Imagine a society run by women, with virtually no violence, but plenty of great sex. Sound like an impossible utopia? Well, Dr. Susan Block doesn’t think so. Her new book, The Bonobo Way: The Evolution of Peace Through Pleasure, is not only a deeply researched discourse about the matriarchal culture of bonobo apes and their anomalous way of life that diffuses violence with sex, but it also wisely suggests we could learn a lot from these “kissing cousins” and apply it positively to human life and society.
“Dr. Suzy,” as she’s known to many, put on a unique, sexy, fun book launch party on Saturday night at her 1950’s motel-turned-production-studio in Los Angeles to celebrate the release of the book. Dr. Block is well known for her popular talk show, The Dr. Susan Block Show, and runs a successful sexologist empire which includes a wealth of educational information, sex therapy, not to mention everything you might need to know about bonobo apes!
Dr. Suzy’s partner Max introduces her to the crowd.
“These loving, sensuous apes have as many kinds of sex as humans do,” Dr. Block recounts at bonoboville.com, “in a veritable Bonobo Sutra of positions, including face-to-face, with multiple partners and in all combinations. But it’s not just how they have sex that makes bonobos so important, especially to humans. It’s how they use sex: for barter, friendship, stress-relief, anger management, conflict resolution and even political positioning that allows the females to gently dominate the males, and to prevent murder and war in their communities. That’s right, no bonobo has ever been seen killing another bonobo in the wild or in captivity. Their uncanny ability to make “peace through pleasure” is intrinsically related to their sexuality.”