In his new book acclaimed science writer Matt Ridley looks to the peculiar mating rituals of
birds to better understand the rich origins and ongoing significance of Darwin's sexual
selection theory. 'FASCINATING' The Times 'Matt Ridley is one of our finest science writers ...
A treat for bird lovers and evolutionary biologists alike' Richard Dawkins Animals rarely treat
sex as a simple or mutually beneficial transaction. Choosing a mate is often a transcendent
event to be approached with reverence suspicion angst and quite a bit of violence. For Matt
Ridley nowhere is this more acute than in birds. From a freezing hide on the Pennine moors at
dawn Ridley closely studies the rare Black Grouse. He is there for the lek - an elaborate
courtship ritual of squabbling and strutting males. They dance and sing for hours each day to
attract a mate over several months. With most males leaving exhausted and unsuccessful Ridley
looks at how females make their choice to cast fresh light on how such rituals have evolved and
why. His pursuit follows five generations of biologists from Darwin and Wallace to the present
day uncovering how they have grappled with the implications of sexual selection as an
eccentric gonzo form of evolution. While most Victorian scientists found it impossible to
believe female birds could select mates Darwin was obsessed with the idea of sexual as well as
natural selection. Drawing on his own lifelong passion Ridley eavesdrops on the elaborate
displays of bird species around the world from the complex art installations made by
Bowerbirds in Australia to the bubbling calls of Curlews in the UK's declining moorlands. In a
wonderful blend of nature writing and elegant exploration of recent evolutionary theory Birds
Sex and Beauty shows not only how mate choice has shaped the natural world including humans
but how the song and plumage of birds can be thrillingly breathtakingly beautiful. 'Clear and
entertaining ... Ridley explains all this history with lucidity and wit' New Statesman 'Most of
this fascinating and accessible book is about birds ... Ridley very clearly loves birds - and
the enthusiasm is infectious' The Times 'This is a fascinating story told with wit scholarship
and the passion of a true conversationist. Lord Ridley writes in the best tradition of great
British naturalists' Country Life ' Birds Sex & Beauty is a good read. It is a compelling
history of sexual selection rather than a synthesis that moves the field forwards' Nature
