Sex and sexuality, social aspects Books

Book SynopsisAn impassioned discussion about the alternative ways to form relationships and resist capitalismTrade Review‘This was my most eagerly awaited book of the year and it does not disappoint. A powerful, utterly engaging read and a vital call to action. Sophie K Rosa analyses how current conditions restrict our capacity for caring relationships with ourselves and others, and how these conditions can be implicated in so many forms of intimate violence, injustice and loss. A must read’ -- Meg-John Barker, author of 'Rewriting the Rules'‘Proposes radical answers for people longing for real intimacy, just as she proposes the need to centre all forms of intimacy as radical praxis. We are invited to look for the possibilities of abundant post-capitalist relating, and how they might nurture us in overcoming the systems which trap us in scarcity. It’s great. Please read it!’ -- Justin Hancock, Sex and relationships educator‘A clarion voice from a new generation of British feminists accessibly expanding family-abolitionist thought and praxis into new spheres in response to a swingeing care crisis ... I was gripped’ -- Sophie Lewis, author of 'Abolish The Family'‘Explores Black and Indigenous feminist and queer revolutionary approaches to relating helps unshackle the mind from capitalist and colonial kinship, friendship, and romance. In order to change the world, one must first change the story of the world that is possible’ -- Kim TallBear, professor at University of Alberta, Canada‘Made me reconsider so many of the cultural scripts I've been fed my whole life. Unsparing, important and hopeful’ -- Annie Lord, Vogue columnist and author of 'Notes on Heartbreak'‘Sophie K. Rosa challenges us to rethink, reimagine, resist and redefine intimacy according to our own standards instead of those force-fed to us via the white supremacist capitalist cisheteropatriarchy. Consider this the next read in your study group.’ -- ‘Ms. Magazine’‘Radical Intimacy scrutinises the reality of love and intimacy ... it also paints a moving alternative of what a different reality can offer. The call to action is strong; she is asking, with compassion and conviction, for collective liberation and for a revolution’ -- ‘Mashable’‘In a world wracked by successive economic and social crises, Sophie K Rosa offers us an alternative; she demands we imagine and create a better world through love … Radical Intimacy is an introduction to a utopian worldview that has compassion at its heart’ -- Adele Walton, ‘DAZED’‘Implores us to transcend our unfair social structures to instead compassionately reconnect with one another' -- Katie Goh, ‘i-D’‘Sophie K Rosa's polemic interrogates what it means to love and make connections under capitalism’ -- ‘Red Pepper’‘Rosa's groundbreaking manifesto invites us into a politically emancipatory conceptualisation of intimacy beyond capitalism and heteronormativity’ -- ‘The Skinny’‘A punchy and impassioned account of inspiring ideas about alternative ways to live … Radical Intimacy is the compassionate antidote to a callous society’ -- ‘The Spill’‘Excellent ... Instead of resigning ourselves to a lonely life in a New Gilded Age, Radical Intimacy points towards the long and difficult path to a kinder, better future’ -- ‘Los Angeles Review of Books’'I can’t recommend enough Sophie K. Rosa’s Radical Intimacy and its powerful meditations on fostering love and community amid the innately exploitative backdrop of capitalism' -- Kylie Cheung, ‘Jezebel’Table of ContentsIntroduction: The intimate is political 1. Your life in your hands 2. Us two against the world 3. They're all you've got 4. A ladder is not a resting place 5. The great equaliser Conclusion: strong bonds for a fragile planet

