Either a detailed investigation of the role of sex in human evolution or a collection of glorified monkey porn, the book
is open to different interpretations. It explores the reasons why homo sapiens evolved the way we did, and puts forwards some
interesting ideas. The theory why humans shed the conventional monkey hair despite its usefulness in maintaining warmth and acquiring parasites is that it makes sex a more involving experience, with skin in contact with skin all over the bodies of both
partners, it becomes more intimate and pleasurable, causes bonds to develop between sexual partners which motivate them to stay together and raise offspring as a couple.
The book works from the principle that the ancient animal tendencies that ruled over early man and his ancestors are still present in us today, and in some way or other factor into just about everything we do, although more recent “civilisations” and developments complicate the decision making process. The animal part of man is like the sponge base at the bottom of a trifle, we’ve had so much custard, jelly, cream and bright, glowing little glace cherries heaped onto us over the years that it’s become kind of hard to consider the sponge in an isolated way, that’s what Desmond Morris attempts to do here. To discover how and to what extent are we still affected by the instincts of our ancient predecessors.
It’s an interesting read, with enough well explained and argued theory to really set a person thinking if they happen to be unfamiliar with looking at themselves from a zoological perspective, but it can be a little heavier in some places than others, and the author has a slightly off putting tendency to related everything back to sex. Worth picking up if you come across a copy or have a special interest in the subject, but I wouldn’t scour the shelves for it.