Sex on Earth: A Celebration of Animal Reproduction

In his debut book, Howard (zoologist, nature writer, Guardian; Independent; BBC Wildlife Magazine) takes the reader on a romp through the sex lives of animals. The author's self-deprecating humor combines with the tantalizing subject matter to great effect, creating an entertaining read that is also an eye-opening education. He covers the erotic adventures of backyard animals such as frogs, ducks, and hedgehogs, the details of racehorse breeding, and the debauchery of dinosaurs. The publicized inability of the Edinburgh Zoo to get its pandas to reproduce is a recurring theme throughout the work, as Howard roots for the pandas and defends them against newspaper headlines that, in his view, blame unfairly the creatures for a lack of libido. Offering a peek into the mechanics of intercourse in different species and the ways that humans intervene in the reproduction of endangered animals, the author also discusses the evolutionary incentives for sex as well as seemingly unlikely reproductive strategies, including monogamy, masturbation, and asexual reproduction.