The Red Queen
The Red Queen: Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature by Matt Ridley
The Red Queen raised many interesting questions about where we came from and why we reproduce sexually. Ridley proposes that we reproduce sexually because of the randomness of genes which are inherited by sexually produced offspring. Diseases and viruses have been our biggest enemy since the beginning of time. Sexually produced offspring have allowed us to win this arms race.
I found the latter part of the book to be more interesting because it concentrated on evolutionary psychology, dating/mating mind, and the dichotomy of man vs. woman.
Experienced scientist and science journalist Matt Ridley compiled these findings of evolutionary psychology (EP).
Disclaimer: For those who are offended by the very suggestion that our behavior evolved from a pre-ape ancestor - and that our behavior is an elaborate, sophisticated manifestation of language and socialization which evolved by natural selection along with a huge brain - you won’t like this book.
I have seen how men and women preen, peacock-like, showing off their best sides during courtships, and how they pair off in society according to commonly accepted determinants of status, differing depending on sex. I have seen how the competitive, power-seeking behavior of men is drastically tempered by marriage. I have seen how married men who are careful in all other endeavors will take uncharacteristic risks for a sexual fling. I have observed how women tend to choose (in a mate) financial success and stability over looks (if they have to choose), whereas men tend to choose beauty over all else. I have seen how men and women differ in their outlooks: Men (generally) want to be practical, shrewd, assertive, dominating, competitive, critical, and self-controlled. Women (usually) want to be loving, affectionate, impulsive, sympathetic, and generous. One in three men said they had fantasized about having sex with more than a thousand women in their lives. Women overwhelmingly fantasize about having sex. I have read about and subsequently observed how people score each other during their social interactions, rating relationship values for the future. Finally, game theory concepts are widely known to be utilized by humans in sexual and social interactions. All these concepts are predicted by EP. I could go on with other examples, but in short, I’m a sucker for EP.
