The Evolution of Desire

Strategies of Human Mating

Preview

Failed to add items

Sorry, we are unable to add the item because your shopping cart is already at capacity.

Add to basket failed.

Please try again later

Add to wishlist failed.

Please try again later

Remove from wishlist failed.

Please try again later

Adding to library failed

Please try again

Follow podcast failed

Unfollow podcast failed

£0.00 for first 30 days

LIMITED TIME OFFER

Get 3 months for £0.99/mo

Get this deal

Try Premium Plus free

Offer ends December 16, 2025 11:59pm GMT.

Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.

Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.

1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.

Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.

Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.

Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.

Access exclusive sales and deals.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

The Evolution of Desire

By: David M. Buss

Narrated by: Greg Tremblay

Get this deal

Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends December 16, 2025 11:59pm GMT.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Only £0.99 a month for the first 3 months. Pay £0.99 for the first 3 months, and £8.99/month thereafter. Renews automatically. Terms apply. Start my membership

About this listen

A “drop-dead shocker” (Washington Post Book World) that uses evolutionary psychology to explain human mating and the mysteries of love

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 thirty-seven 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.

Updated to reflect recent scientific research on human mating, this definitive edition of this classic work of evolutionary psychology explains the powerful forces that shape our most intimate desires.

Human Sexuality

Psychology

Psychology & Mental Health

Relationships

Discrimination

Dating

Mental Health

Evolution Psychology

Listeners also enjoyed...

Frame: On Self Actualization for the Modern Man cover art

The Politically Incorrect Guide to Women, Sex, and Feminism cover art

Critic reviews

"Filled with insight, surprises, and lucid explanations of the latest ideas and discoveries from the sciences of love and sex."—Steven Pinker

"A drop-dead shocker."—Washington Post Book World

"Clear, coherent, and convincing."—Philadelphia Inquirer

Most relevant

I have enjoyed every bit of this book. It reviews the scientific knowledge on mating in a very accessible way. The narration is also perfect as much as the quality knowledge it presents.