Eros, commonly referred to as Romantic love, has a long prehistory. We need to closely examine sexuality in nature to see how humans have mastered the art love.
What does the female capacity of having multiple orgasms have to do with reproduction? What part does hidden ovulation play in the formation of erotic relationships? Does natural selection create pleasure—make sex fun—to trick us into reproducing?
Being in love requires you to be physical. It requires you to be emotional. It requires you to be mindful. To exist as an erotic phenotype.
Eros, commonly called Romantic Love, is more than just emotion. We have an entangled ménage à trois of sensations happening in our bodies and brains. It is the total of our entangled sensations that drive us to this insanity—that thing we call love.
Excerpt
Dopamine release during sex is considered to make females, presumably males too, more confident, clearer thinkers, more alert and conscientious, better able to focus, less likely to accept being bullied, better feelings of self-worth, and, as mentioned above, more intelligent: higher IQs, and they do their best work. It does two jobs. It promotes pleasure and intelligence at the same time. The more pleasure felt, the smarter one becomes about the pleasure. The smarter one becomes the more pleasure seems like pleasure, because the extra smarts can register it as pleasure in the first place. Things seem more colourful, more alive, more euphoric in nature. Importantly, this leads to wanting to duplicate the cause and effect.
Professional Reviews
Readers' Favorite Book Reviews
Reviewed by Foluso Falaye for Readers' Favorite
Though it's a subject that gets a lot of bad publicity, almost
everyone is alive today because two people, at one point, engaged
in a sexual act. In An Erotic Phenotype, Sherman P. Bastarache
looks into this important part of what keeps the human world going
by examining several new discoveries about sex, humanity, and
reality across different ages. Why does the penis require the power
of orgasm, but not the clitoris? What contribution to reproductive
success does female orgasm make? How can electrochemical
impulses cause an intense desire to consume something visually
stimulating, which we call beauty? These questions and more are
analyzed throughout the book, along with different subjects as
diverse as humans and sexuality, quantum mechanics,
consciousness, pansexuality, beauty, discrimination, forced sex,
and more.
My mind was blown! An Erotic Phenotype contains some highly
intelligent, interesting, and elaborate insights about sex and
humans. The valuable references and book recommendations are
perfect for readers who wish to read more about the various ideas
discussed in the book. Since it's a book that engages your mind and
reasoning faculties, prepare to question what you know and
discover several new ideas about sex and related phenomena. I
recommend this book to all adults as it is a profound and essential
source of information about sex and several other relevant
subjects. I never thought a book about sex would contain messages
directed toward making the world a better and more tolerant place,
but this gave me a pleasant surprise. A great job, Sherman P.
Bastarache!
Literary Titan Book Reviews
Have you ever wondered about the uses and complexities of the female orgasm? What about human anatomy and its functions regarding sex and reproduction? Is sexual pleasure nature's trick to get us to continue the species? In An Erotic Phenotype, by Sherman P. Bastarache, these are a few generally unspoken facts about sex.
The author quickly introduces the scientific discourse about the differences between men and women regarding the sexual functions of each. But before we are plunged into the amazingly intricate details of male and female sexual roles, the author examines the function of sex within nature. First, it is explained that sex and all its variants have been designed by nature to keep the species reproducing.
Once clarified on the purpose and reasoning behind sex, the text focuses specifically on the female side of the matter. The purpose of the female orgasm is questioned and examined on its efficiency in getting the person pregnant or whether it's just a ploy to get females to crave and actively search for sexual pleasure. While exploring the female orgasm, other topics are broached, such as the feelings and emotions behind romantic attraction. In part, we delve into different yet-not-unnatural sexual and/or romantic attraction types, such as homosexuality, pansexuality, and other sides of the LGBTQ spectrum.
The reading within itself is fascinating; the author's explanations focus on a scientific perspective and are all backed by quotes and citations that prove the text's veracity. Some of the sources used that make for a more enrichening take are the sexologists referenced that emphasize the importance of both male and female ejaculation for the species' reproductive success.
Bastarache also argues on the mind-body connection that leads to attraction and arousal. An Erotic Phenotype provides highly insightful information on sex, the necessity of orgasm, both male and female, different types of sexual attractions, and other sex-related occurrences. It is delightful because although it is very scientific information, it is written in a simple way to understand and follow.
This mind-blowing book can serve as a manual for anyone looking to deepen their sexual knowledge and other relevant matters. I would consider this a must-read for everyone reaching adulthood, as not only does it contain incredibly relevant information but also a hidden message on tolerance and diversity. I highly recommend this book.
Reader Views
Reviewed by Jill Rey for Reader Views (11/2022) Informative, insightful, and thought provoking
The essence of “An Erotic Phenotype” is to take a human interaction, specifically sex, and break it down piece by piece into everything that goes into it. From orgasm to outer beauty, a man versus a woman, language, and so much more, author Sherman P. Bastarache expertly informs readers in depth on the observable characteristics of sexual desire and excitement.
“An Erotic Phenotype” is a deep take on one author’s understanding of the science and development of female and male as it relates to sexual arousal. Chapter by chapter Bastarache takes readers deeply into one topic at a time as he seeks to break down the interaction of sex and its environment. Chapter one dives right into the topic of orgasms, including an interesting description of how female and male genitalia form the ejaculate process. From there, readers are thrust into feelings, body mapping, hormones, the brain, genes, and so much more. As a female, I learned so much about my own body and desires as well as that of my male counterpart.
“Before anyone can understand what it means to be non-heterosexual in nature, one would need to be non-heterosexual in nature. You cannot form an opinion on a topic or practice you cannot understand.” (p. 161)
Recognizing when his own experiences or insights are limited, Bastarache is vulnerable at times and scientific in others, creating a well-rounded and objective read. With no topic off limits he even addresses fight, flight, freeze, and friend, touching on the body’s response to danger of sexual assault, rape, and other non-consensual acts, providing a comprehensive study of the body for readers to digest.
One of my favorite chapters, chapter 11, happened to evoke the idea that women are the true intellects. Going so far as to introduce the concept that men didn’t invent fire or knives, but rather women did to accomplish the tasks they needed to, to provide for their families and survive. This concept and idea, along with the support he provides, shows how Bastarache isn’t afraid to challenge assumptions. Crafting a well cited and elaborately articulated read, the structure of “An Erotic Phenotype” provides detailed support to the concepts introduced and overall premise of the book. Informative, insightful, and thought provoking.
Our human genome is full of viruses similar to HIV-1. These have played an important role in human evolution and still play an important role in human embryology and day-to-day chemistry. Just how important are they to our evolution past and future?
