Sex at Dawn

Exploring the evolutionary origins of modern sexuality.

Christopher Ryan, Ph.D. is co-author of Sex at Dawn: The Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality (HarperCollins 2010). See full bio

August 28, 2009, Relationships

What About the Women?

A World Ruled by Women: Very Man-Friendly

Just a note to say that I'll be on radio silence for the next couple of weeks, as I explore Spain with family. But for Cindy and other readers who are waiting for comments on the female side of the equation, I'll leave you with two things. First, take a look at this article on the Mosuo people of China, written by Cynthia Barnes at Slate:

http://www.slate.com/id/2153586/entry/2153587/

We discuss this society at some depth in the book. If this piques your interest, you can see a short film about these people here:

http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/rough/2005/07/introduction_to.html

Lastly, here are some typically insightful words on the subject of male/female sexual incompatibility from Mark Twain. I'm looking forward to continuing the conversation with PT readers in mid-September.

Christopher

Now there you have a sample of man’s “reasoning powers,” as he calls them. He observes certain facts. For instance, that in all his life he never sees the day that he can satisfy one woman; also, that no woman ever sees the day that she can’t overwork, and defeat, and put out of commission any ten masculine plants that can be put to bed to her. He puts those strikingly suggestive and luminous facts together, and from them draws this astonishing conclusion: The Creator intended the woman to be restricted to one man.

Mark Twain, Letters from the Earth