains why women and men differ in essential ways, exploring such questions as: Why are men more attracted than women to pornography, group sex, and one-night stands? Why are women the "gatekeepers" of sex? Why do women have orgasms?

Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews

One is tempted to say this book tells you everything you wanted to know about sex but were afraid to ask--except that no one is afraid to ask these days, and we are all but surfeited by the amount of public telling. Indeed, sex scandals aside, the transit from scholarly journal to newsprint is such that hardly any nuance of sexual behavior of beast or human goes unnoticed. So the review that this husband-wife team provides (he is an evolutionary biologist, she a psychiatrist) is less a report on what's new than it is their perspective on the state of sex science today. As such, they are emphatic in stating that just because a behavior is common (e.g., male philandering) does not mean that it is to be condoned: What ``is'' is not to be construed as inevitable or as what ought to be. Having said that, the authors provide a comprehensive summary of the biological, neurological, and developmental differences between males and females, with due regard for the effects of hormones, genes, and culture. Barash provides many examples of animal and anthropological studies relating to courtship, male-male aggression, male violence against another male's offspring, and so on. Lipton draws upon her practice with numerous case studies, such as women who are conflicted or depressed about handling careers and motherhood. Indeed, part of the rationale for the joint authorship was to contrast the styles of the (female) therapist communicating one-on-one with patients with the more distancing perspective of the (male) evolutionary biologist theorizing about bluebirds. Nor are they above using their own marriage to exemplify problems they discuss. Overall, this complementary and not overly technical approach works to their advantage and, along with the temperate point of view, makes this a useful addition to the popular literature. It should be especially good for young people. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Island Press; 1 edition (September 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559634529
• ISBN-13: 978-1559634526
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,402,637 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting presentation but not a good explanation, November 18, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Making Sense of Sex: How Genes And Gender Influence Our Relationships (Hardcover)

Though well written and at times entertaining, the authors of this book seem to imply that the behavior of such diverse species as insects, bluebirds,and elephant seals are clues to human males with primate antecedents. Evolutionary psychology is more an interpretation of scientific evidence than a scientific field -- hence more art than science and therefore littered with more assumption, opinion and analogy than concrete, measurable results.

What is most disappointing in the field, as found in this book, is the conclusion that males of all species bear universal and compulsive characteristics towards violence, aggression, dominance, promiscuity, and a desperate need to reproduce. Women are complimentary -- being passive, fearful, timid, and willingly reproductive. Rape is mentioned in a reproductive sense, more so than as an act of violence that is non-sexual but personally abusive or as the result of a society that devalues women.

The authors (and it is apparent that David Barash, the evolutionary biologist, has the stronger voice in this book) nearly dismiss social influences despite data in psychology, psychiatry, and neuroscience that is demonstrating that early childhood experiences, particularly trauma, are instrumental in forming the neuro-network and thus the behaviors of an individual. They also dismiss social restrictions that historically provided men and women with their adult roles (whether or not men and women actually liked these roles).

Differences in sexual expression, and additional social or anti-social behaviors, may be influenced by hormones, genes, etc. They may also be influenced by instinctive behaviors, although I find it difficult to compare a man to a bluebird, or even to a primate, since we are many millions of years away from the jungle. I find it difficult also to reconcile the good-humored, non-violent, sexually responsible, constructive and intelligent men I know to this picture of a hormonally and instinctually driven individual prone to aggression and masculine displays.

The book is nicely written. It is technical but easily understood. Portions attempt to explain concerns like why men are not as nurturing as women (although the explanation is not successful), why domestic violence is almost solely perpetrated by a male, and why women are more discriminating about their sex partners. Some due is given to feminist theories, although I wish there was equal time for male objections to evolutionary psychology. Additional credence to the methods we use to raise young men and our traditional expectation for male behavior should also be more thoroughly represented.

Is the book worth reading? As a source for ideas in evolutionary psychology, it is above average. The authors' knowledge of and commitment to their field(s)is worthy of respect. The writing and organization is excellent. But as an explanation for the differences in the sexes and for different mating behaviors, I think we are better off making our own unlearned observations.

3 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars No room for the childfree...., December 11, 1999

By 

Kate "book collector, teacher, skeptic" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Making Sense of Sex: How Genes And Gender Influence Our Relationships (Hardcover)

Although I was familiar with much of what Barash and Lipton said, I kept reading in order to find out where people like me fit in -- those of us who have no children by choice on a planet that's already dangerously overcrowded, polluted and has more and more problems every day. The authors never even touched on my demographic, which has existed through history. Overall I didn't find the book helpful, and I thought their conclusions were breezily simplistic, and I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who wants to begin reading on ethology. There are more well-thought-out books that have better research and fewer stereotypes of men and women than this one.