Since the dawn of civilisation, we have obsessed over women who cheat. From ancient Greek tragedies to tabloids and TV dramas, our appetite for the appetites of promiscuous women is nearly insatiable. They fascinate, engage, and outrage us - sometimes all at once. But why, in this age of celebrated female autonomy, empowerment, and sexuality, do we continue to judge and condemn female cheaters so harshly while giving their male counterparts a pass? The answer is more complicated than it seems - and it is wrapped up in fundamental misunderstandings of female sexuality that are as old as humanity itself.
In Untrue, author and social researcher Wednesday Martin explores what we've been getting wrong about unfaithful women and the evolutionary impulses behind their desires. Blending personal stories from Martin's own history with accessible social science, cultural theory, and interviews with sex researchers, psychologists, primatologists, anthropologists, and real women from all walks of life, Untrue reveals startling insights about female sexuality, and challenges our deepest assumptions about ourselves, monogamy, and the women we think we know. From recent scientific findings suggesting that women struggle more with monogamy than men do, to the revolutionary idea that women evolved to be 'promiscuous,' Untrue will change the way you think about women and sex forever.
