Psychology: sexual behaviour Books

Book SynopsisProvides evidence from anthropology, archaeology, primatology, anatomy, and psychosexuality to show how far from human nature monogamy really is. This title exposes the ancient roots of human sexuality while pointing toward a more optimistic future illuminated by our innate capacities for love, cooperation, and generosity.Trade Review"Sex At Dawn has helped me understand myself and the world so much more clearly." -- Ilana Glazer, co-creator of Broad City "Sex At Dawn is the single most important book about human sexuality since Alfred Kinsey unleashed Sexual Behavior in the Human Male on the American public in 1948." -- Dan Savage "Funny, witty, and light ... Sex at Dawn is a scandal in the best sense, one that will have you reading the best parts aloud and reassessing your ideas about humanity's basic urges well after the book is done." -- Newsweek "Sex At Dawn challenges conventional wisdom about sex in a big way... This is a provocative, entertaining, and pioneering book. I learned a lot from it and recommend it highly." -- Andrew Weil, M.D., author of Healthy Aging "Sex At Dawn is a provocative and engaging synthesis... that has the added benefit of being a joy to read... A book sure to generate discussion, and one likely to produce more than a few difficult conversations with family marriage counselors." -- Eric Michael Johnson, Seed Magazine "You clearly have an exciting book on your hands, whether people agree with it or not: these are issues that will need debating over and over before we will arrive at a resolution." -- Frans de Waal, author of The Age of Empathy "A wonderfully provocative and well-written book which completely re-evaluates human sexual behaviour and gets to the root of many of our social and psychological ills." -- Steve Taylor, author of The Fall and Waking From Sleep "One of the most original books I've read in years, Sex at Dawn manages to be both enormously erudite and wildly entertaining-even, frequently, hilarious... A must-read for anyone interested in where our sexual impulses come from." -- Tony Perrottet, author of Napoleon's Privates "This paradigm-shifting book is a thoroughly original discussion of the origins and nature of human sexuality... These authors have a gift for making complex material reader-friendly, filling each chapter with humor and passion as well as dozens of revolutionary insights." -- Stanley Krippner, Ph.D. "Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jetha have written the essential corrective to the evolutionary psychology literature..." -- Stanton Peele, Ph.D.

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Book Synopsis''This book taught me so much about female desire. A must read!'' Cherry HealeyDid you know that there is an orgasm gap of around 30% between heterosexual couples when they have sex? In Mind The Gap, Dr Karen Gurney, a clinical psychologist and certified psychosexologist, explores not just this gap, but the gaps in our knowledge of so much of the most important new science around sex and desire. In this book, you will learn that nearly everything that you''ve been led to believe about female sexuality isn''t actually true. And that, despite what you might think, it is possible to simultaneously feel little to no spontaneous desire and have a happy and mutually satisfying sex life long term.Exploring the mismatch between ideas about sex in our society and what the science tells us, Mind The Gap also explains how this disconnect lies at the root of many of our sexual problems. Combining science with case studieTrade ReviewThis book taught me so much about female desire. A must read! * Cherry Healey *Reveals how you can supercharge desire in a long relationship * Daily Mail *Mind The Gap by Dr Karen Gurney reveals the essential factors that drive women's desire and explains how you can harness them to achieve brilliant, satisfying sex long into old age. * Red *Lots of nuggets. * Evening Standard *Nothing stays the same as we age, and that includes our sex lives. But how we approach intimate moments can mean the difference between satisfaction and disappointment. That's the premise behind Harley Street psychologist Dr Karen Gurney's debut book Mind the Gap. * Sheer Luxe *[one of] the best books of 2020 to shop now... * Glamour Magazine *Mind the Gap sets out to dispel some long-held sexual myths. * Vogue *Drawing upon her clinical experience, certified psychosexologist Dr Karen Gurney lays bare the history of sex, its role in society, bedroom inequality and libido - alongside actionable advice on how to have the kind, and frequency, of sex you want. * Women's Health *I thoroughly recommend Dr Karen Gurney's book Mind The Gap if you'd like to explore more about how sexual desire isn't something we should expect to be constantly present so long as we 'love' or 'fancy' someone, but is actually dependent upon all sorts of additional contextual factors, and how understanding all these - and to some extent, planning around them - can aid us in fostering greater desire if we wish to. * Alix Fox, Grazia *For couples wanting practical help * Recommended by Kate Moyle, GQ Magazine *

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Book SynopsisCinema is becoming less and less sexy; yet more and more people are rallying against sex on screen. What could explain this growing anti-sex sentiment among the producers and consumers of screen culture? The sex scene's intimacies, transgressions, and dedication to pleasure can be uniquely poised to rupture dominant narratives of capitalism and the violences that flow from it. Why is the sex scene, demonised as it is, therefore more politically important and subversive than ever? Revolutionary Desires seeks to answer that question.

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Book SynopsisWomen are in a bind. In the name of consent and empowerment, they must proclaim their desires clearly and confidently. Yet sex researchers suggest that women's desire is often slow to emerge. And men are keen to insist that they know what women-and their bodies-want. Meanwhile, sexual violence abounds. How can women, in this environment, possibly know what they want? And why do we expect them to?In this elegant, searching book-spanning science and popular culture; pornography and literature; debates on Me-Too, consent and feminism-Katherine Angel challenges our assumptions about women's desire. Why, she asks, should they be expected to know their desires? And how do we take sexual violence seriously, when not knowing what we want is key to both eroticism and personhood?In today's crucial moment of renewed attention to violence and power, Angel urges that we remake our thinking about sex, pleasure, and autonomy without any illusions about perfect self-knowledge. Only then will we fulfil Michel Foucault's teasing promise, in 1976, that 'tomorrow sex will be good again'Trade ReviewThe real joy lies in the artfulness with which she uses these intimate episodes as a way of unwrapping the larger issue of what it means to be a woman, both object and subject of desire. -- Olivia Laing * The Guardian *Offers an arresting mix of diaristic experiences with her lover . . . and heady reflections from feminist thinkers like Susan Sontag and Virginia Woolf. A genre-busting nonfiction account that reads like poetry, revels in ambiguity, and intentionally defies definition, the book explores the slippery emotions of sex in fiery, collage-like scenes intended to reconcile the contradictory 'metaphors we love by.' * O Magazine *Ghostly and poetic . . . [A] thinking woman's meditation on sexual desire. * Publishers Weekly *Unconventional, deeply personal . . . often poetic. * The New Yorker *Angel embraces the impossibility of extricating fact from feeling. -- Julia Klein * The Boston Globe *One of the most insightful and articulate writers at work today. -- Lauren Elkin, author of Flâneuse: Women Walk the City in Paris, New York, Tokyo, Venice, andIn this impressive and intelligent examination of the father figure, Angel expertly intersects the subject with feminism, mythology, Donald Winnicott, Brett Kavanaugh and more. Her unstinting eye and intellectual vigour make Daddy Issues an engaging interrogation. It feels utterly vital in the context of #MeToo and the political flux the world currently finds itself in. -- Sinead GleesonAn ardent, rigorous, nuanced investigation into the question of consent, at once illuminating and empowering. A truly vital guide to navigating the difficult waters of 21st century desire. -- Olivia LaingThought-provoking ... [Angel's] jargon-free prose and nuanced readings of popular culture and postmodern theory enlighten. Readers will value this lively and incisive inquiry into the sexual dynamics of the #MeToo era. * Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) *One of our most daring, exciting and nuanced writers on the complexities of female desire, pleasure, autonomy and imagination. -- Deborah Levy, author of The Cost of LivingA provocative counterargument to recent feminist dogma. ... Angel raises intriguing questions about commonly accepted assumptions, and she offers reassurance to female readers. * Kirkus Reviews *[Tomorrow Sex Will Be Good Again] takes a taboo topic and removes the stigma by providing facts. Its titular refrain advocates for a better tomorrow. -- Ashley Holstrom * Foreword Reviews *[Angel] writes about complex questions with such clarity and elegance, and amid all the polarised spats that currently pass for considered debate, her work is a breath of fresh air. [Tomorrow Sex Will Be Good Again] is a provocative but clear-sighted analysis of female sexuality in the wake of #MeToo ... I'd urge anyone who cares about sexual ethics to read it. -- Bookseller (Editor's Choice) * Caroline Sanderson *Excellent -- Charlotte Higgins * The Guardian *[A] bible of modern sexuality and consent that all men and women should be reading * Evening Standard *She is reaching towards something else: a world where desire does not have to be known and fixed in advance to protect people from violence. -- Hettie O'Brien * Guardian *Tenderly inflected and meticulously argued, Tomorrow Sex Will Be Good Again should be required reading * New Internationalist - Five Starred Review *A clear-eyed intervention in the crossfire of post-#MeToo sexual politics * TANK Magazine *Voyeuristically fascinating ... Angel dares to suggest that consent is not sexy . we should be aiming for something more complex -- Anna Leszkiewicz * New Statesman *Offers new ways of understanding the complexity of sexual relations . fresh and provoking * The F-Word *Exquisite ... A breathtaking, brilliant invitation not to turn away from complexity and vulnerability -- Hannah Dawson, editor of The Penguin Book of Feminist WritingThis nonfiction tour-de-force is a must-read for anyone interested in exploring themes of consent, power, sex, and the Me Too movement. This is the kind of book that seeks not to create dichotomous binaries, but to complicate the narrative. -- Rachel Krantz * The Millions *Eloquent and lucid -- Celia Walden * Telegraph *Succinct and thought-provoking -- Stephanie Merritt * Observer *Tomorrow Sex Will Be Good Again offers readers a blend of cultural criticism and provocative theory. -- Tobias Carroll * Inside Hook *Intriguing, philosophical. -- Laura Miller * Slate *One of the smartest, most nuanced and thought-provoking books I've read about sex in the post-#MeToo era. -- Moya Crockett * Stylist *[Angel] is right - consent as a yes/no dichotomy cannot be everything we want it to be. We must recognise that language cannot say everything, especially for women, who have not historically been given the chance to shape it according to their own needs and desires. * The Arts Desk *[Tomorrow Sex Will Be Good Again is] a necessary contribution to the many conversations about sex and power we have all had since 2017, and Angel's prose, clear and lovely, nimbly navigates the complexities of her subject matter. -- Madeleine Watts * Bookforum *A vital and groundbreaking work that brings nuance to a thorny subject. -- Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett * Guardian *Angel has dissected much of what there is to know about consent, desire, arousal and vulnerability: the four cornerstones of sexuality. Resisting definitive and simplistic conclusions, Angel has been wide-reaching in her research -- Emily S Cooper * Irish Times *Angel not only asks key questions about what women want, but also how we can know what we want. -- Adele Walton * Dazed *

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Book SynopsisAn engaging exploration of what it means to be asexual in a world that’s obsessed with sexual attraction, and what the ace perspective can teach all of us about desire and identity.What exactly is sexual attraction and what is it like to go through life not experiencing it? What does asexuality reveal about gender roles, about romance and consent, and the pressures of society? This accessible examination of asexuality shows that the issues that aces face—confusion around sexual activity, the intersection of sexuality and identity, navigating different needs in relationships—are the same conflicts that nearly all of us will experience. Through a blend of reporting, cultural criticism, and memoir, Ace addresses the misconceptions around the “A” of LGBTQIA and invites everyone to rethink pleasure and intimacy.Journalist Angela Chen creates her path to understanding her own asexuality with the perspectives of a diverse group of as

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Book SynopsisElectric Dreams picks apart the forces that posit sex robots as either the solution to our problems or a real threat to human safety, and looks at what's being pushed aside for us to obsess about something that will never happen.

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Book SynopsisSpark steamy discussions and add a dash of spice to any date night with this deck of 52 erotic conversation starters!Dive into a world of passion and pleasure with these naughty ice breakers, designed to ignite the flames of curiosity and deepen connections. Ranging from playful to provocative, each card unveils a tantalizing question or scenario, encouraging participants to share their most intimate fantasies, desires and experiences, for a truly unforgettable night.Ideal for couples seeking to enhance their connection or adventurous groups looking to push boundaries, these cards promise to elevate your conversations to new, thrilling heights. From steamy hypotheticals to tempting confessions, the Dirty Date Deck is sure to unleash the passion and set tongues wagging.Questions include: - What is the kinkiest thing anyone has asked you to do? - Have you ever had an erotic dream about someone you shouldn''t have? - What is one dirty t

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Book Synopsis“Captivating…a real person comes through in its page…Lively, hellacious, entertaining, sharp, feisty, and touching.” —Salon.comHow to Make Love Like a Porn Star, the mega-bestselling memoir, triumphant survival story, and cautionary tale that spent over six weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and rocketed adult film icon Jenna Jameson into the mainstream spotlight, is now in paperback for the very first time. Her unforgettable memoir is many things at once: a shocking sexual history; an insider’s guide to the secret workings of the billion-dollar adult-film industry; and a gripping thriller that probes deep into Jameson’s dark past. With never-before-seen photographs from Jenna’s private collection, exclusive photos taken for this book, and original cartoon strips, this memoir is an unparalleled exploration of sexual freedom. Trade Review"Fascinating." -- Entertainment Weekly "In this book, Jameson gets you rooting for her... Captivating ... a real person comes through in its page... Lively, hellacious, entertaining, sharp, feisty, and touching enough to earn Jameson the right to wear the 'Heart Breaker' tattoo on her right butt cheek." -- Salon.com "Thespian talent notwithstanding, an adult movie performer's greatest asset is stamina; and by that measure Jenna Jameson the author deserves accolades. She is tireless... Jenna Jameson aims high ... for aspiring performers, it's a gold mine." -- New York Times Book Review "With its wit...its celebrity dish...and its frank, one-fisted prose style...the queen of porn's autobiography is destined to become a lowbrow classic. Remarkably appealing and honest...should earn Jameson some of the mainstream acceptance she so clearly desires." -- Publishers Weekly "It will undoubtedly move her into the mass market even further." -- Wall Street Journal "As you'd expect, it's chock full of oh-my-God tidbits." -- Newsweek "G-stringed Horatio Alger story." -- New York Times "Wow!" -- Esquire Fashion-magazine-quality color photographs...So far How to Make Love Like a Porn Star has received more favorable notices than just about any prescriptive book - on sex or any other topic." -- New York Post "Racy" -- Star "Jenna Jameson is the biggest adult film star in the world... She's a legend in her own time." -- Playboy "Jenna Jameson is an Icon." -- 101 magazine "The woman who put the star in porn star." -- Rolling Stone

