Wednesday Martin Knihy

A jaw-dropping re-evaluation of everything we thought we knew about men, women, and sex. Men are biologically programmed to want sex with lots of different women, whereas women are designed to stay true to one person, right? Wrong. In Untrue, New York Times -bestselling author Wednesday Martin reveals that we are just at the beginning of understanding women's sexuality properly. From New York to Namibia to a conference of sex researchers in Montreal, she takes us on a journey to understand women who refuse monogamy, posing questions about why we became sexually exclusive in the first place. Martin attends all-female sex parties where married straight women fulfill their fantasies; considers contemporary societies where women take many lovers; analyses how the invention of the plough suppressed female autonomy; and presents fascinating research about why women stray (their motivations are not so different from men's). Frank and myth busting, Untruevalidates the desires of women everywhere, including the 'silent majority' in committed relationships who struggle with staying faithful.

In a brilliantly original and witty memoir, the author decodes the social behaviors of Upper East Side mothers, drawing on her background in anthropology and primatology. After marrying into this elite neighborhood, she struggles to fit in, but by viewing her surroundings through an anthropological lens, she begins to understand the dynamics at play. The snobbiness of other mothers at school drop-off becomes clear when likened to olive baboons, and her obsession with a Hermes Birkin handbag reveals its role in establishing dominance. She explores tribal migration patterns, display rituals, and the complexities of female relationships, leading to smart and unexpected conclusions. Readers will recognize the cultural codes of powerful social hierarchies and the universal desires of mothers for their children's safety, happiness, and success, regardless of wealth. Even amidst luxury, the anxieties and losses of motherhood remain. As her life takes a turn, she discovers the profound bonds of female friendship. This memoir offers an insightful glimpse into the exotic yet familiar culture of privileged Manhattan motherhood, lifting the veil on a world that, while elite, shares common human experiences.