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  • The Evolution of Desire

  • By: David M. Buss
  • Narrated by: Greg Tremblay
  • Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (222 ratings)

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The Evolution of Desire cover art

The Evolution of Desire

By: David M. Buss
Narrated by: Greg Tremblay
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Summary

If we all want love, why is there so much conflict in our most cherished relationships? To answer this question we must look into our evolutionary past, argues prominent psychologist David M. Buss. Based one of the largest studies of human mating ever undertaken, encompassing more than 10,000 people of all ages from 37 cultures worldwide, The Evolution of Desire is the first work to present a unified theory of human mating behavior.

Drawing on a wide range of examples of mating behavior - from lovebugs to elephant seals, from the Yanomamö tribe of Venezuela to online dating apps - Buss reveals what women want, what men want, and why their desires radically differ. Love has a central place in human sexual psychology, but conflict, competition, and manipulation also pervade human mating - something we must confront in order to control our own mating destiny.

Fully revised and updated to reflect the very latest scientific research on human mating, this classic work of evolutionary psychology explains the powerful forces that shape our most intimate desires.

©2018 David M. Buss (P)2018 Hachette Audio

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What listeners say about The Evolution of Desire

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Very insightful and enlightening.

Very insightful and enlightening. The book provides an insight to our cultural norms development, instigated by covertly genetic evolution (.."mating strategies").

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A must-read.

This is a book which gives an honest appraisal of the strategies men and women use in mating, supported by an enormous tranch of studies from around the world. It debunks myths, without seeking to do so and will be a gold mine for those who wish to maintain that there are such things as biological men and women and that they are different in their evolved psychology.

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  • 12-07-22

Interesting, scientific, yet accessible for the commoner

This book includes details of research as well, which is wonderful. Very accessible and easy to understand for anyone, regardless of prior knowledge. However, it doesn’t compromise the quality of information.

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Incredible

Incredible for someone who wants to learn why people do what they do.
If you're already interested in evolution I highly recommend this book. Some topics are repeated as other reviews mention, but I didn't find this to be a problem at all. Rather, it allowed me to link everything together in my head in a well refined manner. Awesome.

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Outstanding.

Very very well written. Such an important grounding in a time of such double think nonsense

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Precisely what you need to hear

Everyone has to hear this, because it confirms what all of us already intuitively know.

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How the World really works

Great book, great voiceover work also. This is one book to stick with and finish for sure.

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What we all know but most don't want to accept

Actual masterpiece. Everyone should listen to this, especially in this day and age where it seems like the gender wars rage on with unrelenting force.

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A must-have for dating and pickup

This book won't teach you great pickup lines or techniques. It will give you much more - explanations of basic mechanisms in human mating. You will learn why evolutionarily humans chose to have long term relationships or casual sex and why men want beauty while women prefer strength, prestige and money. Everything backed with scientific data and research.

Definitely a great guide to better understand the other sex as well as oneself when it comes to dating, seeking partner and also being in a relationship.

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Longer than it needed to be

Insightful but some points were repeated throughout. I knew a lot of the content already from touching on this subject in uni, but overall a good book.

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