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A Taste for the Beautiful: The Evolution of Attraction - Paperback | Diverse Reads

A Taste for the Beautiful: The Evolution of Attraction

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From one of the world’s leading authorities on animal behavior, the astonishing story of how the brain drives the evolution of beauty in animals and humans

In A Taste for the Beautiful, Michael Ryan, one of the world’s leading authorities on animal behavior, tells the remarkable story of how he and other scientists have taken up where Darwin left off, transforming our understanding of sexual selection and shedding new light on animal and human behavior. Drawing on cutting-edge science, Ryan explores key questions: Why do animals perceive certain traits as beautiful and others not? Do animals have an inherent sexual aesthetic and, if so, where is it rooted? Ryan argues that the answers lie in the brain—particularly of females, who act as biological puppeteers, spurring the development of beautiful traits in males. Vividly written and filled with fascinating stories, A Taste for the Beautiful will change how you think about beauty and attraction in the animal world and beyond.

ISBN-13: 9780691191393

Media Type: Paperback

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Publication Date: 06-25-2019

Pages: 224

Product Dimensions: 2.50(w) x 4.20(h) x 0.40(d)

Michael J. Ryan is the Clark Hubbs Regents Professor in Zoology at the University of Texas and a Senior Research Associate at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Delightful and enlightening.”—Natural History

“Ryan offers much to enjoy in his provocative book.”—Publishers Weekly

“Replete with entertaining stories of the sexual marketplace that we and the rest of the animal world inhabit."—Kirkus Reviews

“Ryan charms readers with his account of attraction in the animal kingdom, including humans.”—Scientific American

“How Darwin would have loved a book such as this.”—BBC Wildlife

Table of Contents

Preface ix
1 Why All the Fuss about Sex? 1

2 Why All the Whining and Chucking? 13

3 Beauty and the Brain 33

4 Visions of Beauty 53

5 The Sounds of Sex 77

6 The Aroma of Adulation 105

7 Fickle Preferences 126

8 Hidden Preferences and Life in Pornotopia 148

Epilogue 169

Notes 171

Bibliography 177

Index 187