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Book SynopsisA SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER BLACKWELL'S BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021 Essential lessons on the world we live in, from one of our greatest young thinkers – a guide to what everybody is talking about today ‘Unparalleled and extraordinary . . . A bracing revivification of a crucial lineage in feminist writing’ JIA TOLENTINO ‘I believe Amia Srinivasan’s work will change the world’ KATHERINE RUNDELL ‘Rigorously researched, but written with such spark and verve. The best non-fiction book I have read this year’ PANDORA SYKES ------------------------- How should we talk about sex? It is a thing we have and also a thing we do; a supposedly private act laden with public meaning; a personal preference shaped by outside forces; a place where pleasure and ethics can pull wildly apart. To grasp sex in all its complexity – its deep ambivalences, its relationship to gender, class, race and power – we need to move beyond ‘yes and no’, wanted and unwanted. We need to rethink sex as a political phenomenon. Searching, trenchant and extraordinarily original, The Right to Sex is a landmark examination of the politics and ethics of sex in this world, animated by the hope of a different one. SHORTLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE 2022 LONGLISTED FOR THE POLARI FIRST BOOK PRIZE 2022 LONGLISTED FOR THE BRITISH ACADEMY BOOK PRIZE 2022Trade ReviewThe best book I’ve read recently … Incredible -- Emily RatajkowskiQuietly dazzling … A brilliant, rigorous book. [Srinivasan] coaxes our imaginations out of the well-worn grooves of the existing order * New York Times *I’ve thoroughly audited why anyone should skip The Right to Sex, and I couldn’t think of any reasons. Srinavasan’s work is too interesting to be perfect. It’s superb -- Naoise Dolan * Irish Times *A daring feminist collection . . . Srinivasan accomplishes what she sets out to do: deliver a treatise both ambivalent and discomfiting, one which reveals the inadequacies in what we had imagined to be solutions * Guardian *Sex has always been a minefield, but surely never more than now. In The Right to Sex, Srinivasan shows us mines I barely knew existed * Sunday Times *To say that Srinivasan’s challenging, complex, and – for some – controversial essays are a must-read is a colossal understatement * DAZED *With her debut book, The Right to Sex, a 36-year-old Oxford don is dazzling everyone * Observer *Srinivasan demonstrates how the feminist philosopher can emancipate our basic ethical concepts from the stranglehold of patriarchy, capitalism, and state racism – and this is a remarkable and promising effort -- Judith Butler, New Statesman[This] ambitious, magisterial work stands out in the ongoing tide of dull, girl boss feminism arguing for personal empowerment over collective liberation . . . In a world of easy, one-dimensional answers, [Srinivasan] is unquestionably the real deal * Vogue *Amia Srinivasan is the most brilliant feminist theorist writing today. Each essay in The Right to Sex is a masterpiece on its own; taken together, they show how learning to think carefully and precisely about the politics of desire is the preeminent ethical project of our time -- Merve EmreThe Right to Sex is absolutely extraordinary. Read it! -- Ash SarkarLaser-cut writing and a stunning intellect. If only every writer made this much beautiful sense -- Lisa Taddeo, bestselling author of 'Three Women'Amia Srinivasan’s magnificent first book announces itself as a classic -- Professor Samuel MoynAmia Srinivasan reveals both the material opportunities and dead-ends of a century-long conscious trajectory towards female empowerment. The Right to Sex reminds us of the foundational complexities to Women's Liberation ideas and why we are still grappling with them -- Sarah SchulmanFascinating . . . Amia must be one of the leading thinkers around on the subject of sex and her work is both stimulating and challenging -- Helena Kennedy

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Book SynopsisIn this astonishing account, Iceberg Slim reveals the secret inner world of the pimp, and the smells, sounds, fears and petty triumphs of his world. A legendary figure of the Chicago underworld, this is his story: from defending his mother against the men in their lives to becoming a giant of the streets. A seething tale of brutality, cunning and greed, Pimp is a harrowing portrait of life on the wrong side of the tracks, and a rich warning from a true survivor.Trade ReviewSlim belongs to the knuckle-duster-in-the-face school of storytelling * * Sunday Times * *Slim always told it as it was, without compromise -- IRVINE WELSHPimp is hot and frantic, a remarkable tour de force of carnality and violence * * The Times * *This brutally honest memoir . . . is as shocking today as ever. A precursor of forty years of black-street culture, this is uncompromising and harrowing, but a landmark book nonetheless * * Big Issue * *Iceberg Slim does for the pimp what Jean Genet did for the thief * * Washington Post * *Pimp is an eye-boggling netherworld documentary, a tear-arse tale of ferocious emotion, expressed through action * * Q magazine * *Iceberg Slim always kept it real. It is blatant, uncompromising, and as close to the truth as you can get without going there yourself -- Ice-T

