Description

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Wild Kingdom meets Sex and the City in this scientific perspective on dating and relationships.

A specialist in animal behavior compares the courtship rituals and mating behaviors of animals to their human equivalents, revealing the many and often surprising ways we are both similar to and different from other species.

What makes an individual attractive to the opposite sex? Does size matter? Why do we tend to "keep score" in our relationships? From perfume and cosmetics to online dating and therapy, our ultimate goal is to successfully connect with someone. So why is romance such an effort for humans, while animals have little trouble getting it right? 

Wild Connection is full of fascinating and suggestive observations about animal behavior. For example, in most species smell is an important component of determining compatibility. So are we humans doing the right thing by masking our natural scents with soaps and colognes? Royal albatrosses have a lengthy courtship period lasting several years. These birds instinctively know that casual hook-ups are not the way to find a reliable mate. And older female chimpanzees often mate with younger males. Is this the evolutionary basis of the human "cougar" phenomenon?

Fun to read as well as educational, this unique take on the perennial human quest to find the ideal mate shows that we have much to learn from our cousins in the wild.

About the Author

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Dr. Jennifer L. Verdolin, an expert in animal behavior, is currently a research scientist affiliated with the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (Duke University) in Durham, NC, where she studies lemur personality and social behavior. In addition to publishing in peer-reviewed journals, she has written for Scientific American, has her own Psychology Today blog called Wild Connections, and has a weekly segment on the DL Hughley Show called “Think Like a Human, Act Like an Animal.” Visit her online at www.jenniferverdolin.com and on Twitter @JVerdolin.

Praise For…

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“A fantastic read. Whether you’re more like the lewd and lascivious ladybug, or the lonely and lovelorn prairie vole in search of a forever mate, you’ll find your animal analogue in Verdolin’s wild—and often hilarious—kingdom.”
—JESSE BERING, author of Perv: The Sexual Deviant in All of Us

“A must-read for anyone interested in a detailed, science-based, easy-to-read, entertaining, and penetrating discussion of what the birds, the bees, and many other nonhuman animals tell us about our own mating rituals, from that initial attraction to courtship to orgasms. For sure, this fascinating book will open the door to an understanding and appreciation of the fact that we are first and foremost animals, and that it’s perfectly okay to speak about the ‘taboo’ topics that usually accompany conversations about sex. I learned a lot from this landmark book.”
—MARC BEKOFF, author of Why Dogs Hump and Bees Get Depressed

“Verdolin takes a lighthearted, pop-science approach toward applying some biologically deterministic lessons to her own romantic life, looking for analogies to mainstream heterosexual dating behavior throughout the animal kingdom"
—Publisher's Weekly
 
“Verdolin answers…personal questions through the lens of animal courtship and mating behavior, often with sharp wit.”
—The Scientist
 
“Verdolin is an excellent writer, her text is a pleasure to read, and it will be of especial interest if you love good science readings. Yet those who are not much into science will also enjoy this volume. The book is full of enjoyable stories and examples both from the animal world and human interactions.”
—City Book Review
 
“Indeed from beginning to end, you will find yourself being both entertained and surprised by the many ways we display behavior that resembles many of the other species with whom we share this planet.”
—Bookviews by Alan Caruba