Psychology: sexual behaviour Books

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Book SynopsisBeliefs about men and women are as old as humanity itself, but Fine's funny, spiky book gives reason to hope that we've heard Testosterone rex's last roar. -Annie Murphy Paul, New York Times Book ReviewTrade Review"An important, yet wickedly witty, book.… Pressingly contemporary, it’s the ideal companion read to sit alongside The Handmaid’s Tale and The Power." -- judges, 2017 Royal Society Insight Investment Science Book Prize"[A] witty corrective." -- Barbara Kiser - Nature, “Best Science Picks”"Testosterone Rex is a debunking rumble that ought to inspire a roar." -- Guardian"Totally convincing, even life-changing.… The expression ‘essential reading for everyone’ is usually untrue as well as a cliché, but if there were a book deserving of that description this might just be it." -- Antonia Macaro - Financial Times"Graced with precisely focused humour, the author makes a good case that men and women are far more alike than many would claim. Feminist? Possibly. Humanist? Certainly. A compellingly good read." -- Professor Richard Fortey, author of Earth: An Intimate History"Convincingly and entertainingly demonstrates that, despite stereotypes, such characteristics as risk-taking, competitiveness and nurturing are not 'essential' to one sex over the other and cannot be blamed for the lack of equality between males and females in contemporary society." -- Clara Moskowitz - Scientific American"Cordelia Fine’s Testosterone Rex: Myths of Sex, Science, and Society does the public service of deconstructing the biological and societal tenets on which the continued inequality of the sexes is largely founded.… Using humor and her uniquely accessible academic writing style,… [Fine disrupts] what we think we know about gender difference." -- Katie Klabusich - Rewire"Fine has done us a service by reminding us of the dangers of misapplications of research to policy." -- Sheri Berenbaum - Science"A provocative and often fascinating book." -- The Economist"Exciting, eloquent, and effective. Deftly weaving together research from anthropology, biology, neuroscience, and psychology, Fine shows exactly why and how the myth of testosterone and maleness plays out and why it is false." -- Agustín Fuentes, professor of anthropology, University of Notre Dame

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Book SynopsisFrom former BuzzFeed personality Ashly Perez comes a funny, honest, and unabashedly feminist book of inspiration and wisdom to help you plant some roots, live in the process, and accept you for you.Take a break from mindless phone scrolling and empower yourself to live intentionally and find meaning all around you every single day. Read This for Inspiration, filled with short bursts of encouragement and enlightenment, is your staring place. Look inward and also way beyond your arm’s length—these entries are inspiring not only for the wisdom they impart but also for the way they lift you up. Virtual BuzzFeed start turned television writer Ashley Perez has compiled all of the inspirations that have enriched her own life—influenced by history, literature, music, and her mom—to help you discover what motivates you. We all have to start somewhere.

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Book SynopsisThe Poisoned Embrace is a provocative investigation into the history of sexual pessimism as it has evolved in Western theology throughout the ages.   Since the days of the Early Fathers, sex and death have formed a theological equation known as sexual pessimism. This aversion to the carnal, and its consequent elevation of the virginal and the chaste, springs not from Christianity, but from Gnosticism.   Osborne examines the art, mythologies, and traditions of Christendom, and distinguishes thematic archetypes: the Virgin, the Witch, the Leper, the Noble Savage, the Jew, the Oriental, the Androgyne, and Don Juan. He traces our now-glorified ideal of sexual passion back to the Troubadours and Northern Mystics, and explores how the Passion of the Cross relates the ideas of sublime passion and therapeutic energy.