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION 'A gripping, unputdownable masterpiece' Hallie Rubenhold, author of the Baillie Gifford prize-winning The Five 'Ingenious history writing' Mail on Sunday 'Extraordinary' Guardian 'A masterwork' Australian Book Review 'Imaginative and compelling, impassioned and powerful, and deeply, deeply moving' Matt Houlbrook, author of Prince of Tricksters Lydia Harvey was meant to disappear. She was young and working class; she'd walked the streets, worked in brothels, and had no money of her own. In 1910, politicians, pimps, policemen and moral reformers saw her as just one of many 'girls who disappeared'. But when she took the stand to give testimony at the trial of her traffickers, she ensured she'd never be forgotten. Historian Julia Laite traces Lydia's extraordinary life from her home in New Zealand to the streets of Buenos Aires and safe houses of London. She also reveals the lives of international traffickers Antonio Carvelli and his mysterious wife Marie, the policemen who tracked them down, the journalists who stoked the scandal, and Eilidh MacDougall, who made it her life's mission to help women who'd been abused and disbelieved. Together, they tell an immersive story of crime, travel and sexual exploitation, of lives long overlooked and forgotten by history, and of a world transforming into the 20th century.Trade ReviewOne of the great storytellers of her generation, Julia Laite provides a lens through which we can view the practices and experiences of sex trafficking in the early twentieth century. Along the way, Laite nudges us to think about the ethics of telling another person's story. Riveting, powerfully argued and emotionally moving. -- Joanna Bourke * Fear: A Cultural History *A careful, empathetic reconstruction of the early-20th-century vice trade, placing the victims at the heart of the narrative and returning their dignity to them. This is a moving and compelling work of great scholarship. -- Sarah Wise, author * The Blackest Streets *A gripping, unputdownable masterpiece of scholarly historical research and true crime writing. Julia Laite explores the sordid world of crime, sex and international policing in 1910 by focusing on the individuals caught up in an elaborate web of exploitation. Readers who loved The Five will find this story and its skilful telling equally as enthralling. -- Hallie Rubenhold, author * The Five *Historical writing does not get any better than this ... Working out from one trial at London's Old Bailey, Laite provides a vivid account of a globalising world at the start of the twentieth century. Imaginative and compelling, impassioned and powerful, and deeply, deeply moving, this book is also a signal example of the contemporary political stakes of writing about the past -- Matt Houlbrook, author * Queer London *Demonstrates how, with determination, sensitivity and a careful dose of imagination, extraordinary recoveries are possible ... Laite has taken her slim archival trace and immeasurably enriched it; she has reclaimed a woman's life and restored a more complex reality to the record. -- Sarah Watling * Guardian *With an inventive mix of sources, Laite brilliantly summons up one girl's life, dreams and suffering. It's ingenious history writing, but as the author says, it's a story being repeated daily for today's victims of traffickers. * Mail on Sunday *History at its most rigorous and imaginative. Laite provides an insightful account of the regulation of sex trafficking in the early twentieth century and an enthralling encounter with some of the people involved in one of its more salacious episodes. ...A history book that often reads more like a novel, and that challenges the clichés of villains, victims, and heroic rescuers that dominate writing on sex trafficking. ... A masterwork * Australian Book Review *A voice so arrestingly poignant that the hidden briefly becomes visible * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisThe PERFECT GIFT for your long-suffering wife or prospective bride. Or, for any fool of a husband or seriously deluded groom-to-be who hasn''t yet understood what he''s signed up for.-------------------- Tina is getting married. It is the best day of her life.Next year, she will claim that becoming a mother was the best day of her life, but only because she was on some very strong drugs.Neither is true. The best day of her life was on her eighth birthday, when she got a yellow bike. --------------------The wife likes surprises.Her favourite sort is a surprise birthday party.It is the husband''s job to organise this surprise for her, and to keep her informed of every detail about it.--------------------This delightful book is the latest in the series of Ladybird books which have been specially planned to help grown-ups with the w

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Book SynopsisRUBY RARE - NOW STAR OF CHANNEL 4 SHOW SEX RATED Written by sex educator and body-positivity advocate Ruby Rare, Sex Ed is the practical and fun guide to sex that you’ve always wanted – but never known how to ask for. This is the information you should have been taught at school: a no-holds-barred roadmap that covers everything from how the brain is the most important sex organ and how to communicate what you want to yourself and a partner, all the way down to the messy stuff – solo sex, orgasms, touching, kissing, blow jobs, cunnilingus, anal play, lube, toys, kegels. After all, sex education shouldn't start and end with putting a condom on a banana.

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Book Synopsis From the Sunday Times bestselling author 'This refreshing, unusual book needs to exist. A culture shift which repositions a single person as someone who is relationship-free, complete, and not lacking is long overdue.' - The i'Absolutely f*cking brilliant' - Florence GivenHaving a secret single freak-out? Feeling the red, heart-shaped urgency intensify as the years roll on by? Oh hi! You're in the right place.Over half of Brits aged 25-44 are now single. It's become the norm to remain solo until much later in life, given the average marriage ages of 35 (women) and 38 (men). Many of us are choosing never to marry at all. But society, films, song lyrics and our parents are adamant that a happy ending has to be couple-shaped. That we're incomplete without an 'other half'*, like a bisected panto pony. Cue: single sorrow. Dating like it's a job. Spending half our lives waiting for somebody-we-fancy to text us back. Feeling haunted by the terms 'spinster' or 'confirmed bachelor.'Catherine Gray took a whole year off dating to find single satisfaction. She lifted the lid on the reasons behind the global single revolution, explored the bizarre ways cultures single-shame, detached from 'all the good ones are gone!' panic and debunked the myth that married people are much happier.Let's start the reverse brainwash, in order to locate - and luxuriate in - single happiness. Are you in?*Spoiler: you're already wholePRAISE FOR CATHERINE GRAY'S WRITING:"Fascinating." - Bryony Gordon"Not remotely preachy." - The Times"Jaunty, shrewd and convincing." - The Telegraph "Admirably honest, light, bubbly and remarkably rarely annoying." - The Guardian"Truthful, modern and real." - Stylist"Brave, witty and brilliantly written." - Marie Claire"Haunting, admirable and enlightening." - The Pool Trade ReviewAbsolutely f*cking brilliant. -- Florence GivenThis refreshing, unusual book needs to exist. A culture shift which repositions a single person as someone who is relationship-free, complete, and not lacking is long overdue. -- The i

