About book Why Is The Penis Shaped Like That?: And Other Reflections On Being Human (2012)
I liked the first half better than the second half. I understand that he has many different interests, but I personally don't share all of them and would have preferred that his book had a more unified subject matter. His righting is alright, "readable", although the humor and jokes aren't the best I've come across, even in scientific writing. Its strong point was broadening my understanding on a lot of research done on sex-related studies, and this isn't the first book I read on the matter. It's weakest point is that a lot of it is conjecture, theories that haven't been tested much, or new ideas that haven't been tested at all, and given that this is a pop sci book, I'm afraid many readers might have taken these theories for fact (I'm sure I have at some point or another). Another irksome quirk that is becoming increasingly popular even in scientific literature is the use of anecdotes. He will always associate them with a study done on the matter, but the very presence of the anecdote will drag you towards his personal opinion rather than leave you in ambivalence. I started out wanting to give it 4 stars, since you don't often come across readable books on such interesting but neglected subjects, but ever since the chapter on mental orientation, I found myself distrusting the author, and then when he included chapters on death and suicide, I really couldn't take it. It was kind of like reading a fantasy book, and then find it suddenly transforms into the DSM V (diagnostic manual for mental disorders). This is a nice collection of essays that touch upon various aspects of evolutionary biology and psychology. What's a bit disappointing is the fact that they do not make any original claim or contribution, being limited to summarizing the already existing research. It's a good starting point, though, if you don't know much about topics such as the evolution of human sexuality and other types of behaviors, but would like to learn more. :)
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Hard to put down. Interesting thoughts. I don't kill Hitler.
—parambir
fascinating, to the point, essays on being human
—Emily
