What Do Women Want?
Adventures in the Science of Female Desire
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3.5 • 80 Ratings
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
In What Do Women Want? Adventures in the Science of Female Desire, critically acclaimed journalist Daniel Bergne disseminates the latest scientific research and paints an unprecedented portrait of female lust: the triggers, the fantasies, the mind-body connection (and disconnection), the reasons behind the loss of libido, and, most revelatory, that this loss is not inevitable.
Bergner asks: Are women actually the less monogamous gender? Do women really crave intimacy and emotional connection? Are women more disposed to sex with strangers and multiple pairings than either science or society have ever let on? And is “the fairer sex” actually more sexually aggressive and anarchic than men?
While debunking the myths popularized by evolutionary psychology, Bergner also looks at the future of female sexuality. Pharmaceutical companies are pouring billions of dollars to develop a “Viagra” for women. But will it ever be released? Or are we not yet ready for a world in which women can become aroused at the simple popping of a pill?
Insightful and illuminating, What Do Women Want? is a deeper exploration of Daniel Bergner's provocative New York Times Magazine cover story; it will spark dynamic debates and discussions for years to come.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Suspicious of evolution-based assumptions about female desire such as the views that women prefer monogamy and that women find emotional connections key to physical satisfaction Bergner (The Other Side of Desire) looks to past and current scientific and social research, as well as interviews with everyday women, to uncover the truth behind female sexuality. In accessible and informative prose, the author addresses topics as wide-ranging as scientific studies of female rats and monkeys, the implications of biological differences between the sexes (does the fact that women have a limited quantity of reproductive material as opposed to men's regenerative supply of sperm offer insight into the discrepancies between the male and female libidos?), the role of narcissism in desire, the effects of orgasm on the brain, and what happens when women not men are the ones to switch seats during a speed-dating session. Bergner isn't afraid to take on the most taboo of subjects (such as rape fantasies), but he does so through a critical lens that seeks to reveal the why behind the phenomenon under investigation. This page-turning book will have readers questioning some of their most ingrained beliefs about women, men, society, and sex.
Customer Reviews
An Interesting Read
This book is a good read for somebody who finds themselves at a loss when attempting to understand women. It’s not a “pick-up” guide or anything lame like that, but a scientific and scholarly look at how our long-held assumptions about the female sex may be outdated. Definitely worth a read.
Sometimes shocking even to a woman
It is well written. Quite shocking at times as to how erotic the details get, but also to the facts that are discovered.
Reader
Great book, sad to see it end. Thank you Daniel for writing it. The better we can understand desire and sex the better our lives will be. Really nice to see research that is not based on the standard narrative, that has never made sense to me, always made me feel bad about myself. The standard narrative just exists to keep women repressed. Thanks again !