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Book SynopsisHow the law harms sex workers - and what they want insteadDo you have to endorse prostitution in order to support sex worker rights? Should clients be criminalized, and can the police deliver justice?In Revolting Prostitutes, sex workers Juno Mac and Molly Smith bring a fresh perspective to questions that have long been contentious. Speaking from a growing global sex worker rights movement, and situating their argument firmly within wider questions of migration, work, feminism, and resistance to white supremacy, they make it clear that anyone committed to working towards justice and freedom should be in support of the sex worker rights movement.Trade ReviewWith fine, lucid discourse, Juno Mac and Molly Smith decline to engage in the typical back and forth that drones on between the would-be saviors, the scolds, and the glorifiers to go to the heart of the matter- sex work as labor, with a work force ready to speak their minds and fight for their rights. They avoid easy answers and ask the reader to rethink sex work. -- Susie Bright, author of Big Sex Little Death: A MemoirSmith and Mac are sharply honest about the emotional, social and political realities of sex work in all its forms and geographies, eschewing pearl-clutching or cheerleading for a laser-guided honesty and frankness about what can improve the lives and experiences of sex workers around the globe, regardless of social class. Revolting Prostitutes is key to understanding how important the rights of sex workers are, and what is at stake when policy is misguided or clouded in sentimentality and gut-feeling over straight evidence. A must-read for politicians, policy makers, and anyone keen to understand the realities of modern sex work. -- Dawn Foster, author of Lean OutRevolting Prostitutes will fuel the fight for sex workers' rights with fresh thinking on feminism, deep analysis of policing and the law, and a critical examination of sex work itself. Smith and Mac have drawn together a radically inclusive map for liberation. -- Melissa Gira Grant, author of Playing the WhoreEssential reading for feminists engaged in sex work and those studying it. By centering their analysis squarely on the issue of labor rights and upholding harm reduction as a critical benchmark, the authors take on entrenched positions in the feminist struggles over prostitution work and propose a subtle but powerful shift in the terrain of future debate. -- Kathi Weeks, author of The Problem with WorkRevolting Prostitutes is a book I have been waiting for. It is uniquely fit to address the destructive divisions that exist among feminists concerning prostitution. Rejecting the equally unacceptable alternatives of condemnation and glorification of sex work, the authors provide a powerful account of the work itself, the issues it raises, the institutional policy that shape it, all the while demonstrating that sex workers struggles are crucial to any movement for social justice. Well researched, beautifully written, Revolting Prostitutes should be widely read, especially, but non only, by feminists. -- Silvia Federici, author of Caliban and the WitchRevolting Prostitutes succeeds as a well-reasoned, grounded and stubbornly materialist defense of sex workers rights in a literature characterized largely by sex panic, voyeurism, and extrapolation. -- Jennifer McGibbon * Alternate Routes: A Journal of Critical Social Research *An essential addition to the feminist canon and required reading for anyone who cares about equality and human rights. * Independent *[Revolting Prostitutes] tackles complex topics that even sex workers struggle with, criticizing issues like classism in the sex worker community, professional dominatrixes who distance themselves from full-service sex workers out of whorephobia, and why decriminalization isn't a one-size-fits-all solution. -- Ana Valens * The Daily Dot *Revolting Prostitutes is a thrilling and formidable intervention into contemporary discussions of sex work, and settles the debate in favor of full and immediate global decriminalization. It does so without insisting that there is nothing troubling about sex work: about the psychosexual forces that lead men to buy it, or the economic forces that compel women to sell it. ... It is a model of how to write about politics - or, indeed, anything. -- Amia Srinivasan * The Chronicle of Higher Education *[Revolting Prostitutes] advocates for the complete decriminalization of sex work all over the world. -- River H. Kero * Book Riot *One of the most important books about sex work ... Beautifully written and meticulously researched, this book will change what you think you know about sex work. -- Kate Lister * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisThe bestselling collection of poetry and prose from the Ted Hughes Award winning author of Nobody Told MeTrade ReviewPiercing poetry . . . This is exactly what we all need. The inimitable words of poet/goddess Hollie McNish once again holds up honest, damn funny and refreshing takes on the everydayness of our lives: the social demands, sex and orgasms, our bodies, judgement from friends (and ourselves). Never have we needed her more -- Francesca Brown * Stylist *An intoxicating mixture of poetry and prose, [Slug] is a taboo-busting delight . . . McNish's poems are direct, comic, tragic, warm, thought-provoking and often come with a sting in the tale, but her prose also flows off the page like red wine freely swilled with friends on a night out, or in . . . McNish effortlessly navigates the bitter and sweet throughout . . . There is an articulate approachability to all her writing . . . She is clear-sighted on why we need to talk about menstruation, masturbation and all sorts of gender and race inequalities, normalising these normal topics . . . McNish is eminently readable and relatable because she is both fallible and fascinating -- Fiona Shepherd * Scotsman *I love Hollie's poems. There is such raw honesty and warmth and often humour within them. She is one of the best poets we have -- Matt HaigMcNish has a striking capacity for intimacy in places least expected. There are no tricks in her work, except like all the best magicians and wordsmiths, I can see what she's doing but not how she did it. The poetry world needs a Tracey Emin like the art world did. It's Hollie McNish -- Lemn SissayNo one blends honesty, humour and humanity quite like poet and author Hollie McNish . . . Mixing prose and poetry, it's an insight into McNish's mind, spanning topics from motherhood to masturbation. We love this reminder to stuff our lives full of joy while we can; a tribute to life itself * Red Magazine *Funny, true, loving and lethal, Hollie McNish's new collection Slug is a total joy * Stylist *As I read every few pages of Hollie McNish's delightful new book, I was smiling, teeth out . . . . Slug is a sparkling mix of memoir, poetry, essays and short stories . . . Reading her feels like the relief you get when somebody else hears your most private worries and says: me too. She backs it all up with science, intimate confessions and wicked one-liners -- Helen Brown * Telegraph *I've loved her work for years -- Jo BrandA new collection from the exciting and divisive Ted Hughes Award winning poet and author of Nobody Told Me. This time she's tackling birth, death and female body parts with her characteristic confrontational gaze -- Claire Allfree * Metro (Ten gripping books to look out for in 2021) *For everyday pick-me-ups, rages, frustrations, joy and belly laughs, Hollie McNish's books of poetry and essays are best kept on your bedside table to break open as required . . . Laugh-out-loud funny - keep it close * Stylist *Gloriously earthy and accessible, McNish's mash-up of prose and poetry covers the modern female condition with lashings of wit, intelligence and irreverent wisdom * Waterstones (blog) *Hollie is a total wordsmith. She makes me howl with laughter one moment and burst into tears the next -- Paapa EssieduGorgeous fingering poems -- Bryony Gordon, author of Mad Girl and The Wrong KnickersHollie always articulates exactly how I feel, like she lives in my head -- Charly Cox, author of Validate Me and She Must Be MadHonest and insightful, hilarious and impudent. We could all do with paying attention to what McNish tells us through her writing, where she directs our attention and the worlds she opens -- Anthony Anaxagorou, author of After the FormalitiesSlug covers so much - motherhood, gender, lockdown, loss, sex and a multitude of other topics - and yet Hollie McNish explores each with such care, nuance and wit. Hugely moving, very funny, this is an irreverent, uplifting and sharp collection of prose, poetry and fiction -- Anna James, former editor at The Bookseller and author of the Pages & Co seriesFrom the defiant title to the irreverent, incisive and transgressive poetry within, Slug is an encyclopedia for negotiating twenty-first century living. McNish's work is a constant challenge to sexism, racism, intolerance and bigotry, each piece delivered with the swag of a girl queuing up outside the Headteacher's office. Whatever the subject, the result is warm, often hilarious and sometimes furious. No other contemporary UK writer addresses the needs of women and mothers more directly and consistently than McNish. Her voice is relevant, vibrant and defiant. She just blew smoke in your face -- Joelle Taylor, poet, playwright and authorSlug is a great call to arms for women and their bodies -- Athena Lamnisos, CEO of Eve Appeal charityReading this book is like sharing secrets with your best friend. It's funny, it's sometimes salacious, it's honest, at times heart-breaking, angry and most of all deeply human * Doula Magazine *Within the first six pages I had phoned my dad to tell him I love him and had a crying fit about how much I miss my gran, so well done I say -- Shappi KhorsandiI can't take my ears off her -- Benjamin ZephaniahMakes so many of us feel seen . . . [Hollie] quickly breaks the heart and then heals it, before you have time to even take a breath -- Kara Scott, TV personality, journalist and poker player