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Book SynopsisThreesomes, sorbet sex, drunk dialling, multiple orgasms, girly gossip-swaps, buying silk underwear - welcome to dating the modern girl's way.Trade Review'Sexy, confident and brimming with attitude' * Cosmopolitan *'Sexy ... laugh-out-loud funny ... very Carrie Bradshaw: witty,bracing, packed with handy advice' * Observer Woman *'She's frank. She's funny. And she doesn't mind admitting she's filthy too.' * Independent *'A no-holds-barred account of Catherine's erotic adventures ... Lots of fun and very Sex and the City' * Closer *'Phew!' * News of the World *

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Book SynopsisThis book is about cultural fantasies of fetishism, the different forms they take and the various ways in which the transformative processes they depict can reaffirm accepted definitions of identity or reconfigure them in an entirely new fashion.Trade ReviewA compelling, demanding and often entertaining discussion of the extensive cultural implications of 'fetishism'! littered with fascinating photographic imagery ! an important contribution to contemporary cultural theory and, more specifically, to the ever growing field of post-human thought ... this work provides fascinating insights into an oft-ignored aspect of human behaviour and culture. The combination of succinct close reading of accessible texts with information gained in interviews and via observation at venues not usually frequented by academics, such as fetish clubs and dungeons is one of the strengths of Fernbach's analysis. Fantasies of Fetishism is an interesting and challenging work that is even more admirable for its explication of sophisticated and original arguments. There is no doubt that this book is a major achievement in opening up new directions for psychoanalytic cultural criticism and studies of contemporary technoculture. -- Zoe Sofoulis, School of Humanities, University of Western Sydney The author has brought together a great deal of thinking that challenges or expands traditional Freudian theory of fetishism and, in effect, thereby creates a new master theory to use in her history. I respect and approve of such bold work. -- Professor John Maynard, School of English, New York University This book provides a genuinely original contribution to cultural criticism. The way Fernbach educates as she entertains is a rare and welcome achievement. -- Dr Rosalyn Diprose, School of Philosophy, University of New South Wales A compelling, demanding and often entertaining discussion of the extensive cultural implications of 'fetishism'! littered with fascinating photographic imagery ! an important contribution to contemporary cultural theory and, more specifically, to the ever growing field of post-human thought ... this work provides fascinating insights into an oft-ignored aspect of human behaviour and culture. The combination of succinct close reading of accessible texts with information gained in interviews and via observation at venues not usually frequented by academics, such as fetish clubs and dungeons is one of the strengths of Fernbach's analysis. Fantasies of Fetishism is an interesting and challenging work that is even more admirable for its explication of sophisticated and original arguments. There is no doubt that this book is a major achievement in opening up new directions for psychoanalytic cultural criticism and studies of contemporary technoculture. The author has brought together a great deal of thinking that challenges or expands traditional Freudian theory of fetishism and, in effect, thereby creates a new master theory to use in her history. I respect and approve of such bold work. This book provides a genuinely original contribution to cultural criticism. The way Fernbach educates as she entertains is a rare and welcome achievement.Table of ContentsPart One: Cultural Fetishisms; Introduction; 1. Millennial Decadence and Decadent Fetishism; 2. Magical Fetishism: Worshipping at the Technological Altar; Part Two: Fetishised Subjectivities; 3. Forms of Technofetishism and Future Selves: Negotiating the Post-Human Terrain; 4. Fetishism at the Professional Dungeon: the Dominatrix and her Male Slave; Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisHuman intelligence is sexually attractive, and strongly predicts the success of sexual relationships, but the behavioral sciences have usually ignored the interface between intelligence and mating. This is the first serious scholarly effort to explore that interface, by examining both universal and individual differences in human mating intelligence. Contributors include some of the most prominent evolutionary psychologists and promising new researchers in human intelligence, social psychology, intimate relationships, and sexuality.                        