The Evolution of Desire: Strategies of Human Mating

Buss is forthright about the study of evolutionary psychology and human social activities. He asserts that many roles, under attack by some people in our society, are deeply rooted in our background. We will never legislate them away nor be able to ignore them. There are inherent differences between the sexes, and these must be recognized for what they are. Society has attempted to smother some of these differences, and failure to stifle natural urges have likely led to more social suffering than any other single cause.

Buss goes further than simply calling for more attention to the basis for our mating behaviour. He notes some surprising aspects of our relationships. The "henpecked husband" is more prevalent than even our comedians would expect. Males, especially in a long-term relationship Buss argues, will become more submissive than females. They will change or accept demands more than those just entering a liaison. This certainly refutes the long-held stereotype of submissive women. On the assumption readers will seek out his chapter on rape, there are no end of surprises here. Although few would argue ape is an adapted evolutionary strategy, the demographics of rape do show a relation with normal patterns of male sexual behaviour.

This book is the result of a massive amount of research undertaken over many human societies. Not simply a quick snapshot of a few people from the Western world, the information here has been gleaned over many years and many cultures. The patterns Buss describes are universals of the human population. Nor is this simply a dry academic study. Buss is aware of social issues, personal and gender prejudices and legal considerations. He is careful to note that evolutionary roots are not "genetic determinism" and men and women are not "doomed" to follow particular behaviours. As he puts it, "understanding why sexual strategies have developed and what functions they were designed to serve provides a powerful fulcrum of changing behaviour." His candid approach, combined with a style designed to impart information without overwhelming his readers, makes this a valuable book. More teachers, legislators and counselors should read and apply Buss' findings. His work should eliminate many prejudices if properly applied. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]


A fascinating read   October 11, 2005
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

I studied this book six years ago as part of my psychology course at university. I found it an absolutely fascinating and highly interesting read. so much so, that despite having leant the book to someone many years ago, and not getting it back, I still find myself thinking about it. I think i'll buy another one.


lacks scientific evidence   March 17, 2002
8 out of 26 found this review helpful

This book may be interesting in parts, but on the whole it contradicts itself, it is bias and focusses on male desire alone. It is accessible though and easy to read and may be a good starting point for those interested in the evolution of sexual desire.


interesting   October 12, 2001
11 out of 30 found this review helpful

I found this book interesting, but it was bias and many of the studies conducted were done in such a way as to simply confirm ideas that our society already has and reinforced stereotypes. There wasn't anything that excited me or taught me things i do not already know. Many of the studies were just done on men and not on women which shows that many of the results were already assumed. I think that there are many things in life that cannot be explained and reductionistic thinking such as David M Buss's only takes us further from the truth ..... he makes too many claims when his evidence is not strong enough. I know many many men who do not fit the profiles described by Buss, and many many women who certainly do not ..... (i really do not know that many young beautiful women who would want to have sex with a rich old man over a youthful, fit and gorgeous one). Also, who conducted all the surveys? There are many things that are acceptable for men to say and not for women to say .... and there are many other factors that need to be considered, such as cultural influence so surveys can't be assumed to be the definitive and factual.
Reproduction isn't our sole purpose in this world anyway..... how would you explain creativity, friendship etc .... as humans i believe we have a deeper purpose in life than just sex.

It's a good book to read but i would read a lot more before forming opinions. Buss cannot claim to know these things for certain.... things that people have been asking for centuries and centuries.