Sperm Wars
Infidelity, Sexual Conflict, and Other Bedroom Battles
by Robin Baker · first published 1996
54% recommend46% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Popular science on sperm competition and how sexual behavior shapes evolution. Readers found it eye-opening for changing preconceived views. Suits those interested in evolutionary psychology and sex in biology.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
"Using a series of fictional scenes involving some form of sexual contact, followed by an interpretation of the behavior from the viewpoint of an evolutionary biologist," the author explains how the "old programming [prompts] sexual behavior that is often in conflict with ... rational plans."--Jackets.
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Sperm Wars - A fascinating evolutionary biology book focusing on sperm competition. Caesar by Christian Meier - Got totally hooked on this, wonderful read. Happy Hour is for Amateurs - Novel by web author Philalawyer.…
on “Ask HN: Great books you read in 2009?” ↗The Selfish Gene - Richard Dawkins (Evolution) The Red Queen - Matt Ridley (Sex and evolution) Sperm Wars - Robin Baker (Sex as the driving force in society) The books, if red in that order, provide a total picture of evolution in our society and the driving forces.
on “Ask HN: Which non-fiction books changed your life?” ↗The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins; Red Queen, Matt Ridley; Sperm Wars, Robin Baker; Read in that order, the books explain much of what is going on in our society and lives. This has enabled me to to analyse my own, and others, actions and motives.
on “Ask HN: What books fundamentally changed the way you think about the world?” ↗…course exceptions )that female primates, including humans, respond sexually favorably toward high status behavior on the part of males. The Red Queen is a good book, but there are countless others. Sperm Wars, Sex At Dawn, The Evolution of Desire, and myriad academic papers that these books reference, paint a very clear picture of female sexuality that few will ever want to believe. n=1 is irrelevant in this…
on “The Secret to a Happy Marriage: Do the Dishes, Put Out, Don’t Talk So Much” ↗…think this pretty much seems up your attitude towards that field: Without ever having read said book, I pretend to know what it's about and therefore deride the whole subfield of evolutionary psychology. Sperm Wars is one of the books that has blown me away the most in my life, as it changed so many preconceived notions on why humans act the way they do. Please don't judge a book by its cover. And its thesis is…
on “Sperm Wars” ↗Highly recommend Sperm Wars. Interestingly, it was recommended to me from Tucker Max's reading list, who is the topic of the linked "The New Dating Game" article.
on “Sperm Wars” ↗The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind, by Julian Jaynes, is the best book I've read this year. It profoundly changed the way I look at things. I also found Sperm Wars to be very enlightening, ditto Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer.
on “Ask HN: Good books?” ↗…that book was unreadable. Had some weird obsessive chip on the shoulder about Darwin (mentioned on almost every page). Complete with nearly contentless USA Today style infographics. I'd recommend "Sperm Wars" instead.
on “Ask HN: What book have you given as a gift?” ↗Not sure it's the same angle, as I can't open the paywall. But the book Sperm Wars, published 1996, covers the topic quite well. It puts forwards a mechanism where a spectrum of sexuality is genertically inhereited via selection. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sperm_Wars
on “Same-sex attraction isn't an evolutionary paradox – here's why” ↗…completely different light. There were these mental "hooks" I could analyze human interactions through. Neil Strauss's "Rules of the Game" did something similar. I'm currently reading Robin Baker's "Sperm Wars" and it's again showing me human interactions through a new light. So, HN: what are the books that presented new theories / ideas on human nature that has changed the way you view / analyze human interactions?
on “Ask HN: Books on human nature that changed your interactions” ↗…http://www.amazon.com/The-Red-Queen-Evolution-Nature/dp/0060... And although I haven't read this book (if you do, tell me what you think), I know that it talks more about how x% of children are not genetically related to their fathers: http://www.amazon.com/Sperm-Wars-Infidelity-Conflict-Bedroom...
on “23andMe raises $50M, cuts price to $99, sets goal of 1M genotyped customers” ↗Time for Robin Baker to update the seminal "Sperm Wars" [1] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sperm_Wars
on “Human sperm cooperate on the competitive pathway to fertilization: study” ↗…remember my friends and I starting to have this idea that marriage is a social construct in high school and college as we tried on our philosopher hats. A little later I read an interesting book called Sperm Wars [1] that largely tried to line up the results of scientific papers and behavioral surveys with attitudes and narratives about sex. They had what was a compelling argument for me that the cultural ideas…
on “Half a Million Kinksters Can't Be Wrong” ↗Sorry, I misread you then. So please do tell me why you call them "insights" and what's wrong with evolutionary psychology in a nutshell - I'm genuinely curious. Also, Sperm Wars might be excellent material for changing preconceived notions of laymen in the field, but not so much for people who are well versed? Because despite recognizing that people want to procreate and that…
on “Sperm Wars” ↗…higher mating success are also evolutionary advantages despite their being destructive and socially unacceptable. There are known parallels in humans to what this article is talking about. The book "Sperm Wars" mentions many of them https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sperm_Wars The authors go to great lengths to denounce violent behavior, but nonetheless discuss the evolutionary advantages of some behaviors that…
on “Evolution of Sexual Intimidation: Male Baboons Beat Up Females, Increases Mating” ↗