Why is Sex Fun?

Book summary

Jared Diamond is a professor of geography at UCLA in California. A trained biologist, he has worked in fields ranging from ornithology to history and ecology. Guns, Germs, and Steel won the Pulitzer Prize and was named one of Time magazine’s best nonfiction books of all time.

Humans, like many animals, use body signals to communicate biological traits such as gender, age, and reproductive fitness. These signals, which can be visual or auditory, play a vital role in mate selection despite the risks they may pose, such as increased visibility to predators. For example, a peacock’s elaborate tail, while impairing its ability to escape threats, signals genetic quality to potential mates. Similarly, humans display physical traits like muscle tone, facial symmetry, and body fat distribution as indicators of health and reproductive potential, often grouped under the term "sex appeal." Another uniquely human reproductive trait is the absence of visible ovulation, unlike species such as baboons, where males can detect fertility through physical cues. This concealed ovulation leads to non-cyclic mating, where humans engage in sexual activity regardless of fertility, pregnancy, or menopause. Though energy-intensive and seemingly inefficient, this behavior likely evolved to promote monogamy by encouraging males to remain with their partners and offspring, reducing the drive to seek additional mates.

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