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Book SynopsisThis book is one woman's funny, moving, and sometimes awkward quest to fix her sex life, but it's the story of millions of women everywhere - half of all women have felt pain during sex. During award-winning writer and performer Fran Bushe's journey towards building a better relationship with her genitals, doctors advised her to have a glass of wine to loosen up, and male friends suggested she simply hadn't 'tried' the right penis yet. Unsurprisingly, neither worked.After a visit to Sex Camp and many attempts to fix her 'broken' vagina, Fran decided to share her own hilarious, excruciating, and sometimes upsetting experiences. With the help of her 16 year old self's diary, expert advice, candid and enlightening interviews with others about sex, and some self-care exercises, Fran sets about trying to make herself, and other people, feel like they're not being gaslit by their own vaginas.Trade ReviewHilarious, poignant and important. I utterly love this book. -- Lucy-Anne HolmesInsightful, bold, very funny and much-needed. This book could change lives -- Rachel ParrisHilarious, comforting, and warm. This book is important, and I'm sure will open up a lot of conversations that we should be having all the time. -- Grace CampbellJoyously funny, honest and kind. If you have a vagina and a sense of humour, it's for you. If you've ever found yourself falling short of the mainstream media version of handsfree, missionary, simultaneously orgasmic encounters, it's for you. And if you have a 16 year old in your life, it's probably the most realistic chat about the way it can be that they or their friends will get -- Sarah Chadwick, author of The Sweetness of VenusFran's book is so refreshing in a world where too many people with broken vaginas are still expected to just put up with it. It's frank, moving, funny, warm and inclusive, like the best mate you never knew your vagina needed. I'm sure it will make a huge difference to lots of women and others affected by painful sex - and hopefully their doctors too! -- Sarah Graham, Founder of Hysterical Women

