Bonk: The Curious Coupling Of Science And Sex

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The best-selling author of Stiff turns her outrageous curiosity and infectious wit on the most alluring scientific subject of all: sex.The study of sexual physiology—what happens, and why, and how to make it happen better—has been a paying career or a diverting sideline for scientists as far-ranging as Leonardo da Vinci and James Watson. The research has taken place behind the closed doors of laboratories, brothels, MRI centers, pig farms, sex-toy R&D labs, and Alfred Kinsey’s attic. Mary Roach, “the funniest science writer in the country” (Burkhard Bilger of The New Yorker), devoted the past two years to stepping behind those doors. Can a person think herself to orgasm? Can a dead man get an erection? Is vaginal orgasm a myth? Why doesn’t Viagra help women—or, for that matter, pandas? In Bonk, Roach shows us how and why sexual arousal and orgasm, two of the most complex, delightful, and amazing scientific phenomena on earth, can be so hard to achieve and what science is doing to slowly make the bedroom a more satisfying place.

E-Book Content

MARY ROACH b e s t - s e l l i n g a u t h o r of STIFF BÔN T h e C u r i o u s C o u p l i n g of S c i e n c e a n d Sex ISBN 9 7 8 - 0 - 3 9 3 - 0 6 4 6 4 - 3 USA $24.95 Can. $24.95 In Bonk, t h e b e s t - s e l l i n g a u t h o r o f Stiff t u r n s h e r o u t r a g e o u s c u r i o s i t y and infectious wit on the m o s t a l l u r i n g s c i e n t i f i c s u b j e c t o f all: s e x . THE STUDY OF SEXUAL PHYSIOLOGY—what h a p p e n s , a n d why, a n d h o w t o m a k e it h a p p e n b e t t e r — has b e e n a p a y i n g career or a diverting sideline for s c i ­ entists as far-ranging as L e o n a r d o d a Vinci a n d J a m e s W a t s o n . T h e research has t a k e n p l a c e b e h i n d t h e c l o s e d d o o r s of laboratories, brothels, MRI centers, pig f a r m s , sex t o y R&D labs, a n d Alfred Kinsey's attic. M a r y R o a c h , " t h e funniest s c i e n c e writer in t h e c o u n t r y " (Burkhard Bilger of The New Yorker), devoted t h e p a s t t w o years t o s t e p p i n g b e h i n d t h o s e d o o r s . C a n a p e r s o n t h i n k herself t o o r g a s m ? C a n a d e a d m a n get an erection? Is vaginal o r g a s m a m y t h ? W h y d o e s n ' t Viagra help w o m e n — o r , Bonk, for that matter, p a n d a s ? In R o a c h s h o w s us h o w a n d w h y s e x u a l a r o u s a l a n d o r g a s m — t w o of t h e m o s t c o m p l e x , delightful, a n d a m a z i n g scientific p h e n o m e n a o n e a r t h — c a n b e so hard t o achieve a n d w h a t s c i e n c e is d o i n g t o slowly m a k e t h e b e d r o o m a m o r e satisfying place. MARY ROACH The Curious Lives of Human Science Tackles the Afterlife. Outside, Wired, National Times Magazine, is t h e a u t h o r of Stiff: Cadavers and Spook: Her w r i t i n g has a p p e a r e d in Geographic, a n d t h e New York a m o n g m a n y other p u b l i c a t i o n s . S h e lives in O a k l a n d , California. Jacket design by The DesignWorks Group, David Uttley Jacket photograph by André Karwath Author photograph by David Paul Morris Printed in the United States of America SCIENCE A D V A N C E PRAISE FOR BONK "I w o u l d read Mary R o a c h o n t h e history of Q u o n s e t h u t s . B u t M a r y R o a c h o n s e x ? T h a t ' s a g o d s e n d ! This b o o k is—if not better t h a n t h e a c t i t s e l f — t h e n a hilarious a n d e n t e r t a i n i n g alternative." — A . J . J