David Buss' foreword and the opening chapter explore what mating intelligence' means, and why it is central to human cognition and sexuality. The book's six sections then examine (1) our mating mechanisms universal emotional and cognitive adaptations for mating intelligently that guide mate search, mate choice, Trade Review"A wonderful collection of chapters on … the new construct of mating intelligence … [it] heralds a more comprehensive understanding of the psychology of human mating ... readers will enjoy the many mating insights offered by this volume." - David M. Buss, Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin, From the Foreword"Like many central areas of human behavior that have been neglected by mainstream psychology, the thoughts and emotions behind mating have recently been illuminated by evolutionary analyses. This exciting collection marks the debut of a new and important field of research, which should fascinate psychologists and nonpsychologists alike." - Steven Pinker, Johnstone Professor of Psychology, Harvard University"A significant contribution to the field, combining in one source, material on an interesting and important topic." - Dennis Krebs, Ph.D., Simon Fraser University"A ‘must have’ for scholars who do research on human mating …a unique volume of cutting edge thinking on the psychology of mating." - Timothy Ketelaar, Ph.D.,New Mexico State University“…A wonderful collection of chapters on … the new construct of mating intelligence… [it] heralds a more comprehensive understanding of the psychology of human mating…readers will enjoy the many mating insights offered by this volume.”—David M. Buss, Ph.D.University of Texas at Austin, From the Foreword“…A significant contribution to the field, combining in one source, material on an interesting and important topic.”—Dennis Krebs, Ph.D.Simon Fraser University“...A ‘must have’ for scholars who do research on human mating …a unique volume of cutting edge thinking on the psychology of mating.”—Timothy Ketelaar Ph.D.New Mexico State University"Like many central areas of human behavior that have been neglected by mainstream psychology, the thoughts and emotions behind mating have recently been illuminated by evolutionary analyses. This exciting collection marks the debut of a new and important field of research, which should fascinate psychologists and nonpsychologists alike."—Steven PinkerJohnstone Professor of Psychology, Harvard UniversityTable of ContentsPart 1. Introduction.D. Buss, Foreword. Preface. G. Geher, G. Miller, J. Murphy, Mating Intelligence: Towards an Evolutionarily Informed Construct. Part 2. Mate Search and Mating Intelligence.L. Penke, P.M. Todd, A.P. Lenton, B. Fasolo, How Self-assessments Can Guide Human Mating Decisions. C. De Backer, J. Braeckman, L. Farinpour, Mating Intelligence in Personal Ads. Part 3. Strategic Flexibility in Mating Intelligence.N. Li, Intelligent Priorities: Adaptive Long- and Short-Term Mate Preferences. D. Nettle, H. Clegg, Personality, Mating Strategies, and Mating Intelligence. M. O’Sullivan, Deception and Self-deception as Strategies in Short and Long-term Mating. V.A. Weekes-Shackelford, J.A. Easton, E.A. Stone, How Having Children Affects Mating Psychology. Part 4. Mental Fitness Indicators and Mating Intelligence.M.C. Keller, The Role of Mutations in Human Mating. A. Shaner, G. Miller, J. Mintz, Mental Disorders as Catastrophic Failures of Mating Intelligence. Part 5. Mating Intelligence and Other Individual Differences.S.B. Kaufman, A. Kozbelt, M.L. Bromley, G. Miller, The Role of Creativity and Humor in Mate Selection. J.J. Casey, J. Garrett, M.A. Brackett, S. Rivers, Emotional Intelligence, Relationship Quality, and Partner Selection. S. Kanazawa, Mating Intelligence and General Intelligence as Independent Constructs. Part 6. The Ecological Context of Mating Intelligence.J. Ash, G.G. Gallup, Jr., Brain Size, Intelligence, and Paleoclimatic Variation. A.J. Figueredo, B.H. Brumbach, D.N. Jones, J.A. Sefcek, G. Vásquez, W.J. Jacobs, Ecological Constraints on Mating Tactics. Part 7. Conclusions.G. Miller, Mating Intelligence: Frequently Asked Questions. G. Geher, M.A. Camargo, S. O’Rourke, Mating Intelligence: An Integrative Model and Future Research Directions.

