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£9.99
Published
4 February 2025Paperback
9781913083762Ebook
9781913083526Press Release
Coming soon.By David Baker:
‘Sure to enlighten and entertain, and challenge our understanding of human sexuality’ SIMON WHISTLER
How did sex begin? How did it evolve to be so varied in humans? What influence does our genetic ancestry have on our love life today? And what might sex look like in the future?
The Shortest History of Sex traces the facets of human sexuality, from the creation of sex two billion years ago, along our evolutionary family tree – from dinosaurs to primates and the earliest humans – until we arrive at the present, revealing why humanity’s baffling array of passions are the way they are.
From the basic chemical processes to modern codes of flirting, David Baker guides the reader towards a clear understanding of one of the strongest forces of human nature. The result is a revealing and unique insight into history and human behaviour – and the dance in society between nature and nurture.
‘Superbly written … Baker helps makes sense of the revolutionary changes in sexual behaviour taking place today’
—David Christian, author of Origin Story
- 'A fascinating science book, a tale of the entire history (and a bit of the future) of humanity told through the lens of sex' —Sophie Roell, Five Books
- ‘If you've ever felt that sex was confusing, messy or slightly ridiculous, this book is for you’
—Emma Byrne, author of How to Build a Human - 'Humorous and accessible but never trivial… full of entertainment and insight'
—Susan Quilliam, co-author of The Joy of Sex - ‘A gem’
—Jules Howard, author of Sex on Earth
David Baker
DAVID BAKER holds the world's first PhD in Big History, the field that explores patterns in deep time across the natural and social sciences. He is a a visiting lecturer at the University of Paris-Sorbonne and also the author of A Brief History of the Last 13.8 Billion Years. He lives in Australia.