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Book SynopsisA 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, Untrue validates the desires of women everywhere, including the ‘silent majority’ in committed relationships who struggle with staying faithful.Trade Review‘Great fun … Martin is a lively, witty and engaging writer … She moves seamlessly between suburban housewives, “rock star” academics, macaque monkeys, and indigenous tribes. Her narrative is studded with surprises and even some cliffhangers … Fascinating’ -- Christina Patterson * The Sunday Times *‘The popular myth is that “men stray while women stay”, but New York social researcher Wednesday Martin sets out to expose that myopic Western view … This is a fascinating and surprising book.’ FOUR STARS -- Rosie Wilby * The Mail on Sunday *‘A provocative exploration of our biases about promiscuous women, with some psychology, primatology and lit-crit thrown in.’ -- Johanna Thomas-Corr * Evening Standard *‘[Martin] presents compelling food for thought on the very structures upon which our sexual identities are built, and the resistance from science itself that women, at their sexual core, may be more about rollicking adventure than romance and scented candles.’ -- Suzanne Harrington * Irish Examiner *‘Dr Mar­tin sug­gests that if you’re strug­gling with dis­sat­is­fac­tion in your re­la­tion­ship, you should com­mu­ni­cate that to your part­ner and ex­plore other op­tions, such as a con­sen­sual re­la­tion­ship with some­one out­side the re­la­tion­ship … If we’re open, hon­est and able to com­mu­ni­cate ef­fec­tively, non-monogamy is­n’t all that rad­i­cal.’ -- Georgia Aspinall * Grazia *‘Scientifically literate and sexually cliterate … an exuberant unfettering of female sexuality that challenges us to ‘think outside her box.’ Viva la Vulva!’ -- Ian Kerner, sex therapist and author of She Comes First‘If you have ever felt different, other, or just weird when it comes to love, sex, or intimacy, read Untrue. Wednesday Martin bulldozes the sexual stereotypes that have silenced women for eons. By bringing the voices of women who love in a range of ways to the surface, she shows us all that it's not us and our desires that are abnormal: it is a system that has constrained and shamed women. I love this book.’ -- Rachel Simmons, co-founder of Girls Leadership and author of Odd Girl Out‘Wednesday Martin understands female sexuality -- from the #MeToo movement and polyamory to women's prehistoric and cultural heritage. She goes far beyond our current psychological understanding of women's infidelity to tell the real story of women's ubiquitous, tenacious, and primordial sexual strategies. And her writing is not only informative, timely, and refreshing but wonderfully engaging. Brava, Wednesday.’ -- Helen Fisher, author of The First Sex and Why We Love‘For centuries, men have been telling the story of female sexuality. Unsurprisingly, it was was riddled with condescension, bias, and sheer ignorance. With Untrue, Wednesday Martin sets the record straight, shining a light on some of the female researchers reshaping our understanding of what turns women on, and why. This is an important story, beautifully told. Highly recommended.’ -- Christopher Ryan, co-author of Sex at Dawn‘A simultaneously frothy and substantive tour of female sexual desire … An indispensable work of popular psychology and sociology.’ STARRED REVIEW * Kirkus Reviews *‘Wednesday Martin deconstructs many of the false beliefs that have negatively affected the way women's sexuality is viewed … This book turns everything we think we know about women and sex completely on its head, essentially undressing the falsehoods of female sexuality to reveal what lies beneath the layers of distortion women operate under.’ -- Kerri Jarema * Bustle *‘Chapters cover topics like infidelity, open marriage, polyamory, and even cuckolding to show that women are not the demure, sex-hating bearers of morality that history and long-standing research (by men) would lead us to believe. -- Kathy Sexton * Booklist *‘Riveting.’ -- Stephen A Russell * The New Daily *‘Wednesday Martin has torn up the old established manual about how the world believes women view sex and revealed what’s really going on … With this book, a new sexual dawn is breaking.’ * Weekend Sport *‘At times playful, the narrative teems with fascinating commentary about everything from bonobos and paleolithic gender roles to Craigslist ads, as Martin examines how female sexuality continues to be shaped and stigmatised by artificial social constructions, sociopolitical values, and economics, all under the guise of ‘natural’ female biology and desire. A timely take on femininity and sexuality.’ STARRED REVIEW -- Emily Bowles * Library Journal *[An] eminently readable treatise on the lies society has been fed about female sexuality, agency, and infidelity. With each chapter, Martin builds a case for the primacy of female infidelity and for a societal reckoning with that truth. Step by step, she shows that she's thought deeply about her subject, and that all of these seemingly disparate intellectual threads are related and worthy of having been braided together. The sui generis quality of Untrue is the author's forte. -- Deb Copaken * The Atlantic *‘Combining Barbara Ehrenreich’s immersive reporting style and Carrie Bradshaw’s savoir faire, [Wednesday Martin] dispels many myths about female desire.’ * O, The Oprah Magazine *Insights gleaned during her anthropological deep-dive, gave Martin newfound appreciation for statistics indicating that women cheat about as often as men do. -- Nell Beram * Shelf Awareness *

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Book SynopsisHow can being better in bed lead to a more fulfilling life? This book explains exactly that and will transform the most important relationship in your life: the one with yourself. Do you feel confident talking about your sexual needs? Is sex as pleasurable as you'd like? Do you ever get stuck in your head? Or maybe your desire's dwindled If so, you're not alone. Anna and Billie, creators of sexual wellbeing app Ferly, have helped over half a million women overcome these same challenges. Their debut book, Turn Yourself On, delves deeper, combining the latest science with their own intimate struggles to reveal 8 key principles that will not only help you have great sex but a healthy, confident, and pleasurable life overall. With 24 step-by-step tools for how you can feel more empowered in sex and in life, Turn Yourself On is a practical guide that will radically transform your relationship to sex. Reb

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Book Synopsis**AS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 4'S WOMEN'S HOUR**Rough is a revolutionary non-fiction work exploring the narratives of sexual violence that we don't talk about.A bad sexual experience.A grey area. Not rape but... A violation .These are the terms we use to describe the experiences we don't have words for. The way we talk about topics such as sex, consent, assault aren't fit for purpose.Through powerful testimony from 50 women and non-binary people, this book shines a light on the sexual violence that takes place in our bedrooms and beyond, sometimes at the hands of people we know, trust, or even love. Rough investigates violations such as 'stealthing,' non-consensual choking, and non-consensual rough sex acts that our culture is only starting to recognise as sexual violence.The book explores the ways in which systems of oppression manifest in our sexual culture - from racist microaggressions, to fatphobic acts of aggression, and ableist dehumanising behaviour. An intersectional, sex-positive, kink-positive work, the book also examines how white supremacy, transphobia, biphobia, homophobia, and misogyny are driving forces behind sexual violence.Rough is an urgent, timely call for change to the systems that oppress us all.'An incredible investigation into a frighteningly common part of our sexual experience,' Dr Fern Riddell'Rough speaks to how many women often feel after sexual encounters ...This book is excellent and demonstrates just how valid those feelings are,' Adele Walton, founder of Humanitarian HotgirlTrade ReviewRough is one of the most comprehensive and interesting books I've ever read. I recommend it to all my friends and patients as essential reading in the world of psychosexual therapy. I cannot say enough good things about it. You won't put it down. * Gigi Engle, author of 'All The F*ing Mistakes' *An unflinching examination of the damaging sexual narratives often hidden or less talked about, Rough looks at the way culture and gender perceptions influence our behaviour in bed. Thompson's writing is burning and unapologetic, and contracts with sharpness and verve. An important, thought-provoking read which renders systems and personal attitudes, and starts a helpful dialogue (in a hope to) to kindle positive change. * Nataliya Deleva, author of 'Arrival' *This is indispensable reading for anyone who wants both breadth and detail in how sexual consent is expressed, understood and all too often violated. Rough is inclusive and sympathetic writing that, importantly, remains sex positive and optimistic for a future with more knowledge and more power. It's consent writing that would make anyone want to change the world from one of the UK's leading voices on the issue. * Sophia Smith Galer, author of 'Losing It' *Rough speaks to how many women often feel after sexual encounters - violated but unsure of exactly why, and whether our feelings are valid. This book is excellent and demonstrates just how valid those feelings are. * Adele Walton, founder of Humanitarian Hotgirl *An incredible investigation into a frighteningly common part of our sexual experience; determined to give ownership back to those who have had their agency stolen from them. * Dr Fern Riddell *

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Book SynopsisWhat if we took sex out of the box marked 'special', either the worst or best thing that a human person can experience, and considered it within the complexity of reality? In this extraordinary book, despite longstanding tabloid-style sexual preoccupations with villains and victims, shame and virtue, JoAnn Wypijewski does exactly that.From the HIV crisis to the paedophile priest panic, Woody Allen to Brett Kavanaugh, child pornography to Abu Ghraib, Wypijewski takes the most famous sex panics of the last decades and turns them inside out, weaving what together becomes a searing indictment of modern sexual politics, exposing the myriad ways sex panics and the expansion of the punitive state are intertwined.What emerges is an examination of the multiple ways in which the ever-expanding default language of monsters and victims has contributed to the repressive power of the state. Politics exists in the mess of life. Sex does too, Wypijewski insists and so must sexual politics, to make any sense at all.Trade ReviewWhat We Don't Talk About When We Talk About #MeToo speaks for many women who resist (sometimes quietly) the peer pressure that has no name, and for women dismayed by the politics of belief infecting our secular conversations about sex. Injustice has become a sustainable resource, and JoAnn Wypijewski has been documenting its variations quite eloquently for 25 years. Her reporting is solid and energetic. Wypijewski knows how to unpack a monster. -- Tracy Quan, author of Diary of a Manhattan Call GirlJust causes, Wypijewski reminds us, have a bad habit of overreaching justice. Revisiting some of the most notorious sex abuse cases of recent times, she shows how little attention the media has given to actual facts and alternative interpretations. These incisive and controversial essays are a tour d'force by a brilliant journalist with unbounded empathy. -- Mike DavisJoAnn Wypijewski stimulates us to think freshly about sex and sexual politics, and she is not afraid to infuriate both those who consider themselves sexual progressives and traditional conservatives. Let's call a town meeting of the whole country to grapple with the insights, the fury, and most of all the wisdom in this essential book. -- Peter Davis, Academy Award winning filmmaker of Hearts and Minds, author of Girl of My DreamsWypijewski lays bare the twisted logics we employ to convince ourselves that there are easy distinctions between love, brutality, sex, and capitalism. Forceful and brilliant analysis, an unrelenting excavation not just of what happened and to whom, but what it means to all of us watching from the sidelines. Wypijewski, like few other writers, provides an archaelogy of sex which is in turn an archaelogy of power. -- Yasmin NairUncomfortable, powerful, and moving; few writers can give us the nitty-gritty of sex and its messiness within the grand sweep of history, and get both the big picture and the details exactly right. -- Jeffrey Escoffier, author of American Homo, Research Associate at the Brooklyn Institute for Social ResearchJoAnn Wypijewski has written steadily and courageously on topics that paralyze other reporters into silence or lukewarm compromise. She knows that our horror of crime springs from the same root as our need for scapegoats. Her essays are always perceptive, and always worth reading -- David Bromwich, author of American Breakdown: The Trump Years and How They Befell UsFrom Woody Allen to Matthew Shepherd to monster priests and Harvey Weinsteins, today's high sex scandals are media and courtroom myths of total innocence versus total guilt-larded with very real, globalized rage. They're postmodern passion plays whose buy-in, not just from patriarchs but also from feminists, has rendered these narratives chillingly sterile-and dead in their sterility. For years, JoAnn Wypijewski has been packing her bags and visiting the venues of civic libido behind the scandals. And then, with beautiful prose and complex analysis, she reports back to us the true messiness: of sex, life, late capitalism, fear, and yet the hope that still breathes in the mess. Her work is a national treasure. -- Debbie Nathan, journalist, co-author of Satan’s Silence: Ritual Abuse and the Making of a Modern American Witch HuntJoAnn Wypijewski is the finest and most fearless literary journalist writing today, and in these crucial and stunningly beautiful essays she brings into bracing focus the deepest politics of desire. No other writer is telling these stories; maybe no other writer could with such generosity of spirit. 'Mercy is the scandal now,' she writes of the the ways in which too many have come to prefer the counting of sins to the dream of liberation, but this is no book of lamentations. Through a series of moments intimately observed, Wypijewski summons us again to consider the possibilities for pleasure, eros as ally, in any struggle to get free. Hers is a prophetic voice. -- Jeff Sharlet, author of The Family and This Brilliant DarknessUnpicks the logic that allows us to convince ourselves that there are easy distinctions to be made between love and brutality. -- Rachel Cooke * Observer *

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Book SynopsisAn intelligently provocative book about Darwin's other' theory discusses the curious ways in which sexual attraction has influenced the evolution of the human mind.Many aspects of the human mind remain mysterious. While Darwinian natural selection can explain the evolution of most life on earth, it has never seemed fully adequate to explain the aspects of our minds that seem most uniquely and profoundly human - art, morality, consciousness, creativity and language. Yet these aspects of human nature need not remain evolutionary mysteries. Until fairly recently most biologists have ignored or rejected Darwin''s claims for the other great force of evolution - sexual selection through mate choice, which favours traits simply because they prove attractive to the opposite sex. But over recent years biologists have taken up Darwin''s insights into how the reproduction of the sexiest is as much a focus of evolution as the survival of the fittest.WitTrade ReviewIntriguing... The discussion of the mind as a mechanism of attracting mates is fascinating * Washington Post Book World *A refined, an intellectually ingenious, and a very civilised discussion of the possible importance of sexual selection for mental evolution -- John Constable, Cambridge University * Psychology, Evolution, and Gender *Entertaining and wide-ranging * Nerve *Flies in the face of evolutionary orthodoxy - proposed by Stephen Jay Gould and others - which suggests that cultures evolve on their own, separate from the evolution of the human mind * Observer *Thoughtful, witty and vividly written -- Richard Dawkins

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Book SynopsisA groundbreaking guide to sexuality that dispels the stale cultural attitudes about sex that leave too many feeling inadequate, and offers an expansive, attachment-based framework to free us and develop bolder, more satisfying relationships with our sexual selves.When it comes to sex, most people feel insecure. But it''s not because we''re deficient; it''s because we''ve been under-resourced and miseducated.Certified sex therapist Casey Tanner argues that our sex lives are a microcosm of every untruth we''ve internalized about gender, sex, relationships, our bodies, and ourselves. Most of us were taught that healthy sexuality is only for a certain kind of person, in a certain kind of relationship, with a certain kind of body. As a result, the way we''ve learned how to define good sex is reflective of how good, worthy, and loveable we see ourselves.Feel It All is a comprehensive guide to help everyone uncover their personal misconceptions about sexuality and relationships. Tanner helps you recognize and assess your core beliefs surrounding relationships, sexuality, gender, and more; identify past trauma; find pathways to healing that work for you; and redefine sex based on knowledge and possibilities, rather than potential consequences.Comprehensive yet accessible, informative, warm, and nonjudgmental, Feel It All provides a pathway for personal healing, creating stronger relationships, and achieving deeper intimacy.

