Most of us take for granted the features of our modern society, from air travel and telecommunications to literacy and obesity. Yet for nearly all of its six million years of existence, human society had none of these things. While the gulf that divides us from our primitive ancestors may seem unbridgeably wide, we can glimpse much of our former lifestyle in those largely traditional societies still or recently in existence. Societies like those of the New Guinea Highlanders remind us that it was only yesterday—in evolutionary time—when everything changed and that we moderns still possess bodies and social practices often better adapted to traditional than to modern conditions.

This is Jared Diamond’s most personal book to date, as he draws extensively from his decades of field work in the Pacific islands, as well as evidence from Inuit, Amazonian Indians, Kalahari San people, and others. Diamond doesn’t romanticize traditional societies—after all, we are shocked by some of their practices—but he finds that their solutions to universal human problems such as child rearing, elder care, dispute resolution, risk, and physical fitness have much to teach us. A characteristically provocative, enlightening, and entertaining book, will be essential and delightful reading.

“Why is Sex Fun? is the best book on the subject I've read. This lively exploration of our sexual heritage offers fascinating reading for anyone curious about why lovers do what they do.”

— Diane Ackerman, author of

“I am so jealous of Jared Diamond, for he writes with such an elegant simplicity! Here, he takes a loot at the endlessly fascinating topic of human sexuality His convincing arguments should persuade xm that there are very special reasons why we evolved to use sex for recreation as well as for procreatim whereas most other mammals are denied that pleasure…. It is a great little book, by one of the worlds foremost biological philosophers.”

— Roger Shohl, Professor of Physiology Monash University Australia

“Once again Jared Diamond provides us with answers to questions we may never have stopped to ask, but wish we had. In this long essay Diamond explains that recreational sex, while not unique to humans, is a rare behavior in the animal world. Above all, we learn, sexual activity divorced fron procreation is not only part of what it is to be human, but the very crux of our evolutionary success.”

— Bettyaxn Kevles, author of

Путеводитель по истории американского романа, выполненный учёными Колумбийского университета.

Designed as a companion to The Columbia Literary History of the United States (LJ 1/88), this compilation of 31 major essays covers the American novel from the 1700s to the present (although the majority deal with the 20th century). Within each era, themes, genres, and topics such as realism, gender, romance, and technology are discussed in depth, as well as modern Canadian, Caribbean, and Latin American fiction. Unfortunately, each essayist selects only the authors who best illustrate his or her topic, thus subtly skewing the view of the literary scene at that time. Since women, minorities, popular fiction, and even the book marketplace are included, coverage is uneven, with some major figures getting short shrift. Best as a supplement to other sources, this is recommended for all literature and reference collections. -

On December 21, 2012, the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar, a 5,125-year cycle calendar system pioneered by the Maya, will come to an end. At the same time, the earth, the sun, and the center of the galaxy will come together in an extremely rare cosmic alignment. More and more people believe that the world as we know it will experience a transformation in 2012, but few are aware of the complete history or significance of the date.

John Major Jenkins, among the most authoritative voices of the 2012 movement, has written a definitive explanation of one of the most thought-provoking phenomena of our time. Drawing from his own groundbreaking research (including his involvement in the modern reconstruction of Mayan 2012 cosmology) and more than two decades of extensive study of Mayan culture, Jenkins has created the crucial guide to understanding the story of 2012 an essential overview of the history, theory, cultures, and personalities that have brought this extraordinary idea into modern awareness. Jenkins provides illuminating answers to some of the most-asked questions about 2012, including:

• How did the early Maya devise the calendar that gives us the cycle ending in 2012, and how does it work?

• How did the calendar come to be rediscovered and reconstructed in our era?

• What controversies and intrigues surround the topic, and what do scholars and researchers have to say about them?

• How can we cut through all the noise about 2012 and gain true wisdom from the Mayan teachings about this moment?

Путеводитель по истории английского романа, выполненный учёными Колумбийского университета.

Such standard texts as Ernest Baker's 11-volume (1924-39) and Walter Allen's (1955) were published many years ago. Those single-author opuses reflected their eras; the , arranged chronologically, uses 39 essays by 39 scholars to present our own era's varied critical perspectives and to bring things up-to-date. Some essays are devoted to individual authors (e.g., Austen, Dickens), others to several authors (e.g., Amis, Snow, and Wilson), and still others to such topics as "The Gothic Novel, 1764–1824." Each essay has a brief selected bibliography; an appendix includes thumbnail sketches of 100 of the British novelists discussed. This excellent work is indispensable to any library supporting the study of English literature.