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Book SynopsisA how-to guide to affirmative counseling with transgender clients * Presents the best evidence-based care * Instructions for strategies to improve inclusivity * Illustrated with case studies * Printable tools for clinical use.Trade ReviewThis book is a comprehensive review of treatment modalities, testing protocols, and theories for trans and gender diverse populations. The material, case studies, and downloadable resources are infinitely valuable to those in all levels of clinical practice. This book matters. It should be a part of all professional libraries – to improve the work of clinicians as they interact with gender diverse and trans populations.;Charla S. Waxman, BS, MBA, EdD, Lake Behavioral Hospital, Waukegan, IL, in Doody’s Reviews (January 2023)Table of Contents1 Description 1.1 Terminology 1.2 Definitions 1.3 Overview 1.3.1 Indigenous People 1.3.2 Medical Model 1.3.3 Transgender Movement 1.3.4 Nonbinary Movement 1.4 Gatekeeping 2 Theories and Models 2.1 Minority Stress Theory 2.1.1 Challenges With Minority Stress and Trans People 2.1.2 Suicide and Minority Stress 2.2 Gender Dysphoria 2.2.1 Reclassifying Gender Dysphoria 2.3 Medical Necessity 2.4 Informed Consent 2.5 Harm Reduction 2.6 Shaping the Therapeutic Dialogue 2.6.1 Introducing Yourself With Your Pronoun( s) 2.6.2 Presentation of Experience and Training 2.6.3 Assumptions About What an Identity Term Means for the Client topic? 2.6.4 Trans Client Fluidity in Their Gender and Sexuality 2.6.5 Assumptions About Meaning of Transition for a Client 2.6.6 How to Respond When You Make a Mistake 2.6.7 Understanding Diverse Experiences Gender 2.6.8 Reviews of Client Experience in Your Practice 2.6.9 Knowledge of Local Resources 2.7 Shaping the Therapeutic Relationship 2.7.1 Grief 2.7.2 Suicide and Trans People 2.7.3 Nonsuicidal Self-injury 2.7.4 Reasonably Well-Controlled Mental Health 3 Assessment and Treatment Indications 3.1 Assessment 3.1.1 Screening Tools 3.1.2 Outcome Measures 3.1.3 Critique of Personality Assessment Tools 3.1.4 Progress Monitoring Tools 3.1.5 Measures Designed for Trans Clients 3.1.6 Caution When Interpreting Results 4 Treatment 4.1 Method of Treatment 4.1.1 Conversion Therapy 4.1.2 Specific Clinical Concerns 4.2 Efficacy and Prognosis 4.2.1 Affirmative Practice 4.2.2 Therapeutic 4.3 Variations of the Method: Letter Writing 4.4 Problems in Carrying Out Treatments 4.4.1 Trauma 4.4.2 Trans Clients in Rural Locations 4.4.3 Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria 4.4.4 Autism Spectrum Disorder in Trans People 4.4.5 Co-Occurring Medical Concerns 4.4.6 Persistence, Insistence, and Consistence 4.5 Multicultural Issues 4.5.1 Intersectionality 4.6 Importance of Interrogating Your Gender 5 Case Vignette 5.1 Assessing Eliza's Need for Support 6 Further Reading 7 References 8 Appendix: Tools and Resources