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Book SynopsisThe International No. 1 BestsellerA BBC 2 Between the Covers Book Club Pick''Cuts to the heart of who we are'' Sunday Times''A book that begs discussion'' Vanity FairAll Lina wanted was to be desired. How did she end up in a marriage with two children and a husband who wouldn't touch her?All Maggie wanted was to be understood. How did she end up in a relationship with her teacher and then in court, a hated pariah in her small town?All Sloane wanted was to be admired. How did she end up a sexual object of men, including her husband, who liked to watch her have sex with other men and women?''I will probably re-read it every year of my life'' Caitlin Moran''Will have millions nodding in recognition'' The Times''As gripping as the most gripping thriller'' Marian Keyes''When I picked it up, I felt I''d been waiting half my life to read it'' Observer''The kind of bold, timely, once-in-a-generation book that every house should have a copy of, and probably will before too long'' New StatesmanThe book Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Alexa Chung, Jodie Comer, Reese Witherspoon, Harry Styles, Fearne Cotton, Caitriona Balfe, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sharon Horgan, Zoe Ball, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Davina McCall, Gemma Chan, Christine and the Queens and Gillian Anderson are all reading

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Book SynopsisExplores the full spectrum of sexual beliefs, practices, and identities. Exploring sexual customs, beliefs, practices, and identities from a wide variety of perspectives, Dr. Miller shares his fascinating interviews with 20 experts ranging from clinical psychologists and researchers to sex workers and polyamory educators. We learn from sex therapists, relationship experts, and tantric sex teachers, such as Dr. Lonnie Barbach, Dr. Stella Resnick, Katherine Rowland, and Diana Richardson, about the importance of communication, how to keep sensuality alive, and how to generate fulfilling and sustainable intimacy in relationships. Looking at sexual identity and non-monogamy, we hear from Dr. Ritch Savin-Williams on sexual identification and gender fluidity, Sumati Sparks on open relationships and polyamory, Janet Hardy, author of The Ethical Slut, on sexual freedom, and Annie Sprinkle and Beth Stephens on the possibilities of ecosexuality. Revealing the inner workings of the sex industry, we hear from current and former escorts and sex workers on the stigmas and dangers of sex work and the need to decriminalize it, including Norma Jean Almadovar, former LA policewoman and current president of the prostitute’s union Coyote. Dr. Ogi Ogas, author of A Billion Wicked Thoughts, speaks about using data science and computational neuroscience to uncover true statistics about our sexual desires. We hear from Paulita Pappel on porn as a mirror for society, Faith Jones on escaping a sex cult, Maeve Moon on recovering from sexual trauma, and Dr. Laura McGuire about the broad impact of teaching consent. Validating the extraordinary range and diversity of our sexual thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, the author gathers voices that help us free our sexuality from the past, accept our natural urge for physical pleasure, and open us up to sexuality as a power for health, healing, and happiness.

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Book SynopsisPRISM AWARDS FINALIST 2021GREAT GRAPHIC NOVELS FOR TEENS - YOUNG ADULT LIBRARY SERVICES ASSOCIATION (YALSA) 2022"When I was in school, everyone got to a certain age where they became interested in talking about only one thing: boys, girls and sex. Me though? I was only interested in comics."Growing up, Rebecca assumes sex is just a scary new thing they will 'grow into' as they get older, but when they leave school, start working and do grow up, they start to wonder why they don't want to have sex with other people.In this brave, hilarious and empowering graphic memoir, we follow Rebecca as they navigate a culture obsessed with sex - from being bullied at school and trying to fit in with friends, to forcing themselves into relationships and experiencing anxiety and OCD - before coming to understand and embrace their asexual identity.Giving unparalleled insight into asexuality and asexual relationships, How To Be Ace shows the importance of learning to be happy and proud of who you are.Trade ReviewInformative and heartfelt. Rebecca's journey gives voice to asexual experience, combined with feelings surrounding growing up which the majority can relate to. How to Be Ace strikes a fine balance between memoir and information. * Broken Frontier *I wish this book existed in my late teens. It would have made the next decade of my life so much easier to navigate. It's not preachy at all - just personal, relatable and supportive. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who thinks they might be on the asexual spectrum. * Happily Ever Homebody *

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Book SynopsisHow do we experience attraction?What does love mean to us?When did you realise you were ace?This is the ace community in their own words. Drawing upon interviews with a wide range of people across the asexual spectrum, Eris Young is here to take you on an empowering, enriching journey through the rich multitudes of asexual life. With chapters spanning everything from dating, relationships and sex, to mental and emotional health, family, community and joy, the inspirational stories and personal experiences within these pages speak to aces living and loving in unique ways. Find support amongst the diverse narratives of aces sex-repulsed and sex-favourable, alongside voices exploring what it means to be black and ace, to be queer and ace, or ace and multi-partnered - and use it as a springboard for your own ace growth. Do you see a story like your own?Trade Review'Ace Voices' is a superb introduction to all things asexual and aromantic. It's an absolute invaluable resource for a-spectrum people, for the people in our lives, and for anyone looking to reflect on the impact that restrictive cultural sex and relationship norms have on everyone.Eschewing outdated narratives of 'lack', and attending to intersections with race, gender, and disability, Young reframes ace and aro experiences as sources of joy and celebration and as leading to relationships and communities founded on mutual trust, open communication, and respect for boundaries - something we could all benefit hugely from. -- Meg-John Barker, author of How to Understand Your SexualityCapturing the highest of highs and lowest of lows, Ace Voices is a wonderfully realistic look at what it means to be aspec in a heteronormative world. -- Sarah Costello and Kayla Kaszyca, hosts of the Sounds Fake But Okay podcast and authors of Sounds Fake But Okay: An Asexual and Aromantic Perspective on Love, Relationships, Sex, and Pretty Much Anything ElseYoung weaves together a wonderfully thorough exploration of the a-spec community, striking a balance between the academic and very personal. This balance makes this book both accessible to those looking to learn about asexuality, and those already within the community looking to further understand themselves. A very thoughtful and refreshing read that seamlessly breaks down the complexity of the a-spec community. -- Rebecca Burgess, author of How To Be AceTable of Contents1. Visibility 2. Who are we? 3. Microlabels 4. When language isn't enough 5. Coming (and being) out6. A-spec and the LGBTQ+ identity 7. Intersectionality 8. Friendships and family 9. What is love? 10. Sex11. The future of relationships 12. Joy

