Rating: 
Summary: never mind the cloth, feel the width
Review: A fine read on evolutionary biology.
That Judson has used the macro mechanics of sex to both illustrate some of the more current hows of the theory of natural selection and to give rein to a delightful style is the reader's jackpot.
For those whose interest is awakened by the chapters in agony aunt style, the detailed Notes are a gratifying bonus.
The index is better than most in popular science writing these days and I hope that enough readers still in the dismal creationist camp are at least stimulated to follow up on the clearly outlined evolutionary lines of inquiry.
If just one creationist realises there is more to biology than slick biblical revisionism, Judson has done good work indeed.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining and Informative Reading on an Important Topic
Review: Having trouble getting your teenagers to read? They might willingly read this. They will learn a lot about a subject that is near and dear to their hearts; and perhaps they will begin to understand that, like it or not, nature has her own rules that are founded on practical considerations (reasons). They might even be encouraged to actively search for more information on the subject from legitimate sources (e.g., a visit to a library).Reading other people's reviews of this book, I'm reminded of how deeply ingrained the association of sex and morality is in at least the American mind. I think Ms. Judson's intents were to inform and to entertain on a subject that is of central importance to humans as part of all creation (many of us seem to forget we are part of nature), and about which people don't seem to know very much (relative to how important it is). She may also have wanted us to get a feel for how little we really know. She succeeded in all 3 points, in my opinion. I do not believe her intent was to even hint that what's normal for other critters is right for humans (refer to my first paragraph; the "reasons" must apply). I also don't believe she intended for her work to be used in making moral judgements. (Is anyone qualified to judge nature's morality?) The mixture of American English and English English is...um...curious.
Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: I love this book. It was interesting and seemingly well researched. The format, an advice columnm to a myriad of species, is gimmicky, but it is cute and it keeps the discussion moving forward.
The author commendably distinguishes issues of science which are well decided and those which aren't. And when she's offers her own opinion, she makes that clear.
Rating:
Summary: The time has come, the Doctor said, to talk of many things
Review: It is not often that I give the same book to friends regardless of their general interest in biology. I have been doling this one out left and right for months now.
Written as a series of sex advice columns to various distressed or confused non-human creatures, Judson's tone is light but her research is extensive. If you're wondering whether such a humorous, light-hearted book can be scientifically accurate, wonder no more. Olivia Judson (through her alter ego, Dr. Tatiana) shows it can be done. This is easily one of my favorite books of recent years.
Judson's motivation in assembling such a volume, or at least my interpretation of it, is both a desire to expound on the diversity of bizarre sexual practices in the (animal) world and to foster some tolerance in her human audience. If you feel either intolerant or squeamish when it comes to the sometimes messy, sometimes violent practices surrounding reproduction, then this book --newly out in paperback -- may not be your ideal summer read. Having said that, I have yet to encounter a negative reaction to the book's content among my friends, who have devoured the book with an enthusiasm similar to mine. Dr. Tatiana does not glorify or endorse any particular reproductive strategy; she simply documents the truly astonishing diversity of practices and seeks to explain them from an evolutionary perspective. She'll make you look at the world in a different way, and that's a rare quality in such an easy to read book.
Write again soon, Dr. Tatiana!
Rating:
Summary: Fun, learned a lot, made me think
Review: My thoughts about this book are best served by examples:
1. the newly matured male elephant is sexually frustrated for 20 years. Why? Because the females prefer the older males and because elephants apparently keep growing as they age, the older guys are bigger. So I didn't have it that bad after all when I was young; at least my period of frustration didn't last for 20 years!
2. Human females prefer males who have differing Major Histocompatibility Complexes from their own. How can they tell this? By whether the guy's odor is pleasing to them or not. And furthermore, being on the birth control pill abolishes the female's ability to sniff out the right guy! (Hey, the book mentions our species, too!)
3. The male sponge louse disguises himself as a female, so he can get past the husband and possess his wife. And we call them dumb animals and smugly believe we are so smart!
