Title: Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science of Sex

Author: Mary Roach

Publisher: W.W. Norton 2008

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 319

Rating: 4 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Support Your Local Library; A to Z Authors: R

I gravitate toward books about taboo subjects: tattoos, body modifications, feminism (hee hee), conspiracy theories, mermaids, vampires, and especially zombies. I loved Mary Roach's earlier books (Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers and Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife) so I jumped at the chance to read her new (well, new to me) book about sex. It certainly didn't disappoint.

Roach has a great way of injecting humor into her recapping of scientific evidence. I've read many scientific papers in my years in academia, but I still find them really dry. The book was exhaustive. I think Roach found every study having anything remotely to do with sex throughout history. She even has writings from Aristotle and Hippocrates. I found humor in her wonderful footnotes and personal adventures while writing the book. However, it is definitely not for everyone. Some of the passages get pretty graphic (in a "eww" way not a "I'm really turned on way") and some are down-right hard to read (who knew how creative scientists get while trying to avoid the word "sex?").

I enjoyed the book and texting J interesting factoids, but feel like it's time to get back to some fiction. I think I'll start a series next...