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Book SynopsisThe handy guide to the HUSBAND makes the PERFECT GIFT for any long-suffering wife or prospective bride to give to their beloved husband.____________________''The wife likes to read romantic fiction. The books are a fantasy and an escape for her. The husband does not waste his time on silly stories. He likes to read books about things that really happened and tales of real men.Reading these will be invaluable if he ever has to land on the moon or be in the S.A.S. or help manage the England football team.''____________________ ''The husband likes to do simple repairs, like changing the washer on a tap.Afterwards he likes to talk at great length about what a struggle it was, and will want to be treated as if he has invented a machine that turns farts into gold.'' ____________________This delightful book is the latest i

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Book SynopsisTriumphant and uplifting - a queer Muslim memoir about forgiveness and freedom.'Revolutionary' Mona Eltahawy * 'Exquisite, powerful and urgent' Stacey May Fowles * 'I fell in love with this book' Shani MootooA memoir of hope, faith and love, Samra Habib's story starts with growing up as part of a threatened minority sect in Pakistan, and follows their arrival in Canada as a refugee, before escaping an arranged marriage at sixteen. When they realized they were queer, it was yet another way they felt like an outsider. So begins a journey that takes them to the far reaches of the globe to uncover a truth that was within them all along. It shows how Muslims can embrace queer sexuality, and families can embrace change. A triumphant story of forgiveness and freedom, We Have Always Been Here is a rallying cry for anyone who has ever felt alone and a testament to the power of fearlessly inhabiting one's truest self.Trade ReviewTo say I count, I exist, is revolutionary when you are denied complication. Habib has written the book she wished she had when she was young. It is a book we should all have had long ago * Mona Eltahawy, author of Headscarves and Hymens *A beautiful telling of a life, of love, of the reclamation of power, of feeling truly seen, and of finding your way home. An exquisite, powerful, and urgent book * Stacey May Fowles, author of Infidelity *I fell in love with this book . . . In prose as economical, crisp, clear, and truthful as poetry, Samra Habib offers a map of how we might learn to see and treasure one another and ourselves * Shani Mootoo, author of Cereus Blooms at Night *Habib speaks for a community that has often been muted, but writes with a voice and style that is all her own * Rachel Giese, author of Boys *A testament to the power of storytelling, self, and reclaiming our own narratives, We Have Always Been Here is a fantastic memoir. I felt as I turned each page as if I were walking beside Samra as she told me each step of the story. A commitment to testimony, to telling our own stories in our own ways, resonates at its core, as well as love - for people, for community, for self. * Nadine Aisha Jassat, author of Let Me Tell You This *A fiercely intelligent memoir * NB Magazine *Thoughtful and compassionate...deeply invested in a passion for life and the pursuit of personal * Diva Magazine *

