Sex

The big history of sex from early life to sexbots

'I hope the reader of this book doesn't blush easily. They're in for a bit of a wild ride . . .'

How did sex begin? How did it evolve to be so varied and complex in humans? What influence does our genetic ancestry have on our love life today? And what might sex look like in the future?

Sex traces where all the facets of human sexuality came from, starting at the creation of sex approximately 2 billion years ago and chasing it down our evolutionary family tree—from dinosaurs to primates and the earliest humans—until we arrive at the present, revealing why humanity's baffling array of passions, impulses and fetishes are the way they are.

From the basic chemical process of two microbes sharing DNA to the modern phenomena of Tinder and OnlyFans, author David Baker guides the reader towards a clear understanding of one of the deepest and most abiding forces of human nature. He looks at how sex changed for humans across the foraging, agrarian and modern eras, and how we arrived at a period in history where the present nature of our sex lives has no historical or evolutionary precedent. Baker then looks at the horizon to figure out where current trends may lead us, as humans navigate the brave new world of technology.

The result is a revealing and utterly unique insight into history and human behaviour—and the dance between Nature and Nurture in society.

With a foreword by Simon Whistler

'This is a well-researched, superbly written, often punchy, sometimes speculative, and always entertaining "big history" of the sexual activities that keep all species going from generation to generation ... By describing sexual behaviour at the largest possible scales, Baker helps make sense of the revolutionary changes in sexual behaviour taking place today.' - David Christian, bestselling author of Origin Story and Future Stories

'David Baker's wonderful book offers information, entertainment, and insight.' - Susan Quilliam, co-author of The Joy of Sex- The Ultimate Revised Edition