The Woman That Never Evolved

"For me, this is one of the most important science books ever written. Sarah Hrdy overturns centuries of orthodoxy and assumptions about female behaviour and sexuality, with clear, logical, crystal-sharp reasoning, using not just good science but also historical evidence. I had the honour of meeting her when I was researching Inferior and found her a brilliant thinker. She is among the first feminist scientists, and I consider her books—not just this one , but also Mother Nature —part of the canon of both evolutionary biology and feminism. The main myth she overturns is that of female sexuality being somehow more limited or modest than in males. It’s a myth we still live with today, that women are somehow naturally monogamous and men are naturally promiscuous, but she beautifully undermines this idea. As a work of science, it’s a masterclass, it for me it is also a work of feminism."