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 female brain drives the evolution of beauty in animals and humans Darwin developed the theory of sexual selection to explain why the animal world abounds in stunning beauty, from the brilliant colors of butterflies and fishes to the songs of birds and

Reviews

"A delightful and enlightening review of current laboratory and field research into the aesthetic worlds of dozens of species. . . . If theres a lesson to be learned from Ryans survey of sexual aesthetics, its that each species perceives the world through a uniquely tuned array of senses with a unique evolutionary history. Put succinctly, romance among the birds and the bees has one thing in common with romance between men and women . . . Its complicated."---Laurence A. Marschall, Natural History
"Ryan charms readers with his account of attraction in the animal kingdom, including humans. As he puts it, beauty is in the brain of the beholder." * Scientific American *
"The author's work with frogs launched a lifetime interest in discovering how beauty is found not just in animals' calls, but in the scents they give off and the colors they show. He argues that certain domains in the brain help determine what is perceived as beautiful. . . . Small, uncaptioned, black-and-white illustrations open each chapter, and what does come through clearly is the diversity of beauty--and the diversity of sexual behavior." * Kirkus Reviews *
"Ryan works hard to write for general readers, and the narrative is replete with entertaining stories of the sexual marketplace that we and the rest of the animal world inhabit." * Kirkus Reviews *
"In this appealing book, Ryan, professor of zoology at University of Texas, investigates the potential for a scientific understanding of what makes some biological traits sexually attractive. . . . Ryan leads a thoughtful and enlightening tour of brain function across an array of animals, focusing on three senses: sight, sound, and smell. In each case he presents current research, some of which is his own, detailing the nature of experimental design and the excitement of gaining new insights while discussing what remains unknown. . . . Ryan offers much to enjoy in his provocative book." * Publishers Weekly *
"How Darwin would have loved a book such as this." * BBC Wildlife *
"This is a hugely enjoyable book written with authority, easy charm and a great deal of wit. . . . This is science communication as it should be done: authoritative but never dull, engaging but never dumbed down. Im in danger of straying into the territory of bad puns, but it really is a beautiful book."---Simon Underdown, Times Higher Education
"Do read the book. You will see in nature a beauty you had previously failed to appreciate. You will evolve."---David Dobbs, Undark
"This popular science book presents concepts and supporting research that will not come as any surprise to specialist evolutionary biologists, but it is recommended as an entertaining and very readable introduction to this field of study for the wider reader. And there are enough insect and related examples to keep the entomologist interested."---Andrew Wakeham-Dawson, Entomologist's Gazette
"Ryans book is a balanced, clear, well-written study of factors affecting how sexual selection works."---Egbert Giles Leigh Jr., Evolution: Education and Outreach
"It is a fascinating study, well written and full of interesting details."---Henrick Hgh-Olesen, Evolutionary Studies in Imaginative Culture
"A Taste for the Beautiful is a much-welcomed addition to a public spotlight on sexual selection and mate choice. Ryan provides a fascinating take on how mate preferences arise, one that engages contemporary and historical research while simultaneously highlighting areas where further work is needed."---Stephen P. De Lisle, Trends in Ecology & Evolution

Author Bio

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. He is a leading researcher in the fields of sexual selection, mate choice, and animal communication. He lives in Austin, Texas.