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Book SynopsisGarth Greenwell is a graduate of the University of Iowa Writer's Workshop, where he was an Arts Fellow. His novella Mitko won the 2010 Miami University Press Novella Prize and was a finalist for the Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction and a Lambda Literary Award. He is the author of What Belongs to You, Cleanness and Small Rain.Trade ReviewWhat Belongs to You stands naturally alongside the great works of compromised sexual obsession such as Thomas Mann's Death in Venice . . . we are dealing with a writer who deserves his plaudits . . . I found myself unable to stop reading . . . Headily accomplished . . . an essential work of our time * Daily Telegraph ***** *Worthy of its comparisons to James Baldwin and Alan Hollinghurst as well as Virginia Woolf and W G Sebald . . . spellbinding . . . a novel of rejection and disgust, displacement and transcendence . . . I found myself trembling as I read it * Evening Standard *A refreshingly slim, subdued and contemplative piece of work . . . Greenwell writes in long, consummately nuanced sentences, strung with insights and soaked in melancholy . . . What Belongs to You is an uncommonly sensitive, intelligent and poignant novel * Sunday Times *I had thought of Hollinghurst as I read What Belongs to You, Greenwell's astonishingly assured debut novel, but questioned whether the parallel came to mind because both writers create vivid, enclosed worlds filled with ambiguous and shifting relationships between gay men. In fact, though, the greater similarity lies in their ability to blend a lyrical prose - the prose of longing, missed connections, grasped pleasures - with an almost uncanny depth of observation . . . [The] middle section [is] a masterful study in alienation and escape . . . Like the writers he admires, WG Sebald, Thomas Bernhard and Javier Marías, he is drawn to the idea of a body of work that seems as though it is all one book, or, as with Sebald in particular, a territory in which the reader wanders. It is perhaps too soon to say precisely what Greenwell's own fictional territory will look like - but even this early on, the landscape looks too riveting to miss -- Alex Clark * Guardian *A rich, important debut, an instant classic to be savored by all lovers of serious fiction because of, not despite, its subject: a gay man's endeavor to fathom his own heart -- Aaron Hamburger * New York Times Book Review *Brilliantly self-aware . . . Greenwell's novel impresses for many reasons, not least of which is how perfectly it fulfills its intentions. But it gains a different power from its uneasy atmosphere of psychic instability, of confession and penitence, of difficult forces acknowledged but barely mastered and beyond the conscious control of even this gifted novelist -- James Wood * New Yorker *With What Belongs to You American literature is richer by one masterpiece. The character Mitko is unforgettable, as all myths are. He reigns at the heart of this book, surrounded by the magic flames of desire -- Edmund White, author of A Boy's Own StoryA powerful novel from a writer who seems destined to produce fine work in the years ahead, describing both the condition of loneliness and the insistent cravings of the flesh with precision and sensitivity. [Greenwell] never seeks to manipulate our emotions, but creates a narrative voice so enigmatic that one feels both affection and disdain for him simultaneously. Too often in fiction it becomes clear how an author wants the reader to feel, but Greenwell's character is too complex a creation for any easy judgments. And that is what will make both him and this novel particularly memorable -- John Boyne * Irish Times *In his spare, haunting novel, Garth Greenwell takes a well-known narrative and finds new meaning in it. What Belongs to You is a searching and compassionate meditation on the slipperiness of desire, the impossibility of salvation, and the forces of shame, guilt, and yearning that often accompany love, rendered in language as beautiful and vivid as poetry -- Hanya Yanagihara, author of A Little LifeThere's a particular joy in reading Garth Greenwell, in having that feeling, precious and rare: here is the real thing -- Claire Messud, author of The Woman UpstairsIn Garth Greenwell's incandescent first novel, What Belongs to You, an old tale is made new, and made punishing. . . Mr. Greenwell writes long sentences, pinned at the joints by semicolons, that push forward like confidently searching vines. There's suppleness and mastery in his voice. He seems to have an inborn ability to cast a spell . . . A writer who opens chasms rather than builds substandard bridges . . . A subtle observer of human interactions. He underscores the way expressions of love are nearly always, in part, performance -- Dwight Garner * New York Times *Exquisite . . . Stylistically, Greenwell owes more to Sebald than to Nabokov . . . One of the great pleasures of his prose is how profoundly thoughtful it is, even when considering physical needs and passions. This is emotion recollected in tranquillity, or rather in melancholy. There is an almost visceral disjuncture between places and actions that are grubby, even squalid, and the delicacy of the lens through which they're seen. Yet the effect, paradoxically, is one of almost pure emotion -- Damon Galgut * The Nation *One of the few novels I've read which feels like it offers an authentic account of what growing up is like for gay people in western societies . . . Greenwell's novel is at its most affecting when subtly pushing readers to examine their own attitudes and motives . . . By illuminating the dividing lines in our unequal world, Greenwell's novel challenges us to think about privilege, especially our own . . . What Belongs To You presents a challenging and refreshing vision of gay life. It's an original addition to the line of fiction which, from Henry James to Ben Lerner, chronicles the lives of Americans in Europe. Greenwell painstakingly captures desire in all its complex, double-edged intensity . . . Erotic holding, emotional withholding and the question of who holds power in a relationship are all examined in a work which gripped me all the way to its sad and beautiful ending * Independent on Sunday *Garth Greenwell's first novel is gilded with the kind of praise that debut writers might never dare to imagine for themselves . . . none of it is hyperbole. The praise is earned . . . first, Greenwell's abundant gifts: the language, Hanya Yanagihara says on the book sticker, is "as beautiful and vivid as poetry". To speak in such an approximation, though, might sell it short. Little here is metaphoric though no word is spare. Every utterance seems imbued with thought that is deep and beautiful in its clarity -- Arifa Akbar * Independent *He imbues his prose with a bewitching combination of ethereal somnolence, luminosity and brutal rumination. His sentences are carefully balanced . . . This command of form can also be felt in the larger structures of the novel: in the rhythm and tone of its paragraphs, and in the cumulative music of the book as a whole * Times Literary Supplement *[A novel] about the lasting damage that a loveless childhood can inflict . . . The last sequence includes some marvellous vignettes of loving kindness between parents and children, but they are presented as something that only other people can ever have, and the final pages of the book are memorable for their bleak and desperate sadness -- Neil Bartlett * Guardian *Heartfelt . . . [A] touching, desperately sad story. And the character of Mitko, so vivid yet elusive, explains why What Belongs to You is such a promising debut * The Times *Contains both psychological depth and moments of breathtaking drama * Observer *This astonishing debut novel's portrait of compromised lust holds its own against classics like Lolita * Sunday Telegraph *A slender and achingly beautifully novel full of the gloriously messy pain of unrequited and inappropriate love -- Cathy Rentzenbrink * Stylist *A truly stunning debut . . . a masterpiece . . . A literary star is born -- Janice Forsyth * BBC Radio Scotland *The American book changing gay literature * Attitude *A slim novel, yes, but a slim masterpiece * Monocle24 *I was blown away by [What Belongs to You] -- Farhana Gani * the Reader’s Digest podcast *Exquisite . . . Risk and desire are the 'coterminous' elements of the book's style as well as its action, terms of engagement Greenwell makes plain from its first page . . . Breathtaking . . . It's hard to tell at times whether the narrator is the innocent abroad or an American abroad among innocents. Greenwell's insight is that the destruction of innocence is a process that never halts -- Christian Lorentzen * New York Magazine *Outstanding in just about every way a novel could be * Los Angeles Times *The strength of this slim book is the vibrant, heartbreaking character Mr Greenwell creates in Mitko: object of the unnamed narrator's desire, fear, obsession and, ultimately, pity. . . Mr Greenwell offers a tender portrait of the longing for connection and acceptance that inhabits us all * The Economist *Although this is a debut novel, expectations have been running high. What Belongs to You grew from a lauded novella called Mitko. And Greenwell's literary criticism in the New Yorker and the Atlantic demonstrates an unusually keen and insightful mind. That promise is fully realized here in the dark magic of these pages . . . This is a novel of aggressive introspection, but Greenwell writes with such candor and psychological precision that the effect is oddly propulsive . . . In the end, a novel like this can't offer any resolution except its perfect articulation of despair that anyone with a heart will hear -- Ron Charles * The Washington Post *Garth Greenwell's What Belongs to You is the Great Gay Novel for our times . . . an astonishing debut * New Republic *Garth Greenwell starts 2016 on a high note with What Belongs to You, a novel that can be called truly great. The narrative follows an American teacher in Bulgaria and his relationship with a young hustler named Mitko, whom he pays for sex. But the interaction doesn't end there as you might expect, and neither does the exploration of desire, which Greenwell orchestrates brilliantly. Plumbing the depths of sexuality and psychology, What Belongs to You is lingering and haunting * ELLE.com *What Belongs To You comes to feel, in the end, like a great enactment of an infatuation, exciting and appalling by turns-a brilliantly observed account of an attempt to make another person entirely yours, to subsume them within your story * Guernica *At just about two hundred pages, What Belongs to You feels at once expansive and instantaneous, and its lyrical use of time is one of its most striking and immersive elements. In any given section, every moment of the book is present. . . the novel recalls works like Rachel Cusk's Outline, Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan novels, and Teju Cole's Open City; and, of course, it descends stylistically from Sebald . . . What Belongs to You is a haunting, gorgeous, and fierce debut, capturing desire in every sentence - holding the space of what we long for and what can never truly be ours * The Rumpus *Garth Greenwell's debut novel What Belongs to You aches with desire and tenderness: an American professor in Bulgaria encounters a male prostitute named Mitko in a public bathroom, beginning a complex sexual relationship between the two that will have enormous ramifications for them both. Lyrical and haunting, What Belongs to You is a rumination on lust, shame, violence, and the ways in which sexual and emotional pain stays with and shapes us * Buzzfeed *Thomas Mann, Henry James and Marcel Proust are Greenwell's strongest forebears, with James Baldwin and Alan Hollinghurst as equally discernible inspirations. . .Garth Greenwell's writing is alive to the foreign and the unknown; he opens our eyes to worlds we had not realized existed alongside our own. Even the landscape of Bulgaria, one of the poorest and least-known countries in Europe, is made vivid and vibrant. . .What Belongs to You make visible all the painful and beautiful facets of human life and human love * New Republic *Reaches, with elegance, with poetry, into what it means to be a human. . .I rarely feel such a connection with a book: I am sure many others will too, after reading this * Bookseller *[What Belongs to You is] the first great novel of 2016 . . . The book is brilliantly structured . . . [and] Greenwell's ability to parse the complex emotional push-and-pull between the two men is incredible, and rivals books like Hanya Yanagihara's A Little Life or Ferrante's Neapolitan novels. His images are spot-on . . . And in Mitko, Greenwell has created one of the best characters in recent years. What Belongs to You is a great tragedy, and Greenwell is a great writer. I'll be reading whatever he writes next." -- Gabe Habash * Publishers Weekly (Staff Pick) *This is a project of rare discernment and beauty, and it is not to be missed. A luminous, searing exploration of desire, alienation, and the powerful tattoo of the past * Kirkus *There's a gorgeousness to Greenwell's prose . . . This is a heart-breaking, important piece of work, which emphasises to us all how much our lives are made (and unmade) by how our bodies collide (or don't) with the bodies of others -- Andrew Macmillan * Next Review *Slim, eloquent and emotionally wrenching, this debut novel is a superb evocation of that curious state known as love . . . Greenwell's shimmering novel recounts an age-old story with such toughness and tenderness as to make it seem new: and that is an art in itself * RTÉ Guide *What Belongs To You is a very accomplished novel from an exceptionally skilled writer. It brilliantly deconstructs the expat experience, modern sexual mores, and cross-continental cultural divides, echoing one of Greenwell's go-to novels growing up, James Baldwin's Giovanni's Room. Undoubtedly one of the novels of the year, Greenwell is a writer to watch -- Stephen Boylan * GCN *Utterly absorbing . . . powerful . . . For its mastery of tone and its expert drawing together of a number of disparate elements, Greenwell's narrative feat is utterly remarkable and the final ten pages amount to one of the most moving passages this reviewer has ever read in contemporary fiction * RTÉ *Great portrayal of obsession . . . it is in his prose that Greenwell displays his mastery * New Statesman *Masterly début . . . a melancholy but unwavering account of desire and its aetiologies . . . Mitko is one of the the most unforgettable characters in contemporary gay literature . . . Greenwell's rare invocation of desire's inexorable spell propels you right to the end * Australian Book Review *First-rate debut . . . Greenwell's entranced sentences, Sebald-like in their gravity and evocativeness, take us back to the old days * Sydney Morning Herald *What Belongs to You is a rich and sensually detailed exploration of love and obsession. A haunting, beautiful novel -- Rabih Alameddine, author of An Unnecessary WomanWhat Belongs to You is a beautiful, moving, sensual novel. It announces Garth Greenwell as one of America's most exciting young writers -- Jonathan Lee, author of High DiveIn prose that is at once refined and lavish - the quiet dignity and control of Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day coupled with the agonized passion and sexual tension of André Aciman's Call Me by Your Name - Garth Greenwell takes us deep inside a specific Bulgarian subculture to examine the universal: the disparity between the uninhibited lives we desire and the bearable lives we choose. I began reading What Belongs to You in admiration; I ended in tears. An exquisite debut -- Jamie Quatro, author of I Want to Show You MoreGarth Greenwell is a unique, and uniquely welcome, voice in American letters. The consciousness on display in his debut novel is so rich and restless that it seems practically inexhaustible: a consciousness that rises to heights of both passion and intellect - of passion harnessed by intellect. What Belongs to You very much seems to me not only a great novel but the first installment in a great body of work -- Kevin Brockmeier, author of The IlluminationI am in awe of this book. So intimate, so honest, so exquisitely crafted, it broke my heart and left me in tears. It showed me a Bulgaria both familiar and entirely novel, rendered with candor and deep affection, and characters, whose plight and desires at first seemed foreign yet, before long, so dear. Garth Greenwell has written a marvelous book, an important book - one whose impact is as much artistic as it is cultural. What Belongs to You expands not simply the world of letters, but also our collective knowledge of what it means to be human -- Miroslav Penkov, author of East of the WestWhat Belongs To You is a short novel, but Garth Greenwell's sentences are expansive and revelatory and poetic. Greenwell juxtaposes the narrator's experiences in an unprogressive, formerly Communist country still recovering its infrastructure, to the narrator's own childhood, growing up gay and closeted in the oppressive American South . . . a lovely meditation on fear and acceptance, desire and oppression, and the disparity between two cultures * Esquire *Beautifully rendered, quietly obsessive. A Sebaldian account of a gay American in Sofia, Bulgaria, and the bruising experience of his sexuality being revealed to his father when he was younger -- Adam Haslett, author of Imagine Me GoneI was blown away by it . . . beautiful -- Helen Lewis * Saturday Review, BBC Radio 4 *Absolutely astonishing . . . a tour de force . . . remarkable -- Christopher Frayling * Saturday Review, BBC Radio 4 *Beautifully written . . . a galvanising read as Greenwell constantly dissects his own feelings, thoughts and motives, sieving through desire and need with intelligence, insight and candour . . . Greenwell pulls off a mesmeric read . . . a finely wrought and compelling artifact of both beauty and truth. * New Zealand Listener *I devoured it, in a single sitting . . . I was completely spellbound by it . . . What Belongs To You is concentrated brilliance, a short novel that packs an emotive and thought provoking punch. I urge you all to read it * Savidge Reads *The literary sensation . . . a brilliant tale of gay desire and class division that is exquisitely phrased * i *What Belongs To You is an exquisite triptych * Vulture *An astonishing portrait of compromised lust, set in ex-Soviet Sofia, this debut novel holds its own against classics such as Lolita * Telegraph *I sat down to read a chapter of What Belongs to You one afternoon and ended up reading the whole thing in one sitting, hunched over my kitchen table until dark. Garth Greenwell's devastatingly beautiful novel about a gay American expat in Bulgaria and his on-again, off-again relationship with a sex worker named Mitko has been one of the year's breakout hits, and for good reason. It's a virtuosic, tender exploration of loneliness and desire, with sentences so breathtaking you'll find yourself returning to them over and over again * NPR *I read this book when it first emerged and I will keep reading it every year of my life. It is a secular desire bible. It is desire alive. -- Lidia Yuknavitch * The Millions *The book I wish I’d written? Garth Greenwell’s What Belongs to You. It does in its few perfect pages everything – absolutely everything – that I aspire to do with words. -- Taiye Selasi * Guardian *Garth Greenwell’s book has the power and infinite beauty of an ancient tragedy: on every page, passion, obsession, and the struggle for freedom collide with the inevitability of fate and the violence of society. At the same time, it’s a radically contemporary novel, which overwhelmed me as much with its language – rhythmic, incantatory, visceral – as with the way it takes the subjects of memory, escape, desire, and melancholy, and makes them new. What Belongs to You is an essential book. -- Édouard LouisA spare, spellbinding account . . . written in gorgeously limpid prose . . . fearless and nerve-racking autobiographical fiction, incandescent with yearning, rage and rejection . . . one of the most heartbreaking accounts of pained desire that I can remember reading . . . worthy of its comparisons to James Baldwin and Alan Hollinghurst as well as Virginia Woolf and WG Sebald -- Johanna Thomas-Corr, Observer

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Book SynopsisWhen life becomes complicated, it’s time to get back to the basics. Originally written by Jack Brown as a going-away-to-college gift for his son Adam, Life’s Little Instruction Book: Simple Wisdom and a Little Humor for Living a Happy and Rewarding Life offers hundreds of captivating insights, uplifting inspiration, heartfelt humor, and thoughtful reminders.The Life’s Little Instruction Book series has sold more than ten million copies, spent more than two years atop the New York Times bestseller list, and has been translated into 33 languages—a true example of a giftable book that keeps on giving.Giving people of all generations permission to live a well-loved life, readers will delight in the sweet simplicity of entries that inspire them to: Sing in the shower. Watch a sunrise at least once a year. Drink champagne for no reason at all.

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Book SynopsisA fascinating insight into how human sexuality came to be the way it is now - Jared Diamond explains why we are different from the animal kingdom.Why are humans one of the few species to have sex in private? Why do humans have sex any day of the month or year, including when the female is pregnant, beyond her reproductive years, or between her fertile cycles? Why are human females one of the few mammals to go through menopause?Human sexuality seems normal to us but it is bizarre by the standards of other animals. Jared Diamond argues that our strange sex lives were as crucial to our rise to human status as were our large brains. He also describes the battle of the sexes in the human and animal world over parental care, and why sex differences in the genetic value of parental care provide a biological basis for the all-too-familiar different attitudes of men and women towards extramarital sex.Trade ReviewJared Diamond is the finest of the essayists in evolutionary biology by combination of originality, breadth and sheer authority based on personal experienceWHY IS SEX FUN? is the best book on the subject I've read. This lively exploration of our sexual heritage offers fascinating reading for anyone curious about why lovers do what they do

