Lots of Sex, Please, We’re Humans

Edward Shorter is a historian who views the past as a background to, even the explanation of, the present. The past, and of itself, does not appear to have any intrinsic interest or value. Indeed, Shorter’s histories, whether his early work on the family or his history of women’s bodies, tend to leave me with a disconcerting feeling that not only does he not much like the past, but he does not really approve of his subject matter either. This disquieting view of Shorter the historian is only reinforced by his current study, Written in the Flesh: A History of Desire. But, despite this reservation, Edward Shorter frequently identifies issues of the moment and his histories are widely read and much cited. Indeed, the work at hand was on the short list for last year’s Governor General’s Award for non-fiction. Thus, many people will read this book and it will shape our view of the sexual lives of our ancestors. It will also reinforce our unconscious beliefs that nowadays...