They love and kill: Sex, sympathy and aggression in courtship and mating

by Vitus B. Dröscher

In this far-ranging exploration of mating and sexual relations in animals and humans, Vitus B. Droscher examines for the first time the relationships among three instincts more powerful than sexuality, aggression and the sympathy bonding drive. Recent discovery of the sympathy drive has brought a reexamination of previous beliefs concerning the courtship and mating habits of animals, as well as of human love and marriage. Experiments by zoologists and psychologists have revealed that two profoundly different forces can bind two animals the sexual instinct and the social bonding instinct, based on a feeling of sympathy or of mutual affinity and liking. Sexuality unites male and female for only as long as it take to mate, or at most, for a single mating season. The social bond may endure for years or even a lifetime. This book explores the social instinct as it functions in sexual relations. Describing the mating habits and methods of reproduction of over 300 species of animals - ways of behivor that are sometimes bizarre, sometimes horrifying and always fascinating - Vitus B. Droscher shows the interplay of these powerful instincts. he traces the evolution and development of ways of mating and reproducing, from species consisting only of females to nature's "invention" of the male, and from rape as a normal way mating in primitive creatures to such institutions as the harem, trial marriage and lifelong monogamy. Filled with engrossing life histories, the book shows that animals display many of the behavior patterns that are generally regarded as being exclusively human. Among them, for example, are flirtation, gift-giving, betrothal, trial marriage, polygamy, polyandry, homosexuality, prostitution, emotionally conditioned impotence, unfaithfulness, divorce and reconciliation. Droscher often turns from the lives of animals, moreover, to write with no less wit and penetrating insight about the sex lives and mating customs of humans.

363 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Vitus B. Dröscher, born in 1925, studied zoology and psychology. On his
51 Expeditions, he observed wild living animals on all continents: on
Borneo, in all zones of Africa, on Madagascar, in India, Nepal,
Australia, Greenland, Antarctica, Mexico, Argentina from Tierra del
Fuego to Brasil, Bolivia, Galapagos, Chile, Canada, New Zealand, Yucatan
and the USA.

In 30 books, he presented the lively pictures of more than 5000 animal
species, all under the aspects of the latest results of international
research. These books were translated into 20 languages, became
bestellers in many countries and reached a total number of more than 8
million copies.

His TV-series: "Afrikanische Tierwelt" (African wildlife), "Tiere hinter
Zäunen - Unnatur oder Rettung?" (animals behind fences - unnatural or
last chance?), "Auf der Suche nach den letzten Wildtieren Europas"
(Seeking the last free living animals of Europe), "Dröschers Tierwelt"
(Dröscher?s world of animals).

For decades, the most successful german writer on animals was working
for the preservation of Wildlife: Vice-president of the organisation
"Rettet die Elefanten Afrikas" (Save the African Elephants). His
conservation acitivities also led to a cooperation with Prof. Dr.
Bernhard Grzimek. He initiated and guided the environmental youth-prize
Sven-Simon-Preis "Jugend schützt Umwelt".

Honorary member of Albert-Schweitzer-Society of Argentina. Member of the
"Freie Akademie der Künste" in Hamburg, section literature.
Theodor-Wolff-Prize for exeptional publishing achievements. Weekly
columns in various newspapers. Entry in the Brockhaus-encyclopedia.
Medal of the senat for Arts and Science of the Hansestadt Hamburg.

Reviews

[Antek · Rating 1 out of 5]

Uwielbiam książki o przyrodzie i sam dobór tematów był o.k. Niestety autor uparł się na antropomorfizację wszystkich zwierząt i czytałem o małżeństwach ptaków, prostytucji (sic!) ptaków, zazdrości, flirtowaniu, proszeniu o seks przez psy, co miałoby polegać na stawaniu na tylnych łapach i zginaniu przednich, etc, etc. Plus błędy rzeczowe wskazywane przez tłumacza, które nie wynikały z przestarzałych danych. Bardziej mnie ta książka zmęczyła niż dostarczyła wiedzy. Nie polecam.