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Book SynopsisWomen are in a bind. In the name of consent and empowerment, they must proclaim their desires clearly and confidently. Yet sex researchers suggest that women's desire is often slow to emerge. And men are keen to insist that they know what women-and their bodies-want. Meanwhile, sexual violence abounds. How can women, in this environment, possibly know what they want? And why do we expect them to?In this elegant, searching book-spanning science and popular culture; pornography and literature; debates on Me-Too, consent and feminism-Katherine Angel challenges our assumptions about women's desire. Why, she asks, should they be expected to know their desires? And how do we take sexual violence seriously, when not knowing what we want is key to both eroticism and personhood?In today's crucial moment of renewed attention to violence and power, Angel urges that we remake our thinking about sex, pleasure, and autonomy without any illusions about perfect self-knowledge. Only then will we fulfil Michel Foucault's teasing promise, in 1976, that 'tomorrow sex will be good again'Trade ReviewThe real joy lies in the artfulness with which she uses these intimate episodes as a way of unwrapping the larger issue of what it means to be a woman, both object and subject of desire. -- Olivia Laing * The Guardian * Unmastered is a smart rejoinder to the idea that pleasure has nothing to teach us. -- Parul Sehgal * Slate *Offers an arresting mix of diaristic experiences with her lover . . . and heady reflections from feminist thinkers like Susan Sontag and Virginia Woolf. A genre-busting nonfiction account that reads like poetry, revels in ambiguity, and intentionally defies definition, the book explores the slippery emotions of sex in fiery, collage-like scenes intended to reconcile the contradictory 'metaphors we love by.' * O Magazine *Ghostly and poetic . . . [A] thinking woman's meditation on sexual desire. * Publishers Weekly *Unconventional, deeply personal . . . often poetic. * The New Yorker *Angel embraces the impossibility of extricating fact from feeling. -- Julia Klein * The Boston Globe *One of the most insightful and articulate writers at work today. -- Lauren Elkin, author of Flâneuse: Women Walk the City in Paris, New York, Tokyo, Venice, and LondonIn this impressive and intelligent examination of the father figure, Angel expertly intersects the subject with feminism, mythology, Donald Winnicott, Brett Kavanaugh and more. Her unstinting eye and intellectual vigour make Daddy Issues an engaging interrogation. It feels utterly vital in the context of #MeToo and the political flux the world currently finds itself in. -- Sinead GleesonAn ardent, rigorous, nuanced investigation into the question of consent, at once illuminating and empowering. A truly vital guide to navigating the difficult waters of 21st century desire. -- Olivia Laing, author of Funny WeatherThought-provoking ... [Angel's] jargon-free prose and nuanced readings of popular culture and postmodern theory enlighten. Readers will value this lively and incisive inquiry into the sexual dynamics of the #MeToo era. * Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) *One of our most daring, exciting and nuanced writers on the complexities of female desire, pleasure, autonomy and imagination. -- Deborah Levy, author of The Cost of LivingA provocative counterargument to recent feminist dogma. ... Angel raises intriguing questions about commonly accepted assumptions, and she offers reassurance to female readers. * Kirkus Reviews *[Tomorrow Sex Will Be Good Again] takes a taboo topic and removes the stigma by providing facts. Its titular refrain advocates for a better tomorrow. -- Ashley Holstrom * Foreword Reviews *[Angel] writes about complex questions with such clarity and elegance, and amid all the polarised spats that currently pass for considered debate, her work is a breath of fresh air. [Tomorrow Sex Will Be Good Again] is a provocative but clear-sighted analysis of female sexuality in the wake of #MeToo ... I'd urge anyone who cares about sexual ethics to read it. -- Bookseller (Editor's Choice) * Caroline Sanderson *Excellent -- Charlotte Higgins * Guardian *[A] bible of modern sexuality and consent that all men and women should be reading * Evening Standard *She is reaching towards something else: a world where desire does not have to be known and fixed in advance to protect people from violence. -- Hettie O'Brien * Guardian *Tenderly inflected and meticulously argued, Tomorrow Sex Will Be Good Again should be required reading * New Internationalist - Five Starred Review *A clear-eyed intervention in the crossfire of post-#MeToo sexual politics * TANK Magazine *Voyeuristically fascinating ... Angel dares to suggest that consent is not sexy . we should be aiming for something more complex -- Anna Leszkiewicz * New Statesman *Offers new ways of understanding the complexity of sexual relations . fresh and provoking * The F-Word *Exquisite ... A breathtaking, brilliant invitation not to turn away from complexity and vulnerability -- Hannah Dawson, editor of The Penguin Book of Feminist WritingThis nonfiction tour-de-force is a must-read for anyone interested in exploring themes of consent, power, sex, and the Me Too movement. This is the kind of book that seeks not to create dichotomous binaries, but to complicate the narrative. -- Rachel Krantz * The Millions *Eloquent and lucid -- Celia Walden * Telegraph *Succinct and thought-provoking -- Stephanie Merritt * Observer *Tomorrow Sex Will Be Good Again offers readers a blend of cultural criticism and provocative theory. -- Tobias Carroll * InsideHook *Intriguing, philosophical. -- Laura Miller * Slate *One of the smartest, most nuanced and thought-provoking books I've read about sex in the post-#MeToo era. -- Moya Crockett * Stylist *[Angel] is right - consent as a yes/no dichotomy cannot be everything we want it to be. We must recognise that language cannot say everything, especially for women, who have not historically been given the chance to shape it according to their own needs and desires. * The Arts Desk *[Tomorrow Sex Will Be Good Again is] a necessary contribution to the many conversations about sex and power we have all had since 2017, and Angel's prose, clear and lovely, nimbly navigates the complexities of her subject matter. -- Madeleine Watts * Bookforum *A vital and groundbreaking work that brings nuance to a thorny subject. -- Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett * Guardian *Angel has dissected much of what there is to know about consent, desire, arousal and vulnerability: the four cornerstones of sexuality. Resisting definitive and simplistic conclusions, Angel has been wide-reaching in her research -- Emily S Cooper * Irish Times *[Tomorrow Sex Will Be Good Again] welcomes us to experience a twenty-first-century feminist version of Freud's aporia. -- Jeannie Suk Gersen * New Yorker *A necessary contribution to an important conversation. * The Week *A well-researched exploration of what sex, sexism, desire and power mean now. -- Mika Ross-Southall * Spectator *Angel makes the compelling argument that desire should not have to be known in advance in order to protect women from sexual violence and that consent is not static. -- Daisy Schofield * Huck *A breath of fresh air ... [Tomorrow Sex Will be Good Again] describes with great, sensitive accuracy the reality of being a woman with a sex life in the twenty-first century. -- Marianela D’Aprile * Jacobin *Timely . Angel does much more than merely refresh what has become a tired conversation about consent. . a slim, potent, elegantly argued polemic -- Zora Simic * Australian Book Review *Angel is measured and meticulous, which makes her book delightful, powerful, and worthwhile. -- Joseph Fischel * Signs *[Angel marshals] pithy arguments about consent, desire, arousal, and vulnerability, and these arguments are anchored by solid and hearty feminist claims. -- Shoniqua Roach * Signs *This work is misleadingly slender, more capacious than slight . [Angel] evokes the indeterminate radiance encountered in Georgia O'Keeffe's floral paintings, a space where the possibilities of sex reside as 'an unfolding'. -- Tali Lavi * Saturday Paper *Short but rich in ideas ... [Tomorrow Sex Will Be Good Again] offers a thoughtful, nuanced articulation of the problems and issues we face surrounding sexual assault and bad sex, without rushing to a solution. -- Elodie Rose Barnes * Lucy Writers' Platform *It should not be women's responsibility to keep sex safe. Angel argues powerfully that sexual ethics not be reduced to hard and fast prescriptions about consent -- Fiona Capp * Sydney Morning Herald *A much-needed intervention. -- Vicky Spratt * Refinery29 *One of the most important books you'll read all year. -- Jessie Thompson * Evening Standard *[Angel] argues for uncertainty and vulnerability ... Tomorrow Sex Will Be Good Again is part of an emancipatory project that, paradoxically, asserts a need not to be strong. -- Anne Enright * New York Review of Books *Gracefully argued and informed by flashes of brilliance ... a powerful contribution to the not always rational debate about consent and feminine sexual autonomy. * The Australian *Incisive and elegant ... in four searching essays that treat consent, desire, arousal, and vulnerability in turn, Angel does not reject legal and material remedies but looks beyond them, seeking succor in the interstices of our erotic relationships-in the sheer force and fact of desire itself. -- Becca Rothfeld * Boston Review *Exciting. -- Alexandra Schwartz * New Yorker *Angel is here to stick up for the timorous and to defend vulnerability as both a sexual virtue and a deep well of potential pleasure ... a rich companion piece to [Unmastered] -- Sarah Gilbert * Sydney Review of Books *Packs a punch -- Hannah Witton * More Hannah - Best 2021 Books *Brilliant -- Izabella Scott * White Review *

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Book SynopsisJesse Bering, PhD, is a frequent contributor to Scientific American and Slate. His writing has also appeared in New York magazine, The Guardian, and The New Republic, among other publications, and has been featured by NPR, Playboy Radio, the BBC, and more. The author of The God Instinct, Bering is the former director of the Institute of Cognition and Culture at Queen's University, Belfast, and began his career as a professor at the University of Arkansas. He lives in Ithaca, New York.Trade ReviewAn entertaining catalogue of the erotic carnival and a plea for tolerance -- Bryan Appleyard * The Sunday Times *As mind-boggling as it is informative * Independent on Sunday *It's hard to disagree with Bering's generous liberalism * The Times *A serious and humane book * Guardian *A whirlwind journey through the kinks of the human personality... In entertaining fashion, this psychologist aims to show that normal is just a number; that many of us have strange quirks so quite the moralising * The Times, Summer Books *A delightful, intelligent, and thought-provoking addition to the growing body of our sexual knowledge of self * Publishers Weekly *Jesse Bering is the Hunter S. Thompson of science writing, and he is a delight to read - funny, smart, and madly provocative. * Professor Paul Bloom, Yale University *A colourful romp through psychology, philosophy and popular culture. * New Humanist *

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Book SynopsisSexual conflict permeates ancient religions, from injunctions about thy neighbor''s wife to the sexual obligations of marriage. It is etched in written laws that dictate who can and cannot have sex with whom. Its manifestations shape our sexual morality, evoking approving accolades or contemptuous condemnation. It produces sexual double standards that flourish even in the most sexually egalitarian cultures on earth. And although every person alive struggles with sexual conflict, most of us see only the tip of the iceberg: dating deception, a politician''s unsavory grab, the slow crumbling of a once-happy marriage, a romantic breakup that turns nasty.Bad Men shows that this battle of the sexes is deeper and far more pervasive than anyone has recognized, revealing the hidden roots of sexual conflict -- roots that originated over deep evolutionary time -- which characterise our sexual psychology. Providing novel insights into our minds and behaviours, Bad Men presTrade Review'Few topics interest us more than the nature of relationships between the sexes, and David Buss has long been a leader in turning that interest into rigorous science based on empirical findings and anchored in evolutionary thinking. Bad Men is a major contribution to the field' - Robert Sapolsky, author of Behave'The public concern with sexual aggression is a great moral advance, but our intellectual culture has floundered in trying to understand it because it clings to myths and dogmas that defy science, common sense, and lived experience. David Buss, one of the world's experts in sexual conflict in human mating, brings these back together in a fascinating and timely book which helps us to understand these evils and better equip us to minimise them' - Steven Pinker, author of Enlightenment Now'Bad Men is a fascinating book that comprehensively examines the roots of sexual conflict between women and men' The Times'It seems that, every week, we hear a new report of atrocious male behaviour ... Buss's book is not only explanatorily powerful and pragmatically useful, but unfortunately very necessary. The book synthesises over 30 years of research showing how evolutionary psychology can illuminate the origins of the sexual conflict that blights many women's lives, and the mechanisms through which it operates. It explores why many men seem unable to grasp the vulnerability that many women feel. It also provides a roadmap for mitigating what Buss calls "the biggest human rights issue in the world": sexual violence against women' - Areo'An unflinching look at sexual conflict and what we can do about it. This accessible book explains why conflict between men and women is inevitable, but sexual coercion and violence are not. Eliminating violence against women is Buss's goal, and this book considers paths toward achieving it' - Leda Cosmides, codirector of the Center for EvolutionaryPsychology, University of California, Santa Barbara'Brilliantly shines a scientific light on our most intimate, and often uncomfortable, entanglements. I highly recommend it' - Dr. Wendy Walsh, 'America's Relationship Expert', host of the podcast Mating Matters and the Dr. Wendy Walsh Show on iHeart Radio, author of The Boyfriend Test, The Girlfriend Test and the 30-Day Love Detox'If you want to understand our minds, you must understand the evolutionary past which forged them. And if you want to understand our sexuality, all the more so. There is no better guide for this than Professor David Buss, one of the country's leading evolutionary psychologists. This theoretically grounded book has countless vivid examples and offers a wide-ranging account of the origins of human sexual behaviour and its modern manifestations, helping to make sense of so many troubling behaviours. Insightful and provocative' - Nicholas Christakis, author of Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society'Buss has untangled the primordial (and eternal) human mating dance with deft, clarity, precision and charm. Want to know your "Mate Value?" And why he did something violent to his beloved, perhaps you? Buss gives us the underlying causes of the battle between the sexes - and how to overcome sexual conflict. It's steeped in science - and an exceptional book' - Helen Fisher, author of Anatomy of Love'Bad Men applies the hard lens of science to the most contentious and painful issues of our time - stalking, malicious seduction, sexual harassment and sexual assault. The result is an eye-opening perspective on the deep history of men harming women. David Buss explains which types of men are most likely to be perpetrators, and why women can be so devastated by the results. He never explains away this behaviour, but instead explains it with the hope that a deeper understanding can help solve these problems and free future generations of women from the ever-present fear that we've been forced to accept as part of life' - Faye Flam, author of The Score: How the Quest for Sex Has Shaped the Modern Man'Buss tackles numerous difficult, sensitive, and controversial topics in this book, but throughout he uses a balanced, evidence-driven approach. He relies on clear arguments that build a solid impression of how the sexes have evolved distinct strategies, and how those strategies typically lead to misunderstanding and conflict. The evidence he provides is convincing, and he draws on a commendable range of studies for support. Given the breadth of topics and how they come together repeatedly to highlight patterns of sex-specific behavior, this book will serve as an important springboard for understanding more completely men's (and women's) behavior for years to come. In my opinion, it will be of interest to a diverse readership-everyone from a person who wonders why men and women behave so differently in online dating, all the way to academics who want to learn the nuances of sexual conflict theory. Definitely a provocative and interesting read!' - Dr. Maryanne Fisher, editor of The Oxford Handbook of Women and Competition'In Bad Men, once again David Buss delivers with his ability to take the most complicated and disturbing of topics and make sense of it. In characteristic fashion, he supports his analyses on the mysteries of sexual conflict with solid research yet presents it in an intriguing and entertaining fashion. While demonstrating that bad sexual behaviours have evolved as part of our fundamental psychology of sex differences, Buss underscores such behaviours are not inevitable. Understanding these behaviours and why they evolved is a necessary and critical step in preventing their perpetuation. This bold and honest look at sexual conflict lays the foundation for better behaviour. A must read' - Cindy M. Meston, professor of clinical psychology, University of Texas at Austin and co-author of Why Women Have Sex'Highly informative and engaging, David's Buss' Bad Men is an insightful, sensitive and honest examination of the sources of sexual conflict and ways we might be able to reduce its harms. He does this by elucidating the sex differences in our evolved sexual strategies, the result of sex differences in optimal mating strategies. He delves into the dark side of male mating behaviour but also offers approaches that call attention to the "sex gap" and how a better understanding of it can help craft policies to reduce or prevent harms that women disproportionally bear. An essential read' - Catherine Salmon, author of Warrior Lovers: Erotic Fiction, Evolution, and Female Sexuality'This fascinating book is like the long lost operating manual for men's and women's minds, written tens of thousands of years ago and only just now reconstructed. Buss explains so many of the games people play as they strive to attract, keep, and manipulate mates. Trying to understand and reduce sexual harassment, sexual violence, and ordinary marital misery without Buss's evolutionary lens would be like trying to understand and fight epidemics without germ theory' - Jonathan Haidt, author of The Righteous Mind and coauthor of The Coddling of the American Mind'In this powerful, provocative, and thought-provoking book, David Buss takes us through the fundamental reasons for conflicts between men and women. Drawing from the roots of evolutionary biology and psychology, he sets out in scholarly detail the potential for sexual conflicts within and outside relationships. He also shows how, while evolved differences between men and women can be recognized, they should not be equated with inevitability of action or behavior. The book provides an important and in many places deeply troubling journey into ourselves' - Tracey Chapman, Professor of Evolutionary Genetics, University of East Anglia'Bad Men brilliantly analyses what has been called the most widespread human rights problem in the world. Authoritative, insightful, and sympathetic, Buss's book is a perfect resource for the #MeToo generation' - Richard Wrangham, author of The Goodness Paradox'Continues to follow the successful formula found in David Buss' earlier books ... the focus on bad male behaviour and what we can do about it certainly makes this book worth reading' - Psychology Today'In a new, ripped-from-the-headlines book ... juxtaposing more than three decades of laboratory research with case studies from the animal kingdom, hunter-gatherer societies, and the Wild West of internet dating, [Buss] lays out a theory of sexual conflict between men and women involving a co-evolutionary arms race' - California magazine

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Book SynopsisThis book masterfully clarifies the nature of tantric practice. In contrast to the approaches of conventional religion, tantra does not attempt to soothe the turmoil of existence with consoling promises of heaven and salvation. The tantric practitioner chooses to confront the bewildering and chaotic forces of fear, aggression, desire, and pride, and to work with them in such a way that they are channeled into creative expression, loving relationships, and wisely engaged forms of life. In order to make the processes of tantra psychologically intelligible for a contemporary reader, Rob Preece makes judicious use of the work of modern psychotherapy, forging a compelling link between a Western tradition that hearkens back to the alchemical traditions of our own past and the comparably alchemical strategies of Tibetan Buddhist tantric practices. In keeping with the pragmatic and therapeutic aims of both psychotherapy and Buddhist meditation, The Psychology of Buddhist Tantra never loses sight of the central importance of applying these ideas to the concrete realities of day-to-day life. By illuminating the richly symbolic language of tantra through the intermediate language of psychology, The Psychology of Buddhist Tantra points to the transformative nature of tantric practices.