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Book SynopsisWhy everything the media tells us about sex is wrong ...Is there any truth to the epidemic of sex addiction? Are our children really getting sexualised younger? Are men the only ones who like porn? Brooke Magnanti looks at all these questions and more - and proves that perhaps we've all been taking the answers for granted.Brooke Magnanti is no stranger to controversy. As Belle de Jour she enthralled and outraged the nation in equal measure. Now her real identity is out in the open, Brooke's background as a scientist and a researcher can come to bear in her fascinating investigation into the truth behind the headlines, scandals and moral outrage that fill the media (and our minds) when it comes to sex.Using her entertaining and informed voice, Brooke strips away the hype and looks at the science behind sex and the panic behind public policy. Unlike so many media column inches, Brooke uses verifiable academic research. This is fact not fiction; science not supposition.So sit back, open your mind and prepare to be shocked ...Trade ReviewA book that is as entertaining as it is erudite...a timely, persuasive read * The Observer *An important book... exactly the kind of level-headed analysis that could help to dispel some of the hysteria surrounding the sex industry * The Times *

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Book SynopsisDespite being integral parts of all our identities, sexuality, sex and intimacy are what many would call the Last Taboo in dementia care, usually seen as 'problem behaviours' to be stopped and dealt with. Informed by a combination of accessible neuroscience and person-centred compassion, Danuta Lipinska's new book shows that the human need for intimacy, attachment and sexual expression is as important for supporting the wellbeing and personhood of people with dementia as communication and care. Considering the brain as the body's biggest sex organ, it examines the cognitive changes that occur in dementia and what these changes mean in the context of sexual behaviour and consent. Taking Carl Rogers' Core Conditions and Tom Kitwood's psychological needs of persons living with dementia as a starting point, Lipinska offers a unique model for person-centred conversations about sex and sexuality that we have not seen before.Trade ReviewWonderful ... The case studies are really helpful in helping us to understand all aspects of dementia, sex and wellbeing, and the points for reflection could also be used as part of an informative discussion or training session with staff. -- Caroline Baker, Director of Dementia Care, Barchester HealthcareA very valuable and informative volume, bringing together the two complex issues of sex and dementia ... that cannot, and should not, be ignored. -- Peter Wells, Accredited sex and relationship therapist and supervisor, Anglican Priest and Honorary CanonDanuta must be applauded for her sensitive and insightful book - it is refreshing and will go a long way to lifting the lid on a subject that is often dismissed and taboo. Well done and thank you Danuta! A must read for everyone. -- Karen Borochowitz, DementiaSA (www.dementisa.org) and Stuward (www.stuward.com)In addressing human sexuality and its manifold expressions, this book demonstrates that talking about a person's sexual needs can be a profoundly caring act and a deeply humanising process. In exploring the sexual self with compassion, respect and openness, Danuta's reflections on the subject help us to understand more about who we are and what matters to us. After reading this book it is very hard to imagine how anyone could offer person centred dementia care without considering the sexual needs and sexual identities of people living with a dementia. -- Luke Tanner, body psychotherapist and dementia care trainerHaving read this book I know that at least one of the author's goals was accomplished with me: I have been able to "reflect on (my) innermost thoughts and feelings... to gain a real sense of where (my) blind spots may be". Anyone in health and social care who works with people living with dementia (patients or carers) will benefit from her passion, experience and expert knowledge passed on in this book. -- Uruakanwa Ekwegh, Specialty Doctor in Medicine for older people * British Geriatrics Society blog *Table of ContentsForeword by Caroline Baker. Introduction. 1. Dementia and Wellbeing. 2. In the Beginning....Biology. 3. Responding to the need for sensuality, sexuality and intimacy. 4. Person-centred conversations about sex, dementia and wellbeing. 5. Explorations Through Training. Afterword by Sally Knocker. References.

