NATURE OF SEX: Ins & Outs of Mating in The Animal Kingdom

'Racy in tone, and full of the sort of lurid detail with which you can reduce a dinner party to silence', here are the ins and outs of mating in the animal kingdom in a brilliantly engaging guide to the reproductive habits of all creatures great and small. In terms of its biological definition, sex is the meeting of sex cells from males and females in order to create offspring. Is sex about companionship, love, passion, procreation? The answer is all of the above and none of the above, depending on a plethora of biological and ecological factors. Have you ever wondered how human sex compares to that of other beasts? It's far from merely inserting part A into slot B - the sex lives of our animal cousins are fiendishly difficult, infinitely varied and often violent. They involve razor-sharp penises, murderous cannibals, and chemical warfare in an epic battle between the sexes. Try having to do it while being hunted down by predators, against a backdrop of unpredictable or life-threatening conditions. Then sperm and eggs must successfully meet. Can you imagine doing this when your partner is intent on killing you or when other disgruntled singles are determined to throw you off your game? The next task is to ensure that the resulting offspring reaches sexual maturity in order to keep the cycle going and the myriad ways in which this is accomplished are ingenious. Read about the male who has to rip off his own penis and spear it into a female's genital opening before she rips his head off. It's a tough world out there, so sit back and get ready for the titillating, exhilarating, horrifying, disgusting, alluring and wonderful world that is the nature of sex. 377pp.