Cover of Sex at Dawn

Book · 2010 · History

Sex at Dawn

The Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality

by Christopher Ryan, Cacilda Jetha · Recommended by 10 people on 4 podcasts

Why people recommend it

Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jethá's 'Sex at Dawn' challenges conventional assumptions about human mating systems by arguing that monogamy is a cultural construct rather than an evolutionary imperative. The book has been a frequent topic of discussion and recommendation, particularly on The Joe Rogan Experience. Joe Rogan repeatedly urged listeners to purchase the fantastic book, joking that it was guaranteed to provoke strong reactions from partners while interviewing the author multiple times. Duncan Trussell also discussed the title on the show while exploring human behavioral conditioning. On Modern Wisdom, the host recommended reading the book to understand the evolutionary roots of monogamy. However, the book has also sparked debate among podcasters; Chris Williamson mentioned on Modern Wisdom that while reading it was fun, he ultimately doubted its historical accuracy. Ty Tashiro appeared on the same episode to add nuance, suggesting that the value of the book lies in helping people recognize base evolutionary urges so they can consciously develop healthier personal relationships. Despite differing views on its scientific conclusions, the work remains a widely recognized touchstone for conversations regarding human relationships, sexuality, and the history of civilization.

Who recommended it

Joe Rogan — 14 mentions
Recommended
“and what's the other walking about it forever the first book sex at dawn”
Discussed
“I told you in an email that I felt bad when your book came up on the show and I didn't know how to defend it I didn't know what to do because I didn't I was in that weird moment where I was recommending it because I liked it because I think it's a great book and he was”
Discussed
“Christopher Ryan had this whole uh take on it in sex at dawn you know and and McKenna had a take on it as well”
Discussed
“I mean it's not that I don't think your book is great I I thought sex of Dawn was amazing”
Discussed
“like when you're young like like when you're developing apparently they say Chris Ryan has described this to me um that there's a state Dr Chris Ryan who wrote that book um sex at dawn”
Discussed
“Dr Chris Ryan who who wrote this book sex at dawn and he's like an expert on sex”
Recommended
“the one book that you can buy that he has is sex at dawn fantastic book guaranteed to piss off your wife leave that [ __ ] around what are you reading getting these [ __ ] ideas out of your head”
Discussed
“the guy who wrote um um sex at dawn brilliant guy who I do a podcast with once a month him and Duncan Trussell and I do a podcast”
Discussed
“one of the things that I found really fascinating about your book was uh sex at dawn was the way you describe the interconnectedness of these small societies”
Recommended
“sex Dawn please buy it go buy it it's a [ __ ] fantastic book”
Discussed
“It was really fascinating having that guy, Christopher Ryan, on the podcast, the guy wrote Sex at Dawn.”
The Joe Rogan Experience #322 - Ari Shaffir 2013-02-05
Discussed
“I've been um reading this book called sex at dawn and uh it's uh Duncan Trestle uh turned me on to it this guy Dr Christopher Ryan”
Recommended
“It's a it's an excellent company and you got some great books. The one I'm uh I'm listening slash reading to, I'm doing both, is uh Christopher Ryan's Sex at Dawn. We're working on getting him here. He's going to be in here in January. Fascinating dude who wrote a book about primates and sex and very, very uh interesting,”
Discussed
“and the the book I'm uh reading from it right now is called sex at dawn by Christopher Ryan who will be on the podcast soon”
Chris Williamson — 3 mentions
Discussed
“As fun as reading Sex at Dawn was, I don't think it's accurate.”
Discussed
“I don't think that Christopher Ryan and sex at dawn is is perfectly accurate serial monogamy seems to what makes sense”
Discussed
“Sex at Dawn, that book I haven't read it yet, but that's he he's a big believer in like polyamory and that monogamy is Anyone who's read Who's read Sex at Dawn has completely shifted their perspective on polyamory.”
Theo Von — 2 mentions
Discussed
“you know I'm reading this listening to this book still called sex at dawn and when I first heard it man they were talking like a lot of anti-christian stuff and things like this”
Discussed
“i'm reading this listening to this book still called sex at dawn and when i first heard it man they were talking like a lot of anti-christian stuff and things like this”
Duncan Trussell — 2 mentions
Discussed
“Christopher Ryan, the author of Sex at Dawn, talks about this. He was telling me about this how how gorillas have uh have a hair.”
Recommended
“Um uh this is why I love this book, Sex at Dawn. Who Who are we just saying would have uh 20 girls? I believe it was MC Jagger, right?”
Ty Tashiro — 1 mention
Discussed
“Now, I think the value of something like sex at dawn is to say, "Hey, maybe I have some of these base urges and when I feel those pop up, I know what those are, but now let's develop a plan to deal with that so I don't burn down the rest of my life."”
Robert Evans — 1 mention
Discussed
“I think I read this in the book sex at dawn was this like in indigenous group in I believe somewhere in South America”
William von Hippel — 1 mention
Critiqued
“have you ever read sex at dawn mmm-hmm what did you think of that um no offense but I think it's total crap”
Geoffrey Miller — 1 mention
Discussed
“well if you read sex at dawn”
James Emmerich — 1 mention
Discussed
“and i just been reading this book by christopher ryan called sex at dawn and it just opened up so much more i just like to know your thoughts about monogamy”
Christopher Ryan — 1 mention
Discussed
“I think people react to sex at dawn very emotionally right”
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker — 1
Recommended
“Watch that or read his book sex at dawn”

Also mentioned in the same episodes

Other mentions (10: passing, ad reads, own books)
Own book
“And then we were gonna do a movie together and whatever and then his wife like took the book away from him do you remember oh yeah yeah yeah yeah”
Own book
“I actually told this book the story at the beginning of sex at dawn I was with my girlfriend at the time”
Own book
“Christopher Ryan, Ph.D. is a psychologist, speaker, and author of New York Times best seller Sex At Dawn”
Own book
“that's the theme song to sex done yeah it should like you should get a CD with the book or something”
Own book
“but I mean as far as the public publishing thing I'm because of the success of sex at dawn I think I'm in a position to sort of you know I've got leverage and and the guy the editor who um who acquired the book is the guy who edited sex at dawn”
Passing
“my friend Chris Ryan Dr Chris Ryan who wrote sex at dawn he made a conscious decision”
Own book
“so what we argue in sex at dawn is that human sexuality was actually a way to bond the group together”
Ad read
“if you will uh some of the best books uh that that you could get including um our friend Christopher Ryan's book sex at dawn”