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Book Synopsis'Full of warmth, humour, optimism and sometimes painful honesty' WILLIAM DALRYMPLE'Anyone who's ever struggled to make sense of who they are and where they belong should read this book' NADIA WHITTOME MP'An important voice of our generation' PARMINDER NAGRA 'This guy has better Punjabi than both of us and he's only half Punjabi.' Only. Half. I stared at those words. The intent behind the comment was in no way malicious, but it hurt. I felt diminished. I felt like I was being robbed of something essential to me. And as I stared at my screen, realisation dawned. '#bothnothalf' I replied. For over twenty-five years, actor Jassa Ahluwalia described himself as 'half Indian, half English'. His fluent Punjabi always prompted bewilderment, medical staff questioned the legitimacy of his name, and the world of casting taught him he wasn't 'the right kind of mixed-race'. Feeling caught between two worlds, it wasn't long before Jassa embarked on a call to action: we need to change how we think and talk about mixed identity. By delving into the media we grew up consuming and the legacies of empire we have been taught, Ahluwalia asks: is there anything to be learnt from Rudyard Kipling? Why were movie stars urged to hide their mixed identities? To what extent did colonialism encourage or hinder mixed marriages? Is nationalism outdated? How can the politics of class and queer liberation inform our understanding of mixed identity? Both Not Half is a rallying cry for a new and inclusive future. It's a journey of self-discovery that unearths the historical roots of modern mixed identity as we know it, braving to deconstruct the binaries we have inherited and the narratives we passively accept. Part-memoir, part-manifesto: this is a campaign for belonging in a divided world.

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Book SynopsisThe author of the most well-known and trusted relationship book of all time returns with an updated guide for today's generation. Two decades ago, Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus revolutionized the way we thought about love and partnership. John Gray's work has helped countless readers improve and even save their relationships. But as society evolves, relationships do, too. It's time to move beyond Mars and Venus, toward a new relationship model for modern couples. Today, men and women are no longer trapped by rigid societal roles. Now more than ever, we have the freedom to be our authentic selves. Women can access their masculine side, and men can embrace their feminine side. This new freedom is a good thing, but it also brings new challenges. Men and women still need the right tools and skills to help build stronger relation- ships. While previous generations sought "role mate" relationships, based on the more rigid gender roles of the time, today's couples need a new kind of relationship: a "soul mate" relationship. These more emotionally satisfying relationships require a deeper understanding of our partners' individual needs. In Beyond Mars and Venus, Gray teaches you how to strengthen your bond and grow in love together, so you and your loved one can meet each other's needs in the best way possible, bringing you lasting happiness and a fulfilling partnership.Trade Review"No one delivers greater wisdom about relationships than John Gray. In Beyond Mars and Venus, he provides much-needed guidance as to how to navigate the path of love in complicated times like these." Marianne Williamson, #1 New York Times bestselling author "A true expert understands that as times change, tried-and-true methods must be reexamined and updated. John Gray not only embraces the unique challenges in modern relationships, but his tools and wisdom are every bit as helpful today as ever." Jack Canfield, New York Times bestselling author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series "Twenty years after his earth-shaking Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, John Gray has opened up a whole new universe of helpful relationship advice in Beyond Mars and Venus. His explanation of love and intimacy in the 21st century will rock your world." Harvey Mackay, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive "Leave it to John Gray, whose creativity framed gender differences in planetary terms as Mars and Venus, starting a never-ending conversation about the differences between men and women, to go Beyond Mars and Venus and make the discussion relevant for contemporary couples. All couples, traditional or modern, will be informed by this perceptive thinker about relationships." Harville Hendrix, PhD and Helen LaKelly Hunt, PhD, authors of Getting the Love You Want and Making Marriage Simple "How do we achieve true love in today's stressful, chaotic world? . . . Becoming comfortable in our new roles allows for each of us to be seen, heard, and affectionate with one another. Being able to express these inherent sides of ourselves clearly determines our strengths and need for stress management and choosing balance. Greater intimacy and deep love are the gifts. I love this book." Suzanne Somers "John Gray's famous book Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus has changed countless lives for the better (including mine) and has helped so many people live in greater happiness. This new guide offers tools and wisdom that are as helpful today as ever." Marci Shimoff, professional speaker, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Happy for No Reason and Love for No Reason, and coauthor of Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul "John Gray provides brilliant guidance for the rapidly changing state of gender roles in our relationships. Beyond Mars and Venus is required reading for all couples who are serious about growing and thriving in love together." Arielle Ford, author of Turn Your Mate into Your SoulmateTable of ContentsIntroduction Beyond Mars and Venus From Role Mate to Soul Mate Your Unique Self Differences Attract and Create Lasting Passion Testosterone Is from Mars Estrogen Is from Venus The Risks of Taking Hormones Women, Hormones, and Happiness You Time, Me Time, We Time She Needs to Be Heard and He Needs to Be Appreciated His Love Needs, Her Love Needs Mars and Venus Come Together The Complaint-Free Relationship Epilogue Acknowledgments About the Author

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Book SynopsisSex is undoubtedly on your mind. So, wouldn't you prefer a human sexuality text that truly resonates with your life and addresses your curiosities? Far beyond merely laying the groundwork in sexuality's biology and psychology, Caroll's SEXUALITY NOW: EMBRACING DIVERSITY, 7th Edition, goes the extra mile to connect with you. It delves into contemporary issues as well as the ever-changing landscape of sexual practices and behaviors and how they impact your life. The text uses informative visuals, embracing the fluidity of sexual orientation and gender while remaining attentive to the diverse contexts of your own experiences. Enlightening discussions about sexuality result, empowering you to learn more about yourself and what's happening around you. This text is a revealing journey, offering valuable insights that will enrich your understanding of yourself and the world around you.

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Book SynopsisIt is very dangerous when a wound is so common in a culture that hardly anyone knows there is a problem. Such is the case right now with our wounded feeling function- our inability to find joy, worth, and meaning in life. Robert A. Johnson, the celebrated author of ''He, She'', and ''We'', revisits two medieval tales and illuminates how this feeling function has become a casualty of our modern times.Johnson tells the story of the Wounded Fisher King from the Grail Myth to illustrate the anxiety and loneliness that plague men. From the folktale of the Handless Maiden, he explains the very different frustrations of women and describes how these disparities in the way we suffer account for much of the tension and miscommunication between men and women. His insightful analysis shows that these two stories, created centuries ago, are even more relevant today.Robert A. Johnson, a noted lecturer and Jungian analyst, is also the author of ''He, She, We, Inner Work, Ecstasy, Transformation'', and ''Owning Your Own Shadow''.

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Book SynopsisWinner of the 2021 SSTAR Consumer Book Award!What makes sex magnificent? What are the qualities of extraordinary erotic intimacy and what are the elements that help to bring it about? Is great sex the stuff that people remember nostalgically from the honeymoon phase of their relationships, or can sex improve over time? Magnificent Sex is based on the largest, in-depth interview study ever conducted with people who are having extraordinary sex. It gathers the nuggets for remarkable sex from the experts, distilling them into an attainable blueprint for ordinary lovers who want to make erotic intimacy grow over the course of a lifetime. Looking at factors including individual and relational qualities, empathic communication and the myths and realities of magnificent sex, this book offers accessible and evidence-based guidance for lovers and therapists alike. It is replete with frank and often humorous interviews with straight and Trade Review"With empirical rigor and a playful sense of humor, Kleinplatz and Ménard offer us a grand tour of a previously undocumented world where extraordinary lovers create magnificent sexual experiences. Every sex therapist, educator, researcher, and student should read this book. It will utterly transform the conversation around sexual desire." – Emily Nagoski, author of Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life."This is IT finally, a refreshing real book discussing the nature of magnificent sex! And this book actually sees sex as a relational dance, not one person’s bodily function! The book is easy to read and goes beyond formulas, tips and tricks to discuss topics like empathy which so often are missing in so-called sex books. This is where the field of sex therapy needs to go. The lovers in this book tell us how we often settle for being stuck in clichés and so called symptoms and miss the symphony the great sex can be." – Sue Johnson, EdD, researcher, professor, and bestselling author of Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love."This is a wonderful book! Taking the focus off of ‘sex’ and ‘sexual function’ tricks and techniques, it will provide an invaluable resource for those looking to truly improve the quality of their relationships and their experience of sex." – Daniel N. Watter, EdD, past president, The Society for Sex Therapy and Research (SSTAR)"Peggy Kleinplatz has achieved near mythical status in the echelons of sex therapy. For nearly two decades she has been leading the Optimal Sexual Experiences Research Team at the University of Ottawa and carefully protecting their work from outside eyes. Along the way, they have teased and tantalized us with breadcrumbs of insight from their detailed study of actual couples who embody and manifest the eight components of magnificent sex; but now, finally, Kleinplatz and Ménard have given us the secret sauce, and it was worth the wait!" – Ian Kerner, Ph.D., LMFT, NY Times best-selling author, She Comes First."Would you like to have good sex? What about great sex? Or, even better, what about the greatest sexual experience of your life? Kleinplatz and Ménard dive into their incredible research on peak sexual experiences, and distill valuable lessons to help you to discover your potential for sexual ecstasy. This isn't a cookbook style sex manual - it's a guide to creating sexual authenticity in your life, in a way that translates into heights of sexual fulfillment." – David Ley, Ph.D., licensed clinical psychologist and AASECT Certified Sex Therapist & Supervisor"Kleinplatz and Ménard have conducted extensive research on optimal sex and this book beautifully illustrates their work. It offers intimate details in selected quotes as described by their sexually-gratified subjects. Magnificent Sex: Lessons from Extraordinary Lovers will be of great value to readers in the general public as well as to those in the related fields of sexuality science, education, and therapy." – Stella Resnick, PhD, sex therapist and author of Body-to-Body Intimacy: Transformation through Love, Sex and Neurobiology (2019). "Kleinplatz and Ménard investigate sex in the great tradition of Abraham Maslow and the humanistic tradition, as well as the more recent trend of positive psychology, which shift the focus from human dysfunction to human flourishing. While much time and resources have been invested in the study of how sex goes wrong and how to shift from abnormal or dysfunctional sex to functional sex, this book places the emphasis on how couples can set to work to achieve higher and higher levels of sexual pleasure and intimacy. Grounded in empirical science that aims and succeeds at respecting the fidelity of lived sexual experience, this book offers hope for individuals and couples that great sex need not remain restricted to the realm of fantasy." – Brent Dean Robbins, Ph.D., chair and professor of psychology at Point Park University and author of The Medicalized Body and Anesthetic Culture: The Cadaver, the Memorial Body, and the Recovery of Lived Experience. "Magnificent sex! It’s something many crave, but too few have. It’s also a phenomenon that looks nothing like the false media images perpetuating it. In this compelling book, full of striking quotes from real people having superb sex, the authors paint a picture of what truly great sex looks like. Using results from their in-depth study of people having magnificent sex, they reveal the personal and relationship qualities and attitudes necessary for magnificent sex. Unlike books promising results in a few simple steps, this book will shift our paradigm of great sex – and help guide our way there." – Laurie Mintz, professor at the University of Florida and author of A Tired Woman’s Guide to Passionate Sex and Becoming Cliterate: Why Orgasm Equality Matters—And How to Get It."Magnificent Sex is a much-needed alternative to the hundreds of books about amping up your sex life that amount to cookbooks of positions and toys. Instead, Kleinplatz and Ménard have researched actual couples who still manage to have exceptional sex after years of marriage, and distilled their secrets and wisdom. The couples they interviewed represent a broad range of diversity, and the insights are unexpected – they are all about attitude and perspective, and have little to do with mechanics. This book is destined to become a classic. It is a book for therapists, but also for anyone who is hoping to keep the spark of passion alive in their relationship." – Margaret Nichols, Ph.D., psychologist and AASECT certified sex therapy supervisor, Institute for Personal Growth, Highland Park, Jersey City, and Freehold New Jersey."This book is both original and effective in providing a guide to quality sex in a manner supported by research and avoidance of hyperbole. A valuable read that adds to our knowledge of the entire spectrum of sexualities, from dysfunctional to ‘normal’ to optimal!" – Michael A. Perelman, Ph.D., co-director, Human Sexuality Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian"This is IT finally, a refreshing real book discussing the nature of magnificent sex! And this book actually sees sex as a relational dance, not one person’s bodily function! The book is easy to read and goes beyond formulas, tips and tricks to discuss topics like empathy which so often are missing in so-called sex books. This is where the field of sex therapy needs to go. The lovers in this book tell us how we often settle for being stuck in clichés and so called symptoms and miss the symphony the great sex can be." – Sue Johnson, Ed.D., researcher, professor and bestselling author of Hold me tight: Seven conversations for a lifetime of love"With empirical rigor and a playful sense of humor, Kleinplatz and Ménard offer us a grand tour of a previously undocumented world where extraordinary lovers create magnificent sexual experiences. Every sex therapist, educator, researcher and student should read this book. It will utterly transform the conversation around sexual desire." – Emily Nagoski, Ph.D., author of Come as you are: The surprising new science that will transform your sex life"This is a wonderful book! Taking the focus off of ‘sex’ and ‘sexual function’ tricks and techniques, it will provide an invaluable resource for those looking to truly improve the quality of their relationships and their experience of sex." – Daniel N. Watter, Ed.D., past president, The Society for Sex Therapy and Research (SSTAR)"Peggy Kleinplatz has achieved near mythical status in the echelons of sex therapy. For nearly two decades she has been leading the Optimal Sexual Experiences Research Team at the University of Ottawa and carefully protecting their work from outside eyes. Along the way, they have teased and tantalized us with breadcrumbs of insight from their detailed study of actual couples who embody and manifest the eight components of magnificent sex; but now, finally, Kleinplatz and Ménard have given us the secret sauce, and it was worth the wait!" – Ian Kerner, Ph.D., LMFT, New York Times best-selling author, She Comes First"Would you like to have good sex? What about great sex? Or, even better, what about the greatest sexual experience of your life? Kleinplatz and Ménard dive into their incredible research on peak sexual experiences, and distill valuable lessons to help you to discover your potential for sexual ecstasy. This isn't a cookbook style sex manual – it's a guide to creating sexual authenticity in your life, in a way that translates into heights of sexual fulfillment." – David Ley, Ph.D., licensed clinical psychologist and AASECT Certified Sex Therapist & Supervisor"Kleinplatz and Ménard have conducted extensive research on optimal sex and this book beautifully illustrates their work. It offers intimate details in selected quotes as described by their sexually-gratified subjects. Magnificent Sex: Lessons from Extraordinary Lovers will be of great value to readers in the general public as well as to those in the related fields of sexuality science, education and therapy." – Stella Resnick, Ph.D., sex therapist and author of Body-to-body intimacy: Transformation through love, sex and neurobiology"Kleinplatz and Ménard investigate sex in the great tradition of Abraham Maslow and the humanistic tradition, as well as the more recent trend of positive psychology, which shift the focus from human dysfunction to human flourishing. While much time and resources have been invested in the study of how sex goes wrong and how to shift from abnormal or dysfunctional sex to functional sex, this book places the emphasis on how couples can set to work to achieve higher and higher levels of sexual pleasure and intimacy. Grounded in empirical science that aims and succeeds at respecting the fidelity of lived sexual experience, this book offers hope for individuals and couples that great sex need not remain restricted to the realm of fantasy." – Brent Dean Robbins, Ph.D., chair and professor of psychology at Point Park University and author of The medicalized body and anesthetic culture: The cadaver, the memorial body, and the recovery of lived experience "Magnificent sex! It’s something many crave, but too few have. It’s also a phenomenon that looks nothing like the false media images perpetuating it. In this compelling book, full of striking quotes from real people having superb sex, the authors paint a picture of what truly great sex looks like. Using results from their in-depth study of people having magnificent sex, they reveal the personal and relationship qualities and attitudes necessary for magnificent sex. Unlike books promising results in a few simple steps, this book will shift our paradigm of great sex – and help guide our way there." – Laurie Mintz, professor at the University of Florida and author of A tired woman’s guide to passionate sex and Becoming cliterate: Why orgasm equality matters – and how to get it"Magnificent Sex is a much-needed alternative to the hundreds of books about amping up your sex life that amount to cookbooks of positions and toys. Instead, Kleinplatz and Ménard have researched actual couples who still manage to have exceptional sex after years of marriage, and distilled their secrets and wisdom. The couples they interviewed represent a broad range of diversity, and the insights are unexpected – they are all about attitude and perspective, and have little to do with mechanics. This book is destined to become a classic. It is a book for therapists, but also for anyone who is hoping to keep the spark of passion alive in their relationship." – Margaret Nichols, Ph.D., psychologist and AASECT certified sex therapy supervisor, Institute for Personal Growth, Highland Park, Jersey City, and Freehold New Jersey"This book is both original and effective in providing a guide to quality sex in a manner supported by research and avoidance of hyperbole. A valuable read that adds to our knowledge of the entire spectrum of sexualities, from dysfunctional to ‘normal’ to optimal!" – Michael A. Perelman, Ph.D., co-director, Human Sexuality Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, NewYork-PresbyterianTable of ContentsPart I. Introduction: How Did We Come to be Studying Magnificent Sex? 1. How Did We Set Out to Learn About Magnificent Sex? From the Dismal to the Ordinary to Optimal Sexual Experience Part II. 2. The Components of Magnificent Sex 3. Myths and Realities of Magnificent Sex: From Media Stereotypes and Beyond Part III. What Leads to Magnificent Sex? Contributing Factors 4. Developmental Factors 5. Preparation 6. Enduring Individual Qualities 7. Individual Qualities in-the-moment 8. Skills 9. Qualities of the Relationship 10. Relational Qualities in-the-moment 11. The Meta-Factor: Empathic Communication 12. The Pathways towards Magnificent Sex Part IV 13. Implications and Applications for Lovers and Therapists Who Aspire Higher 14. Conclusions