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Book SynopsisEver wondered what we get up to behind closed doors? This anonymous collection of postcards will show you, in glorious technicolour detail. Following on from her bestselling Lockdown Secrets, queen of postcards Eleanor Tattersfield turns her attention to the sex lives of the nation. This time round, she put out a call on social media for people to reveal their deepest, darkest, funniest and even their most unsavoury sex habits, in postcard form. She was overwhelmed by replies, and the very best of them are collected in this book, hand-crafted and beautifully decorated. You’ll be shocked and seduced by the themes explored, where truly anything goes! Salacious, scurrilous and very definitely saucy, this book is not for the faint-hearted but provides a fascinating record of how we take our pleasures.Trade Review‘Veering from the erotic, to the hilarious, to the astonishing, Sex Secrets throbs with energy and honesty, and will make a great stocking filler.’ Love Reading

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Book SynopsisIn The World of Sex, Henry Miller, one of the most scandalous writers of the 20th century explains his literary project Henry Miller''s bold, explicit novels scandalized readers and remade the literature of his day. In this uncompromising literary manifesto he argues that sex is at the heart of his writing because it is at the heart of life - a vital force as essential as bread, money, work or play. Drawing on his own experiences and on the writing of his famously banned novels in Paris, he shows sex as a mysterious realm that must be explored if we are to be truly free.

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Book SynopsisThe International No. 1 Bestseller A BBC 2 Between the Covers Book Club Pick 'Cuts to the heart of who we are' Sunday Times 'A book that begs discussion' Vanity Fair All 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 Statesman The 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 readingTrade ReviewThe most important book I’ve read this decade, and possibly ever -- Books of the Decade * Stylist *My best book of the year so far. And probably next year’s too -- Jojo MoyesControversial, detailed, spellbinding, upsetting, true and compelling in equal measure -- Books of the Year * Sunday Times *Painful and beautiful, gutting and sexy. I don’t think I’ve read a book that has captivated me as intensely as this one, which I still think about, months later, in the quietest hours of the night * Red *A book with the thrill of the new that you can expect to dominate WhatsApp threads, line Tube carriages and pop up in foreign Airbnbs for years to come * Evening Standard *The biggest debut of the year . . . Groundbreaking * Vogue *Captures the pain and powerlessness of desire as well as its heady joys -- Books of the Year * Economist *For anyone who thinks they know what women want, this book is an alarm, and its volume is turned all the way up * Time Magazine *This book wrecked me, in a good way -- Reese WitherspoonWhether you are a man curious to know how the woman in your life thinks and feels, or a woman who longs to hear someone articulate the thoughts you’ve never even admitted to yourself, Three Women should be on your bedside table * Irish Independent *

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Book SynopsisAt 30, Laura Doyle, like millions of women, was miserable in her marriage, but she couldn''t put her finger on the cause. ''I was lonely and I was exhausted from trying to do everything myself. When I learned to stop controlling and criticising my husband and practised receiving graciously, something magical happened. The union I had always dreamed of appeared. The man who had wooed me was back,'' writes Doyle. In THE SURRENDERED WIFE, Laura Doyle presents a radical and controversial approach to relationships: women can enjoy great sex, harmony and the intimacy they crave when they stop controlling their partner. Surrendering, she says, is the simplest principle for a great marriage and thousands of women swear by it. Covering both the emotional and practical aspects of marriage, it teaches women valuable lessons including how to respect the man they married, how to resist the temptation to bicker and how to trust their man. But most importantly, it shows how you can fall in love with

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Book SynopsisAstonishingly, the average age of first viewing porn is now 11.5 years for boys, and with the advent of the Internet, it’s no surprise that young people are consuming more porn than ever. And, as Gail Dines shows, today’s porn is strikingly different from yesterday’s Playboy. As porn culture has become absorbed into pop culture, a new wave of entrepreneurs are creating porn that is even more hard-core, violent, sexist, and racist. Proving that porn desensitizes and actually limits our sexual freedom, Dines argues its omnipresence is a public health concern we can no longer ignore.

