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The Red Queen: Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 599.938
EAN: 9780060556570
ISBN: 0060556579
Label: Harper Perennial
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 416
Publication Date: May 01, 2003
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Release Date: April 29, 2003
Studio: Harper Perennial
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Editorial Review:Referring to Lewis Carroll's Red Queen from Through the Looking-Glass, a character who has to keep running to stay in the same place, Matt Ridley demonstrates why sex is humanity's best strategy for outwitting its constantly mutating internal predators. The Red Queen answers dozens of other riddles of human nature and culture -- including why men propose marriage, the method behind our maddening notions of beauty, and the disquieting fact that a woman is more likely to conceive a child by an adulterous lover than by her husband. Brilliantly written, The Red Queen offers an extraordinary new way of interpreting the human condition and how it has evolved.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - The content is good but the quality of the book not
The quality of this book I think is very good, the way in which the history is related and the content of the book are very good. The subject is developed very well and the way in which we learn the importance of the sex in the combat with parasites and virus is amazing. In general, the content of the book is very good and interesting.
Though, the quality of paper in the book that I received is very bad, the impression is not clear and the book is very fragile, is a shame because the ... Read More
Rating:  - A fascinating analysis!
This book is a fascinating analysis of research regarding human evolution. It puts together different theories of how we became the way we are, and reports both the supporting and rejecting evidence for each theory. Additionally, it is well-written and highly engaging.
Rating:  - The Red Queen
The book has some interesting ideas, but could probably be summarized in about half the number of pages.
Rating: - Great Book
I can't add very much to the excellent reviews already posted. I'll just say quickly that I enjoyed very much the fresh insight into mating practices among the "lower animals" and among humans. I've read a lot about evolution and biology and so forth, and still found much new material here. I really enjoyed learning about how scientists finally discovered the rampant adultery among birds and how incredible they are at hiding it.
Several reviewers warn about having to "make it through" ... Read More
Rating: - Worth slogging through Part 1 to get to Part 2
Some of the ideas expressed in The Red Queen are brilliant, and their applicability to the nature of human sexuality are quite interesting. However, Ridley's very methodical approach to categorizing and cataloging the varieties during the first 120-150 pages can be painfully slow.
Once Part II kicked in, I was glad I persevered. After the first part apparently sets the stage for some descriptions related to human beings, I found myself unable to put the book down during second half. ... Read More
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