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Book SynopsisDuring the First World War the pioneer anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski found himself stranded on the Trobriand Islands, off the eastern coast of New Guinea. By living among the people he studied there, speaking their language and participating in their activities, he invented what became known as 'participant-observation'. This new type of ethnographic study was to have a huge impact on the emerging discipline of anthropology. In Sex and Repression in Savage Society Malinowski applied his experiences on the Trobriand Islands to the study of sexuality, and the attendant issues of eroticism, obscenity, incest, oppression, power and parenthood. In so doing, he both utilized and challenged the psychoanalytical methods being popularized at the time in Europe by Freud and others. The result is a unique and brilliant book that, though revolutionary when first published, has since become a standard work on the psychology of sex.Trade Review'No writer of our times has done more than Bronislaw Malinowski to bring together in single comprehension the warm reality of human living and the cool abstractions of science.' - Robert Redfield'The present essay attempts to put Freud's theories to the test by examining them in the light of the mental habits of the harmless Trobrianders ... Some four years' contact with Melanesians, backed by the power to converse with them freely, gives Malinowski the best right to be heard as a reporter of facts which, it must be admitted, would escape nine trained observers out of every ten.' - The Times Literary Supplement'This work is a most important contribution to anthropology and psychology, and it will be long before our textbooks are brought up to the standard which is henceforth indispensable.' - Saturday Review'Malinowski altered the whole mode and purpose of ethnographic enquiry.' - Edmund Leach'From the anthropological point of view at least, it is a pioneering piece of work I believe that [my arguments] raise important issues which will sooner or later have to be considered by the biologist and animal psychologist, as well as by the student of culture.' - Bronislaw Malinowski'No writer of our times has done more than Bronislaw Malinowski to bring together in single comprehension the warm reality of human living and the cool abstractions of science.' - Robert RedfieldTable of ContentsPart 1 The Formation of a Complex; Chapter 1 THE PROBLEM; Chapter 2 THE FAMILY IN FATHER-RIGHT AND MOTHER-RIGHT; Chapter 3 THE FIRST STAGE OF THE FAMILY DRAMA; Chapter 4 FATHERHOOD IN MOTHER-RIGHT; Chapter 5 INFANTILE SEXUALITY; Chapter 6 APPRENTICESHIP TO LIFE; Chapter 7 THE SEXUALITY OF LATER CHILDHOOD; Chapter 8 PUBERTY; Chapter 9 THE COMPLEX OF MOTHER-RIGHT; Part 2 The Mirror of Tradition; Chapter 10 COMPLEX AND MYTH IN MOTHER-RIGHT; Chapter 11 DISEASE AND PERVERSION; Chapter 12 DREAMS AND DEEDS; Chapter 13 OBSCENITY AND MYTH; Part 3 Psycho-analysis and Anthropology; Chapter 14 THE RIFT BETWEEN PSYCHO-ANALYSIS AND SOCIAL SCIENCE; Chapter 15 A ‘REPRESSED COMPLEX’; Chapter 16 ‘THE PRIMORDIAL CAUSE OF CULTURE’; Chapter 17 THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE PARRICIDE; Chapter 18 5 THE ORIGINAL PARRICIDE ANALYSED; Chapter 19 COMPLEX OR SENTIMENT?; Part 4 Instinct and Culture; Chapter 20 THE TRANSITION FROM NATURE TO CULTURE; Chapter 21 THE FAMILY AS THE CRADLE OF NASCENT CULTURE; Chapter 22 RUT AND MATING IN ANIMAL AND MAN; Chapter 23 MARITAL RELATIONS; Chapter 24 PARENTAL LOVE; Chapter 25 THE PERSISTENCE OF FAMILY TIES IN MAN; Chapter 26 THE PLASTICITY OF HUMAN INSTINCTS; Chapter 27 FROM INSTINCT TO SENTIMENT; Chapter 28 MOTHERHOOD AND THE TEMPTATIONS OF INCEST; Chapter 29 AUTHORITY AND REPRESSION; Chapter 30 FATHER-RIGHT AND MOTHER-RIGHT; Chapter 31 CULTURE AND THE ‘COMPLEX’; Index;

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Book SynopsisWoman''s Relationship with Herself explores the relationship women have with themselves and demonstrates how this relationship is often dominated by debilitating practices of self-surveillance. Employing Foucault''s notion of panoptical power, Helen O''Grady illuminates the link between this kind of self-surveillance and the broader mechanisms of social control, arguing that these negative practices prevent women from enjoying a satisfying, affirming relationship with themselves. Cultural factors that render women vulnerable to dissatisfying self-relations are identified and analysed and, drawing on the insights of Foucault, feminism and narrative therapy, the possibilities for developing a more empowering relationship with the self are examined.This innovative contribution to feminist debates about gender and the self will be of interest to students and researchers in social psychology, feminist psychology, mental health studies and gender studies, and to practitioners inTable of ContentsIntroduction. A Lens for Viewing Self-policing. Gender and Self-policing. Challenging and Negative Identity Practices. Foucault and Therapy - A Contradiction? Immanent Critiques: Expanded Possibilities for Refusing Self-policing. An Ethic of Care for the Self. Can Therapy be Politically Progressive from a Feminist Perspective? Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisA POWERFUL MEMOIR AND MANIFESTO CHALLENGING WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A BLACK MAN IN BRITAIN “A blisteringly honest take on contemporary Britishness that manages to be both nuanced and shocking. Highly recommended.” Afua Hirsch, author of Brit(ish)  You’re a black man.    Aggressive. Athletic.  Feared. Fetishised.  Policed. Politicised.   It’s limiting. It’s tiring. And it’s not true.    What makes a man in the 21st century? For generations ‘being a man’ has meant behaving in a very particular way. It has meant being strong, sexually assertive and overtly heterosexual. Assumptions around masculinity have been the root cause of countless problems which, to this day, continue to affect the whole of society.  When the question of masculinity intersects with race, these assumptions too

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Book Synopsis''BOOK EVERY YOUNG WOMAN SHOULD READ'' Daily Mail''BOLD AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING'' GlamourAs heard on BBC Radio 4''s Woman''s HourA Stylist pick of the best non-fiction for 2024A Cosmopolitan and Glamour best new book for April 2024TEN MEN, MANY STORIES.At the beginning of the year, Kitty Ruskin decided it was time to embrace her sexuality, taking advantage of all the joys that being young, free and single bring and having fun, easy, no-strings sex with whomsoever she desired.She got on the apps and started swiping. What followed was sometimes sexy, frequently funny, occasionally shocking and, sadly, all too often fraught with pain and danger. It was not the carefree adventure she had envisaged; it was something altogether darker.Ten Men is one woman''s tale told with searing honesty. It''s an exploration of the ''blurred lines'' that even seemingly nice guys can exploit, a meditation on the lack of clarity around consent and a call to arms to combat a culture that seems to thrive on women''s vulnerability.

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Book SynopsisProvides information on relevant research studies, key debates, and on operational and procedural mattersIncludes reflective material for practitioners working in the field An edited collection which academic staff can adopt for core or specialist modules which focus on prison management, prison officer training, and the occupational cultures of prison staff.Table of Contents1. Introduction Part 1: Prisons and Staff Issues 2. Personal reflections on prison staff 3. Prison staff: an international perspective 4. The experiences of black and minority ethnic prison staff 5. Prison officers and gender 6. Prison staff in the public and private sector Part 2: Prison Officers 7. Industrial relations in prisons 8. Understanding prison officers: culture, cohesion and conflict 9. Staff and order in prisons 10. Creating ghosts in the penal machine: prison officer occupational morality and the techniques of denial 11. 'An inconvenient criminological truth': pain, punishment and prison officers Part 3: Prison Managers 12. Prison governors: new public managers? 13. Change management in prisons 14. 'Resisting the scourge of managerialism': on the uses of discretion in late-modern prisons 15. The role of middle and first-line managers Part 4: Prison Staff 16. The changing face of probation in prisons 17. Teachers and instructors in prisons 18. Psychologists in prisons 19. The prison drug worker 20. Health professionals in prisons Part 5: Developing the Human Resources of Prisons 21. Recruitment and assessment of prison staff 22. Training and developing prison staff 23. The experience of prison officer training Part 6: Conclusion 24. Concluding comments on the social world of prison staff

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Book SynopsisCamilla Grudova lives in Edinburgh. Her fiction has appeared in The White Review and Granta. She is the critically-acclaimed author of The Doll's Alphabet (2017) and Children of Paradise (2022).

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisSomatic psychology and bodymind therapy (the simultaneous study of the mind and body) are challenging contemporary understandings of the psyche, of what it means to be human and how to heal human suffering.Trade Review"Barnaby Barratt's work is essential for students not only in the field of somatic psychology but for any clinicians who need to understand the intricate impacts of bodily experience on healing and human development. Its publication in paperback is a welcome event making it more widely available for academic courses and workshops." - Don Hanlon Johnson, Professor of Somatics, California Institute of Integral Studies, USA "We can celebrate this new paperback edition. It means that this important new book by Barnaby Barratt will find the wider circulation it merits. The Emergence of Somatic Psychology and Bodymind Therapy is a truly unique account of an emerging field - unique not only because it defines the scope of the field and offers a very intelligent historical and philosophical reflection, but also because it contributes a visionary sense of our future." - Joe Coppin, Founding Program Chair Depth Psychology with Emphasis in Somatic Studies, Pacifica Graduate Institute, USA "Dr Barnaby Barratt provides us with an outstanding, insightful and readable text that introduces both beginning and advanced students of psychology and psychotherapy into the blossoming field of somatic or bodymind science and therapy. I enthusiastically recommend this book to anyone concerned with healing practices and the way in which body, mind and spirit, can be directed toward harmony and enlightenment." - Irv Katz, President, International University of Professional Studies, USATable of ContentsSECTION I: Introducing a New Discipline Psychology at the Crossroads Epistemic Shifting Illustrations of Bodymind Therapy Healing Matters The State of Emergence SECTION II: Sources: Ancient and Contemporary Psychoanalytic Discoveries Somatic Psychodynamics Philosophical and Cultural Studies Western Traditions of Bodywork The Influx of Asian Wisdom Shamanic Practices and Transpersonal Psychologies The Advances of Neuroscience SECTION III: Current Challenges: Possible Futures Bodies and Boundaries The Inherent Sexuality of Being Human Oppression and the Momentum of Liberation Bodily Paths to Spiritual Awakening The Future of Human Awareness Bibliography

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Book SynopsisSociology of Sexualities is an insightful exploration of sexuality through a sociological lens, offering a comprehensive understanding of sexualities and gender identities. The Third Edition brings to light the current societal challenges faced by LGBTQ+ and reproductive rights, the influence of technology on sexuality, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sexual behaviors.

