Want to learn the ideas in Why Is Sex Fun? better than ever? Read the world’s #1 book summary of Why Is Sex Fun? by Jared M. Diamond here.

Read a brief 1-Page Summary or watch video summaries curated by our expert team. Note: this book guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher or author, and we always encourage you to purchase and read the full book.

Video Summaries of Why Is Sex Fun?

We’ve scoured the Internet for the very best videos on Why Is Sex Fun?, from high-quality videos summaries to interviews or commentary by Jared M. Diamond.

1-Page Summary of Why Is Sex Fun?

Overview

As Marilyn Monroe once said, “Sex is a part of nature. I go along with nature.” And Marilyn Monroe knew what she was talking about. Sex is the most physically intense thing we humans do and it’s also important for our species to survive because without sex there would be no children. So in this article, we’ll talk about how important sex is for us as human beings and why it’s such an important part of our lives.

Sex is a very interesting topic. It’s so intriguing that we’re willing to do it in private and with just one person. We also tend to have sex at night, with the lights off and doors closed.

It turns out that evolution is responsible for the way humans have sex. Other animals would find it odd because they’re not used to these practices, but we’ve been doing them for thousands of years. Men aren’t as bad as people think they are; in fact, menopause was an evolutionary advantage and helped us survive.

Big Idea #1: Human beings have the weirdest sex lives of all animals.

If dogs could talk, they would probably say that human sex lives are shocking and bizarre. For example, they’d be horrified by the fact that humans have sex on any day of the month, even days after a female partner has had her period. They would also be confused as to why humans bother having sex when the female is already pregnant. Furthermore, dogs would ask why people choose to have sex behind closed doors instead of doing it in front of other people like any normal dog would!

It turns out that human sexual standards are not shared by any other animal. If you think your pet’s sex life is odd, think again; it’s our sex lives that are weird. Just consider the thirty million other animals who don’t have sex like we do!

Even when we narrow the scope to just mammals, our sexual habits seem strange. For example, lions and chimpanzees have sex in public. They don’t live as couples or a family unit; instead, they are solitary beings that only meet up to mate.

Just as with posture and brain size, human sexuality is also different from that of our closest relatives.

Our posture and brain size helped us dominate other animals, but what about our strange sexuality? It doesn’t seem to make sense from an evolutionary standpoint. As we’ll see later on, however, it actually contributes to the survival of our species.

Big Idea #2: Human monogamy is about protecting our young.

Although men and women’s roles in raising their children will differ, most fathers will at least play some role in a child’s life. But when you look at fertilization, it is not immediately obvious why that is.

The main reason why parents are committed to their children is because of the investment they put in at the beginning. A female who produces an egg invests more than a male who provides sperm, and both need vital chromosomes. The egg also needs metabolic components necessary for the embryo’s development while sperm only require a flagellar motor and enough energy to move around for a few days. Moreover, males make an evolutionary sacrifice by staying with their mate and offspring since females are tied to caring for her offspring during pregnancy; she has no other choice due to biological effects of pregnancy and resources required for her child. Conversely, after mating, males are ready immediately to fertilize other females. Sticking around could mean fewer opportunities spread his genes compared if he were looking for new mates instead of helping out with his current family situation.

All species have the same goal: to pass on their genes. In order to do that, sometimes it’s better for both parties involved in reproduction to care for offspring.

Why Is Sex Fun? Book Summary, by Jared M. Diamond