The Evolution of Desire : Strategies of Human Mating

This massive academic study, now in its second revised and updated edition, was written by David Buss, Professor of Psychology. The Evolution of Desire is the result of decades of study and research by the author and his research team. As a scholarly study, the volume ends with extensive notes and long list of references. Many interviews and a large number of surveys were conducted over the years to arrive at the information, some conducted in the field and many also in the laboratory. As an example, in one survey, over ten-thousand participants were asked to be part of the survey from thirty-seven different cultures worldwide. The author claims that this is the largest ever study on human mating desire, including dating, marriage, extramarital affairs, and divorce. Conflicts, competition, and manipulation are the permanent factors in human mating. This is hardly a reading material for the general public—it is very extensive, very detailed. Buss’ unillustrated writing is good but hardly a page turner—after all, the text was not written for entertainment. Chapters include such subjects as what women want, what men want, casual sex, sexual conflict, harmony between sexes, and many others.