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Book SynopsisMichel Foucault’s interest in the history of sexuality began as early as the 1960s, when he taught two courses on the subject. These lectures offer crucial insight into the development of Foucault’s thought yet have remained unpublished until recently. This book presents Foucault’s lectures on sexuality for the first time in English.Trade ReviewWhat comes to my mind when traversing these extraordinary lectures is a variant of the famous motto: 'same is another.' Foucault claimed that he was writing texts to depart from himself. And he succeeded. But in doing so he delved deeper and deeper into his own truth. And into ours. -- Étienne Balibar, author of Violence and Civility: On the Limits of Political PhilosophyThis volume of Foucault’s early lectures on sexuality offers readers a chance to follow the ebbs and flows of theoretical thought as ideas take shape under very specific historical conditions. With a brilliant introduction by Bernard Harcourt guiding the way, the lectures gathered here provide deep insight into the braided structures of power, knowledge and desire that continue to regulate bodies. At the same time, this deep archive provides opportunities for linking to other moments of rebellion, opposition and, even, abolition. -- Jack Halberstam, author of Wild Things: The Disorder of Desire and Trans*: A Quick and Quirky Guide to Gender VariationFinally published in English, these 1964 and 1969 early lectures of Foucault, given at a time when homosexuality was still considered a clinical pathology and a crime and when the notion of gender was not yet a leverage of political emancipation for feminist and trans movements, allow us to grasp the archeology of contemporary queer and trans critical languages. We discover a young Foucault thinking sexuality anew, using Sade, Bataille, Restif de la Bretonne, or Fourier, and fighting with Freud, Marx, Melanie Klein, Marcuse, or Wilhelm Reich in order to pierce an academic, political, and discursive field dominated by epistemic violence against sexual minorities. A necessary, controversial, and fascinating reading to understand not only Foucault’s critical project but also the way in which different discourses on desire, pleasure, and sexuality shape our present. -- Paul B. Preciado, author of Countersexual ManifestoThese lectures offer a really important insight into Foucault’s work in the 1960s on the question of sexuality—a topic on which his more famous works come from the 1970s and 1980s. This volume shows how he proposed a study of scientific knowledge about sexuality from biology to psychology, with some explicit engagement with figures who are only discussed obliquely elsewhere. Graham Burchell is the most important translator of Foucault’s work into English, and Anglophone readers remain much in his debt. -- Stuart Elden, author of The Early FoucaultThis volume will be of interest to all scholars working on sexuality across many disciplines, particularly those whose study is informed by Foucauldian analyses of power, knowledge, and desire. * Modern Language Review *Will be invaluable to readers interested in any aspect of Foucault's intellectual development. Highly recommended. * Choice *Table of ContentsSeries Foreword, by Bernard E. HarcourtForeword to the French Edition, by François EwaldRules for Editing the Texts, by Claude-Olivier DoronTranslator’s Note, by Graham BurchellAbbreviationsPart I. Sexuality: Lectures at the University of Clermont-Ferrand (1964)Lecture 1. IntroductionLecture 2. The Scientific Knowledge of SexualityLecture 3. Sexual BehaviorLecture 4. The PerversionsLecture 5. Infantile SexualityPart II. The Discourse of Sexuality: Lectures at the University of Vincennes (1969)Lecture 1. The Discourse of SexualityLecture 2. The Transformations of the Eighteenth CenturyAppendix to Lecture 2Lecture 3. The Discourse of Sexuality (3)Appendix to Lecture 3Lecture 4. Legal Forms of Marriage Up to the Civil CodeLecture 5. Epistemologization of SexualityLecture 6. The Biology of SexualityLecture 7. Sexual UtopiaAppendix to Lecture 7Appendix. Extract from Green Notebook no. 8, September 1969Course Context, by Claude-Olivier Doron Sexuality: Course at the University of Clermont-Ferrand (1964) The Discourse of Sexuality: Course at the University of Vincennes (1969)Detailed ContentsIndex of NotionsIndex of Names

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Book SynopsisAt the start of the 21st century, scandal and controversy concerning sexual misconduct by priests has effectively shaken the Catholic Church. In this title, therapist and former priest, A.W. Richard Sipe examines the issue of celibacy in the priesthood.Trade Review"Now that the celibate cat is out of the bag, so to speak, there is a deep and pressing need for the kind of professional expertise and wisdom that Richard Sipe can provide--expertise and wisdom born not only of study and reflection, but also of years of experience as a priest and psychotherapist. Because of the efforts of persons like himself, there is hope that the 'secret world' of clerical celibacy and sexuality will eventually be transformed into what he calls a 'better world'." -- from the foreword by Richard P. McBrienTable of ContentsForeword by Reverend Richard P. McBrien PART I.BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT 1. WHY STUDY CELIBACY? Sex/Celibacy: Breaking the taboo · The broader context · The study: what it is and what it is not · Reasons for this study 2. WHAT IS IT? Factors of the Crisis · The meanings of celibacy · Abstinence · Law and ideal · Christ the ideal · Love · Definition of Celibacy 3. HOW DO THOSE WHO PROFESS CELIBACY PRACTICE IT? Levels of Observation · Numerical Summary · Estimates of Sexual Behavior · NarrativesPART II. PRACTICE VERSUSPROFESSION 4. THE MASTURBATIONS Nature · Pathology · Maturity and immaturity · Nocturnal emissions · Fasting · Spontaneous emissions · Vice and virtue · Guilt 5. PRIESTS AND WOMEN The heterosexual presumption · Splitting and secrecy · Heterosexual relationships · Heterosexual behaviors · Patterns of association 6. WHEN PRIESTS BECOME FATHERS Births · Abortion 7. THE HOMOSEXUALITIES Homosexualities and the clergy · Denial of the homosocial structure · The male matrix · The system of secrecy · Developmental questions and variations · Alcoholism · Acquired immune deficiency syndrome · Homosexuality and mental health 8. SEXUAL COMPROMISES What is normal? · The place of women · Fear of women · What is pornography? · Exhibitionistic behavior · Transvestism · Priests and animals · Suffering and sexual violencePARTIII. THE HEART OF THE CRISIS 9. PRIESTS AND MINORS What is pedophilia? · Frequency of Occurrence · Social ramifications of abuse · Causes · Avenues of access · Behaviors · Victims-the aftermath · Treatment · Awareness of the problem · The future 10. WHO ABUSES? Psychological profile · Categories of vulnerability · Four case studies 11. CAN CLERGY SEXUAL ABUSE BE PREVENTED? Screening · Denial · Ecclesiogenic factors · Systemic elements · Mandatory celibacy · Ethical code · Impediments to ethical definitions · Elements of a code of sexual ethicsPART IV. PROCESS AND ATTAINMENT 12. LIVING WITH CELIBACY What is the process of celibacy? · Developmental relationships · Internalization · Temporal stages 13. THE ACHIEVEMENT OF CELIBACY Essential elements of celibate achievement · Who will follow? · The crisis of abuseEPILOGUE: DIMENSIONS OF THE CRISIS The seven pillars of the crisisReferencesIndex Acknowledgments About the Author

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Book Synopsis

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisThis collection aims to fill in the deep gaps of vital contributions that have been erased from the sexuality field, illuminating the historical and current work, strategies, solutions, and thoughts from sexologists that have been excluded until now. Historically, the US sexuality field has not included the experiences and wisdom of racialized sexologists, educators, therapists, or professionals. Instead, sexuality professionals have been trained using a color-free narrative that does an injustice by excluding their work as well as failing to offer a fuller examination of how they have expanded the field and held it accountable. The result of this wholesale erasure is that today many sexuality professionals understand these contributions as extra or tangential, and not part of the full vision and history of the field of sexology. Highlighting the voices and experiences of those who have been racialized and thus excluded, isolated, erased, and yet have still emerged as vital cTrade Review"The People’s Book of Human Sexuality: Expanding the Sexology Archive offers us a compelling narrative and strategy for leading and engaging in inclusive conversations. This literary collective will be used by sexuality and wellness educators for years to come." -James C. Wadley, Ph.D.; CST-S Director of Sex Therapy Program Council for Relationships (Philadelphia, USA)"Astounding and comprehensive, The People’s Book of Human Sexuality: Expanding the Sexology Archive explores human sexuality deeply rooted in justice and with stunning range. Centering seasoned and community-driven voices, this text is a stellar composition on humanity and our radical needs as we evolve."-Kay Ulanday Barrett, Writer; Cultural strategist; Poet of More Than Organs, A 2021 Stonewall Honor Award Book + 2021 Lambda Literary Finalist "This book is timely & necessary! Centering the voices, experiences and wisdom of folx who do the critical work in community with people every single day is important. We deserve to be seen and heard and this book is a wonderful reflection and resource for those who keep pushing us and our profession forward."-Mariotta Gary-Smith, MPH, CSE Co-Foundress, WoCSHN (Women of Color Sexual Health Network)"It's about time there was an inclusive interdisciplinary sexuality textbook! This text will not only serve folks in marginalized populations and identities, but also those who work in sexuality studies and on the front lines. As we seek to build a just future for all, this text will help shift the culture."-Aiesha Turman, Ph.D; Interdisciplinary Scholar and Founder, The Black Girl Project"As a Black queer person who came into the field of sexuality education over 10 years ago, there has always been a gap in information on sexuality and the lives of BIPOC folks, at minimum our lives are seen as an afterthought. This book continues to pave new ways for sexuality practitioners and all people, to see themselves through an affirming lens for healing and growth."-Dr. Shanéa Thomas, LICSW (he/she/Dr.); LGBTQ+ Training Specialist and Assistant Clinical Research; Professor at University of Maryland (College Park)/School of Public Health/ Prevention Research Center"As a Latina working in Reproductive Health, Rights and Justice for almost 20 years, I am ecstatic about The People’s Book of Human Sexuality: Expanding the Sexology Archive! For far too long the lived experiences and brilliance of BIPOC folks in the field of sexuality education have been set aside, erased, or appropriated by others. I cannot wait to share it."-Aimee R. Thorne-Thomsen, MPA; Founder, Guerrera Strategies; Board Member, Collective Power for Reproductive Justice"Like a baobab tree, this collection is an anchor, a shelter, and will provide deep nourishment for sexologists and practitioners alike." -Jamila M. Dawson, LMFT; sex therapist and author of With Pleasure: Managing Trauma Triggers for More Vibrant Sex and Relationships and Essential Clinical Care for Sex Workers: A Sex-Positive Handbook for Mental Health Practictioners"This book provides inclusive content and diverse authorship that centers the most impacted on both sides of the work. This holistic textbook is a practice of intersectionality and helps create a multi-dimensional analysis that instigates deep yet practical change at the ideological, institutional, interpersonal, and internalized levels."-Aisha Chaudhri, Co-Director of ICAH (Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health); Steering Committee member of ASEC (American Society for Emergency Contraception)"Essential reading not only for sexuality professionals, but for anyone seeking body autonomy and sexual liberation! In our efforts to end rape culture and endemic child sexual abuse, the wisdom and expertise of Black, Indigenous and of color folks (especially those who are queer and trans) must be at the foundation of the new world we co-create. I'm hopeful for the ways this book will bring us closer to the world we need and deserve."-Amita Y. Swadhin, MPA Founding Co-Director, Mirror Memoirs"Growing up, all my sexual health educators in both media and in person, were white. Here is a book that provides space for voices often overlooked and ignored. This book will create a necessary space where we see ourselves and others in this field as well as a chance to learn, heal and grow as individuals and scholars."-Danielle Cole, Creator of UKnowTheAnswer.com and qualitative sociology scholar"It is so important that sexuality be taught and shared from a variety of sources, people, and cultures. This book will equip the reader with a broader depth of knowledge around sexuality."-Erin Tillman, CSE Certified Intimacy Coordinator & Sex EducatorTable of ContentsSection 1: Origin Stories of Safety & Care 1. Transforming Sex Education Curricula Through Media Literacy, Media Justice, and Power 2. We Vision Our Dreams of Safety Into Reality: An Interview with Kalash Magenta Fire 3. "Buying People Everyday": Power, Intimacy, and Money at Work 4. Sex Ed Happens 5. Solidarity as Liberation: A Queer Mad Legacy Section 2: Movement for BodyMinds 6. The Erotic Power of the Professional Nurse, and the Body They Move In 7. Yoga: A Liberatory Praxis 8. My Grandmother, the Unlikely Ally: How Binary Thinking about Social Change Impedes Social Change 9. A Vulgar Sex Education 10. Changing the Narrative: Abortion as a Family Value Section 3: Oral Narratives 11. Intersex Activism, Movement, and Joy: In Conversation with Sean Saifa Wall 12. Muslim Sexuality 13. The F.A.C.E Model: Introduction To Using Fashion as a Sexual Health Tool 14. BJ: Bianca and Juan in Conversation

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Book SynopsisSexuality is the fifth revised and updated edition of the classic text for understanding human sexuality. This new edition brings the arguments and evidence fully up to date and explores their implication for many topical controversies, around LGBTQ+ rights, the trans experience and gender fluidity, same-sex marriage, sexual autonomy and consent, and the meanings of sexual choice.Since it was first published in the 1980s, Sexuality has been at the cutting edge of the study of the social and historical meanings of sexuality. Blending deep empirical knowledge with theoretical sophistication and an acute sensitivity to the politics of sexuality, the book offers an informed framework for understanding the complexities of sexual life. A key insight of the book is that the ways we think and speak about sexuality make a major contribution to the ways we live it. Sexuality may be rooted in biological possibilities, but it is shaped and experienced through languages anTable of Contents1. Introduction: languages of sex 2. The invention of sexuality 3. The meanings of sexual difference 4. The challenge of diversity 5. Sexuality, intimacy and politics 6. Private pleasures and public policies

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Book SynopsisErotically Queer is a practice guide for clinicians, bringing together experts in their field with pioneering topics within GSRD (Gender, Sex and Relationship Diversity).Chapters cover an array of topics rarely covered in either clinical or popular literature including lesbian sex, queer menopause, bisexuality, the sex lives of asexuals, sexuality and transgender people, treating anodyspareunia, compulsive sexual behaviours and Chemsex. It also helps practitioners reflect on their biases regarding BDSM/Kink and understand more regarding non-pathologising practices with intersex people.The book aims to help all clinicians work more effectively with the Queer population, with the most contemporary sexological knowledge. Chapter 6 of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons [Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-Trade Review"This volume adds to the existing Pink Therapy series by expanding the resources available for practitioners working with GSRD people across often challenging and, for some, controversial topics. The volume encompasses scenarios presenting in contemporary practice that are readily accessible for clinicians seeking knowledge from experienced practitioners. A clear message is that despite initially daunting and complex presentations, the volume provides authoritative practical pathways from top-notch experts to assist in identifying solutions within a competence informed therapeutic process."Kevan Wylie, MD FRCP FESCM. Past President, World Association For Sexual Health"It takes a while to acknowledge our biases and prejudices if we ever reach that point. Yet unchecked, we might think of providing the best service to our clients. ‘Erotically Queer’ questioned me: am I genuinely open to diversity? Through which lenses am I seeing my clients? When you come across such a book, you will know how much you commit to inclusivity and are brave to challenge your mindset constantly. It remains on my nightstand, as one reading is not enough."Francesca Tripodi, Director, International Online Sexology Supervisors (IOSS)"Erotically Queer, is a new volume of the Pink Therapy series, which brings together contributions from experts in the GSRD therapy field. Each chapter benefits from having the unfiltered and unique voice of the author as they take the reader on a rich and vibrant journey. This is an outstanding volume that is essential reading for all therapist at every level of experience whether in general or psychosexual practice."Jo Coker, AccCOSRT(Sen) AccCOSRT (Sup) MBPsS FCOSRT. HCPC Counselling Psychologist. Professional Standards Manager COSRTTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Attachment Narrative Therapy as a Tool for Sex Therapy with Lesbian Couples 2. Queer Menopause: working with the LGBTQIA+ menopausal client 3. Working with Sexual Shame 4. The Sex Lives of Asexuals 5. Exploring erotic diversity in heterosexuality: Keeping a queer eye for the straight guys 6. Intersex-centred sex therapy and relationship counselling: Six commonly neglected concerns of intersex adults 7. Trans Sex and Relationships: A practitioners' dialogue 8. Sex in transition: From the medicalisation of transgender sexuality to the centrality of pleasure 9. Examining Therapist Bias When Working with Kink 10. Treating Anodyspareunia in MSM 11. MSM and Compulsive Sexual Behaviours 12. Mindfulness-Based Approaches to Working With Chemsex Behaviours in Psychotherapy Conclusion

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