The Shortest History of Sex

'Humorous and accessible but never trivial... full of entertainment and insight' SUSAN QUILLIAM, co-author of The Joy of Sex How did sex begin? How did it evolve to be so varied in humans? What might sex look like in the future? The Shortest History of Sex traces the long evolution of human sexuality from the first microscopic couplings two billion years ago to today's somewhat baffling array of passions, impulses and fetishes. From the basic underlying chemistry to the tortuous complexities of the 21st-century human, David Baker lifts the lid on one of nature's primary forces. This is an erudite and entertaining book that tackles large questions with humour and insight - an essential guide for the curious reader.

DAVID BAKER holds the world's first PhD in Big History, the field that explores patterns in deep time and across the natural and social sciences. He is a visiting lecturer at the University of Paris-Sorbonne. His book A Brief History of the Last 13.8 Billion Years was published in 2022.