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Why Women Have Sex: Understanding Sexual Motivations from Adventure to Revenge (and Everything in Between) [Hardcover]

Cindy M. Meston , David M. Buss
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)

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Book Description

September 29, 2009

An unparalleled exploration of the mysteries underlying women’s sexuality that rivals the culture-shifting Kinsey Report, from two of America’s leading research psychologists

Do women have sex simply to reproduce or display their affection? When University of Texas at Austin clinical psychologist Cindy M. Meston and evolutionary psychologist David M. Buss joined forces to investigate the underlying sexual motivations of women, what they found astonished them.

Through the voices of real women, Meston and Buss reveal the motivations that guide women’s sexual decisions and explain the deep-seated psychology and biology that often unwittingly drive women’s desires—sometimes in pursuit of health or pleasure, or sometimes for darker, disturbing reasons that a woman may not fully recognize. Drawing on more than a thousand intensive interviews conducted solely for the book, as well as their pioneering research on physiological response and evolutionary emotions, Why Women Have Sex uncovers an amazingly complex and nuanced portrait of female sexuality. They delve into the use of sex as a defensive tactic against a mate’s infidelity (protection), as a ploy to boost self-confidence (status), as a barter for gifts or household chores (resource acquisition), or as a cure for a migraine headache (medication).

Why Women Have Sex stands as the richest and deepest psychological understanding of female sexuality yet achieved and promises to inform every woman’s (and her partner’s) awareness of her relationship to sex and her sexuality.


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Why Women Have Sex: Understanding Sexual Motivations from Adventure to Revenge (and Everything in Between) + The Evolution Of Desire - Revised Edition 4 + Sperm Wars: Infidelity, Sexual Conflict, and Other Bedroom Battles
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bringing together some of the interesting (and some not so interesting) research on women and sex, the author explain how Brown University researchers found that how someone smells is the single most important factor in a woman's choice of lover; Brazilian researchers discovered that women are aroused by men with whom they are genetically compatible. Collating such findings with their own online survey of 1,000 women of diverse backgrounds, the coauthors, psychology professors at the University of Texas at Austin, also discovered that women are sexually motivated by self-confident partners with a good sense of humor. Some women have sex out of feelings of obligation or revenge, to satisfy their curiosity, gain experience and enhance their self-esteem. Sexual activity can also provide health benefits—to relieve migraines and menstrual cramps, reduce the risk of endometriosis and prevent age-related vaginal atrophy. Although solidly researched, this book often treads familiar terrain and comes to fairly obvious conclusions. such as that women have sex to give or get love or a feeling of emotional connection and to enjoy the sensations of sexual arousal and orgasm. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

“Occasionally poetic, always candid. The book is filled with insights with which to start conversations.”—Psychology Today
 
"Why Women Have Sex is an endlessly well informed and irresistibly readable book. The candor of the women’s responses and the authors’ knowledge of all that has been happening in the world of sex research for the past few decades combine to make it the most fascinating and illuminating look at female sexuality since Kinsey’s Sexual Behavior in the Human Female."—Mary Roach, author of Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex
 
"What an excellent book! You will come away from reading Why Women Have Sex with a better understanding of what turns women on or off, the physiology underlying desire and arousal, the likely consequences when sex is undertaken to thwart or titillate a partner, and the complexity of sexual desire. There is not much more one can ask for—to be at once enlightened and entertained by two trustworthy and sympathetic experts."—Sandra R. Leiblum Ph.D., author of Getting the Sex You Want
 
"Why Women Have Sex is full of fascinating research that will help everyone better understand and appreciate their sexual selves."—Christiane Northrup, M.D., author of The Secret Pleasures of Menopause and The Wisdom of Menopause
 
"Why Women Have Sex is a captivating tour of what psychology and biology can tell us about women’s sexual motivation. Meston and Buss are first-rate scientists and skilled writers who actually answer the question that everyone was afraid to ask."—Daniel Gilbert, professor of psychology, Harvard University, and author of Stumbling on Happiness

 


Product Details

  • Hardcover: 336 pages
  • Publisher: Times Books; First Edition edition (September 29, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0805088342
  • ISBN-13: 978-0805088342
  • Product Dimensions: 1.2 x 6.1 x 9.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #344,407 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

As far as the content of the book, it is very interesting, and a great read. Angel Solis  |  9 reviewers made a similar statement
I would consider this a must read for both men and women. Lisa Braun  |  3 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
29 of 33 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars The Latest Survey on Sex November 10, 2009
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This "never-before-reported study of why women have sex was conducted online between June 2006 and April 2009.....The survey began by asking the women if they had ever had sex for one of the 237 reasons we identified in our original study." The study involved 1,006 women from a variety of backgrounds.
"The basic biochemistry of attraction is the number one reason women give for why they have sex." Women unconsciously utilize two types of evolutionary instincts to seek out and find their mates--they are "Genetic benefits" that "are the high-quality genes that can endow a woman's children with a better ability to survive and reproduce." "'Resource benefits,' are the second type that include food, shelter from the hostile forces of nature, and physical protection from aggressive men, help a woman and her children survive and thrive."
This is a fascinating non-fiction book. It's full of information that most readers will never have even imagined. One of the book's first examples of this is "the scent of sexiness." Women's sense of smell enables them to help select their best possible mates by the odor of the males "pheromones." A male's scent enables women to identify good hygiene and clues to the male's immune system and body symmetry and whether mating with them will produce superior offspring.
That's only a tiny sample of the fascinating information supplied by this book. What will surprise many readers is many of the secondary 236 reason's women have sex. This book also seems to prove that sex can greatly relieve stress and also cure many of women's headaches. Surprise, surprise-the fact seems exactly opposite of the public's beliefs.
... Read more ›
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37 of 46 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Tame for this author October 27, 2009
Format:Hardcover
I love David Buss, who I consider one of the fathers of evolutionary psychology (EP). This, though, is not one of his best. Basically, he gives an EP gloss to what seems to be a Shere-Hite-like survey of sexual behavior.

