Christopher Ryan

Upon completing a degree in literature, Christopher Ryan got to work squandering his youth (and then some) gliding around the world like a piece of ice on a hot stove, living in exotic places doing unexpected things for money (e.g., gutting salmon in Alaska, teaching English to prostitutes in Bangkok, Ebonics to English translation for a Spanish film festival, managing commercial real-estate in New York’s Diamond District, editing & translating for the world’s biggest porn company). Drawing upon his varied experience, Ryan’s doctoral research (in Psychology) focused on distinguishing the human from the cultural. Along with his wife, Cacilda Jethá, MD, he is co-author of the New York Times bestseller, Sex at Dawn, and is currently at work on his next book, tentatively called Civilized to Death (Simon and Schuster). He and Cacilda are foragers, moving between Barcelona, Spain and Los Angeles.

Everything that matters.

Love is not a zero-sum resource. Nor is sexual pleasure. Being sexually attracted to friends and strangers is not a sign of mental illness, but is utterly natural for our species. Shame is among the most damaging, manipulative tools of manipulation. Schopenhauer said that we can "do what we want, but not want what we want." We can decide on our behavior (to a large degree) but not on our desires. To feel shame concerning desire is non-sensical and debilitating, sapping the very strength we often need in order to resist those desires. Original sin is BS.

Making guacamole and oatmeal.