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Book SynopsisSexuality is a complex and multifaceted domain – encompassing bodily, contextual and subjective experiences that resist ready categorisation. To claim the sexual as a viable research object therefore raises a number of important methodological questions: what is it possible to know about experiences, practices and perceptions of sex and sexualities? What approaches might help or hinder our efforts to probe such experiences? This collection explores the creative, personal and contextual parameters involved in researching sexuality, cutting across disciplinary boundaries and drawing on case studies from a variety of countries and contexts. Combining a wide range of expertise, its contributors address such key areas as pornography, sex work, intersectionality and LGBT perspectives. The contributors also share their own experiences of researching sexuality within contrasting disciplines, as well as interrogating how the sexual identities of researchers themselves can relate to, and inform, their work. The result is a unique and diverse collection that combines practical insights on field work with novel theoretical reflections.Trade ReviewA very welcome addition to the field. It will be enormously useful for developing reflective research across a range of disciplines. * Feona Attwood, Middlesex University *A rich and engaging exploration of the ways in which multifaceted sexual subjects and diverse sexual practices are situated, embodied and experienced in different contexts. It raises important questions about how we come to know and research contemporary sexual life worlds. * Jacqui Gabb, The Open University *Revisits the perennial question of why and how to produce knowledge on sexuality. Its merit is to use epistemologically diverse points of entry to weave connections across generations of researchers. * Sonia Corrêa, co-editor of Development with a Body *A profoundly honest and rigorous collection, full of insights into the unpredictable challenges and also the reverie of research on sex and sexualities. It combines theory, methods, ethics and stories – everything the researcher needs. * Yasmin Gunaratnam, Goldsmiths, University of London *Table of ContentsEditorial Introduction - Paul Boyce, Charlotte Morris and Andrea Cornwall Part One: Knowability Introduction - Paul Boyce 1. The Insinuating Body - Cara Judea Alhadeff 2. Making Sense of Ambiguity: Theory and Method - Eva Cheuk-Yin Li 3. Can Quantitative Applied Sexual Health Research Be Critical and Feminist? Towards a Critical Social Epidemiology to Support Targeted STI Testing and Contraception in Primary Care - Natalie Edelman 4. Sex Shop Stories: Shifting Disciplines in Design Research - Fran Carter Part Two: Creative Methodologies Introduction - Laura Harvey 5. Body Mapping, Stories and the Sexual Rights of Older People - Catherine Barrett 6. Patchworking: Using Creative Methodologies in Sex and Sexualities Research - Catherine Vulliamy 7. Dirty Talk: On Using Poetry in Pornography Research - P.J. Macleod 8. The Cover Version: Researching Sexuality through Ventriloquism - E. McGeeney, L. Robinson, R. Thomson and P. Thurschwell Part Three: Negotiating Research Contexts Introduction - Yingying Huang 9. Hesitating at the Door: Youth-led Research on Realising Sexual Rights Informing Organisational Approaches - Vicky Johnson 10. Sexuality Research ‘In Translation’: First-time Fieldwork in Brazil - Natalie Day 11. The Contingency of the Contact: An Interpretive Re-positioning through the Erotic Dynamics in the Field - Alba Barbé i Serra 12. Sangli Stories: Researching Indian Sex Workers’ Intimate Lives - Andrea Cornwall Part Four: Researcher Bodies, Identities, Experiences Introduction - Hannah Frith 13. Rotten Girl on Rotten Girl: Boys’ Love ‘Research’ - Anna Madill 14. Diary of a Sex Researcher: A Reflexive Look at Conducting Sexuality Research in Residential Aged Care - Katherine Radoslovich 15. Mum’s the Word: Heterosexual Single Mothers Talking (Or Not) About Sex - Charlotte Morris 16. Sex and the Anthropologist: From BDSM to Sex Education, An Embodied Experience - Nicoletta Landi Appendix: An Interview with Ken Plummer - Charlotte Morris

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Book SynopsisWritten during the Tang dynasty, this unusual tantric guide documents a sexual tantra that is thought to have been practiced by kings for several dynasties, before losing favor to a more ascetic approach to Taoism. According to legend, the author was last seen on the edge of a precipice, clasping the book to his chest, and proclaiming the sincerity of his practice.Translated into English for the first time, this illuminating text carefully describes the methods of this sexual internal alchemy practice, pursued strictly for the spiritual advancement of the practitioner, and undertaken only once desire and attachment for a consort had been overcome. Cloaked in metaphor, the techniques and attendant virtues of the practice are presented in beautiful poetry and prose, with explanatory commentaries throughout.This is an important historical text that will provide a fascinating insight into ancient tantric practices for anyone with an interest in Taoism, Chinese history and philosophy, and tantra or meditation practices.Table of ContentsTranslator's Note. Introduction. Preface. Part I. Preparation of the Mind. Cultivating the Chi Through Sole Breathing. Accumulating Chi to Open the Gate. Cultivating the Body's Essence with Jade Fluid. Part II. Preparing the Practice. Assembling Wealth to Cultivate the Practice. Selecting the Place for Practice. Selecting Companions. Building the Chambers for Practice. Choosing Consorts. Testing the Quality of the Consort. Choosing the Gold Consort. Choosing the Fire Consort. Choosing the Water Consort. Cultivating the Body's Essence and Building the Foundation. Building up Chi to Enter the Pass. Extending the Lifespan with Jade Liquid. Using Gold Water to Forge the Sword. Recovering the Golden Elixir. Selecting the Time for Heaven Circulation. Part III. The Secrets of Collecting Truth. Beginning Practice. Building the Foundation. Collecting the Medicine. Knowing the Time. Strumming the Lute. Facing your Enemy. Upside Down. In All Sincerity. Water Wheel. The Gateway of Belief. Following or Reversing. Part IV. The Way of Gathering Truth. Advanced Practice. Seventeen Poems of the True Secret.

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Book SynopsisA beautiful, intimate exploration of female sexuality and the female body.

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