There was very little that was new here. If you've never been exposed to EP before, you'll love it. If you have, though ... That said, it is a good compilation of all the research on a particular topic. There are some good monographs like this one out there these days - Spent: Sex, Evolution, and Consumer Behavior, The Murderer Next Door: Why the Mind Is Designed to Kill, etc.

One thing that I did not like at all about this book was the emphasis on research subjects who are college students. Every little blurb seemed to be from a female age 19, 23, 21, 25, 20, etc. Very typical of academic research. It just doesn't fit the subject matter for this one though. There's a lot to learn about sex after college. ;^)
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14 of 19 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read December 8, 2009
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book is a virtual roadmap to enhanced intimacy. Finally, a book with all the things my mother should have told me (or told me incorrectly!) with the science behind it. I found it to be fascinatingly informative and at the same time, an enjoyable read owing to the authors' somewhat humorous and unorthodox approach to the topic. It's a book my husband would never buy for himself since he thinks he already knows everything on the subject, and yet, every time I put it down, I later found him "just thumbing through it" so hint: buy two copies if you want one just for yourself. Even though we haven't discussed the book, the subtle, but important changes in our overall relationship have been gratifying to both of us. I would highly recommend this book to every couple, both married and unmarried, and everyone otherwise needing to have an appreciation of feminine sexuality.
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5 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars An Important Question April 22, 2010
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book makes two important contributions. First, is the title. Dr Meston does not confuse love and sex, although emotional reasons (love and commitment) ranked high in the original study. Second, a man can identify with many of the same reasons!

With the evolutionary psychology input, the book stays within the procreation/pleasure paradigm, yet includes reasons like, "wanting to get close to God": a small percentage.The Sacred Female

Had this book been written by Dr. Buss alone, I would have given it the same credence I gave Gray's "Men are from Mars": zero. Dr. Meston, perhaps subconsciously, brings a feminine balance and authority beyond the numbers.

It is important to note two things while reading: 1. The original study was conducted using college age students as a base line and 2. The study was expanded to the general public with small response, yet expanding the age range. The book is only as definitive as the population studied and there are many cultural variations in reasoning.

I would strongly recommend this book for women who ask, "Am I the only one who feels this way?" And for men who ask, "What the hell is going on with her?" Whatever your motivation for purchasing this title, you will find the book smooth to read and fascinating!
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9 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Every now and again a book crosses my desk for review that goes well beyond my likes or dislikes. `Why Women Have Sex' is such a book. You'll like it. Or, at least, I can't imagine the `you' who wouldn't. But better even that that, this is a book you *should* read, and that includes you - the woman, the man, the married, the single... in short anyone who has a curiosity or vested interest in women's sexuality.

On a topic that can easily be taboo or overly clinical, Drs. Meston and Buss, labored over a years-long study into why women have sex. The 237 reasons they found sparked a research paper that's been laid out brilliantly for regular people. It's fascinating and funny; revealing and confirming. And it's likely not what you think.

Get the book, by all means, and if you'd like to know a bit more, the good doctors took the time to speak with me for PsychJourney dot com in a wonderful interview on a few issues related to, `Why Women Have Sex.' Look us up!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting book.
I am working on a Master's Degree in Counseling, and read a lot about human behavior. This is an excellent source for information on why women do what they do. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Carl A. Thames
3.0 out of 5 stars Very academic but great stories
Clearly someone's academic research that hasn't been fully rewritten for a popular audience, it's a bit dry and formal, and lacks a certain empathy or connection with the research... Read more
Published 4 months ago by mirau
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
An insightful and enjoyable book. Well written and surprisingly I did learn a lot that I did not know about myself. The authors are great!
Published 5 months ago by B. Osborne
5.0 out of 5 stars Women, Men Sex and Love
The book is well written and generally objective rather than sensational. The differences between men and women in regard to emotional and physical intimacy is presented in a... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Ruth M. Rich
5.0 out of 5 stars MUST READ - PHENOMENOL BOOK
This book is absolutely amazin. You will not be able to put it down. The authors provide endless amounts of research and perspectives that explain why women have sex. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Als913
4.0 out of 5 stars AMAZING BOOK!!
Honestly, I'm only half way through the book, but so far it's been great. It took about 10 days to finally get to me (booo) but once I got it I couldn't wait to crack it open. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Kam
1.0 out of 5 stars Irrelevant and unintentionally hilarous
This book is nonsense. They rely on almost nothing but their own shallow study that proves very little when there are mountains of studies showing interesting information, much of... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Thomas
5.0 out of 5 stars Not Just Another Pick-Up Book
I loved this book because it is full of scientific theory, research correlations, and for the most part no opinion. Read more
Published on January 27, 2011 by Derrick J. Roffman
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent. Now where do we go from here?
I have little to add to the positive reviews already posted. I do feel that this book is going to be Exhibit A in the oncoming War of the Female Libido. Read more
Published on November 4, 2010 by DrBig
4.0 out of 5 stars Finally a book that lives up to its title
This book is exactly what the title says...it covers all the reasons women have sex. It does this by turning a scientific research study into a very entertaining book. Read more
Published on August 21, 2010 by S. A. Mellor
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