4. When a new male lion takes over the harem of an older male lion, he kills all the previous owner's cubs, which brings all the females back into heat! Now I realize why all those women desire those mafia hit men. Women say they like nice guys, but it's the really bad, power hungry guys who turn them on.
5. Why does the female praying mantis try to bite off her lover's head? Get this! Because then he performs wilder sex. Well, that explains why sex with femmes fatale is so much more ecstatic - we guys lose our heads with them. For some reason evolution is doing this stuff to us humans also.
6. Dolphins copulate with turtles, sharks, and eels as well as with their own kind. I must say, that loveable dolphin is much less inhibited than we are. We even have a hard time accepting homosexual and interracial sex.
I could go on with fascinating, thought provoking examples from this book. I feel this book achieved its goal as expressed in the final paragraph, that is, to put my problems in perspective and to be more tolerant for the predilections of others. And it helped me appreciate more fully the awesome power of genetic evolution and for example, how it causes the battle of the sexes - even in humans, I think.
The only weakness I found was in some of the theoretical discussions, like how can homosexuality be as prevalent as it is, when homosexual sex does not cause reproduction. Or, why is there sex in the first place? These were difficult to follow.
Rating:
Summary: Birds do it, Bees do it
Review: Sex. We love to talk about it but not think too much about it. Judson opens the world to us of the different permutations and methods of sexual contact in the world, and why. In evolution, nature favors the ones that can pass along his or her genes tot he next generation. To ensure this, animals have created a wide variety of methods to reproduce ahead of the Joneses. Where such a topic could be boringly academic, or annoyingly titillating, Judson weaves through the middle, showing the serious side of reproduction but approaching it in a humorous way. Writing as an animal sex advice columnist, she is able to real world examples as a launching pad for discussion of various topics. And as she shows, IT'S A JUNGLE OUT THERE. We may think that us humans have problems with sex - it's nothing compared to the drive, and deviousness experienced in the animal world. Fresh writing and an interesting topic makes for a very enjoyable and educational read.
Rating:
Summary: Loads of info bundled into fun reading
Review: Since there have been so many extremely well written and elaborate reviews posted already, I'll keep mine short and sweet: this book is a riot. If you've every wondered just "how do they do it, and why do they do it they way they do it?", and I don't mean your neighbors, then this is a must read. Sure, there are oodles of subject-specific text books on the market, some of which require a masters degree in English to understand, but every so often there comes along a true gem such as this little book. Combining in-depth knowledge with entertaining and original writing is an art, and Olivia Judson is a master in both fields. Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Be prepared for bugs, lots of bugs
Review: This book is fairly easy to read and imparts a lot of trivial knowledge in a fun format. I was a little disappointed on two points. First, that almost all of the subjects in the book are bugs. I'm sure mammals and reptiles have interesting sex lives, habits, and behaviors so let's hear about them. It's hard to tell if the research was focused on bugs, or if bugs are that much more interesting than the rest of us animals. Secondly, each section seems to follow a familiar pattern as far as writing style: light, medium, and extremely dense. Once the author makes her point (answering the question) the writing gets rather dense and it's difficult to finish the topic completely. Otherwise the book delivers as it promises.
Rating:
Summary: Be prepared for bugs, lots of bugs
Review: This book is fairly easy to read and imparts a lot of trivial knowledge in a fun format. I was a little disappointed on two points. First, that almost all of the subjects in the book are bugs. I'm sure mammals and reptiles have interesting sex lives, habits, and behaviors so let's hear about them. It's hard to tell if the research was focused on bugs, or if bugs are that much more interesting than the rest of us animals. Secondly, each section seems to follow a familiar pattern as far as writing style: light, medium, and extremely dense. Once the author makes her point (answering the question) the writing gets rather dense and it's difficult to finish the topic completely. Otherwise the book delivers as it promises.
Rating:
Summary: Dr. Tatiana is a clever lady
Review: This book is obviously the work of a highly intelligent, creative biologist with a sense of humor. I find myself flipping through it to reacquaint myself with some point of theory every once in awhile, even though bugs per se are not my thing. How can you not love it?
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