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Book SynopsisAt a time when women are more vocal than ever about our lives, there's one last taboo.We need to talk about porn.‘Briskly confronting...porn is an inescapable part of the environment we all share and should be talked about honestly… this book is an important start.’THE SUNDAY TIMES'Celebrates women's sexuality but also unflinchingly reveals the truth of how women are perceived - and used - in society by men.'A STYLIST best non-fiction pick for 2024When we think about porn today, we still mostly think about men. Men as the producers and the consumers. Women as the product. Most women aren't talking to each other about what they do and don't do with porn - not really. And when we do talk about it, we are divided into unhelpful binaries: for or against? Liberation or coercion? Too sexual or not sexual enough? But in a world where porn sites get more traffic than Netflix, Amazon plus Twitter combined, and one of the leading sites claims a third of its users are women, isn't it time to change that?In this book, interviews with 100 women result in an extraordinary and powerful conversation on pornography. How they first encountered it. How they consume it. How it has affected their sex lives. What they like and what they don't. And what it means for their relationships.Eye-opening, provocative and deeply moving, this book navigates the polarised public debates, to open an intimate window into porn and the sexual lives of women today.Trade Review‘Briskly confronting...porn is an inescapable part of the environment we all share and should be talked about honestly… this book is an important start.’ * Sunday Times *'Celebrates women's sexuality but also unflinchingly reveals the truth of how women are perceived - and used - in society by men.' * Stylist best non-fiction for 2024 *‘A sensitively written and generous piece of work’ * New Statesman *

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Book SynopsisUnderstand the menopause with all its changes and challenges and choose practices and treatments, brought to you by a team of experts, to make this next stage in your wellness journey healthy and positive.Find the right combination of resources for you - to stay physically, mentally, and spiritually well throughout the menopause.Your journey is unique. This insightful book will help you find the right combination of resources that work for you. It includes:- Specialist expert writers for each section of the book - HRT, Natural Remedies, Exercise, Nutrition and Mental Wellness - Practical strategies on how to manage menopause naturally and make it a more positive, empowering experience - Symptom Finder in the introductory pages to help direct you to the correct section in the bookCoping with menopause can be tough, draining and sometimes utterly debilitating for women. For years it has been seen as an illness that needed to be cured. Nat

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Book Synopsis''With originality and subtlety, Diarmuid Hester examines how the gay imagination deals with place and with displacement, allowing for mystery and a kind of magic'' Colm Toibin''Hester is a fizzingly brilliant writer'' Robert Macfarlane''Haunted and haunting - totally riveting'' Chris KrausAt the turn of the century, in the shade of Cambridge''s cloisters, a young E. M. Forster conceals his passion for other men, even as he daydreams about the sun-warmed bodies of ancient Greece. Under the dazzling lights of interwar Paris, Josephine Baker dances her way to fame and fortune and discovers sexual freedom backstage at the Folies Bergère. And on Jersey, in the darkest days of Nazi occupation, the transgressive surrealist Claude Cahun mounts an extraordinary resistance to save the island she loves, scattering hundreds of dissident artworks along its streets and shorelines.Nothing Ever Just Disappears brings to life the stories of seven remarkable figures and illuminates the connections between where they lived, who they loved, and the art they created. It shows that a queer sense of place is central to the history of the twentieth century, and powerfully evokes how much is lost when queer spaces are forgotten. From the lesbian London of the suffragettes to James Baldwin''s home in Provence, to Jack Smith''s New York, Kevin Killian''s San Francisco and the Dungeness cottage of Derek Jarman, this is a thrilling new history and a celebration of freedom, survival and the hidden places of the imagination. Trade ReviewNothing Ever Just Disappears is about what happens to a house or a room, or a whole town or city, when it is transformed by a powerful sensibility. With originality and subtlety, Diarmuid Hester examines how the gay imagination deals with place and with displacement, allowing for mystery and a kind of magic -- Colm ToibinFascinating journeys into LGBTQ+ courage… Hester is attentive to atmosphere, as influenced by both culture and community, and how it acts on individual lives, sometimes expanding horizons and sometimes restricting them… Throughout, Nothing Ever Just Disappears celebrates the courage it took for these queer people merely to exist, and exist honestly, in a hostile world -- Sarah Watling * Observer *Remarkable and expansive… Intrinsic to the power and beauty of this book are Hester’s own voice, story and powers of imagination… tremendously absorbing… The great gift of this book is to offer access to optimism, in these late and shadowed days. It provides a glimpse, a possibility for transformation, and an escape from the closed and shuttered spaces of late capitalism; and it suggests that we may be able to save ourselves by rethinking our lives and imaginations, our societies and systems – by queering our world -- Neil Hegarty * The Irish Times *A revelatory look at queer culture… imaginative and engrossing… fresh, spry… a resolutely unpretentious prose style – sometimes animatedly conversational, sometimes wonderfully camp – goes hand in hand with scholarliness -- Michael Donkor * i News *Intriguing and idiosyncratic… a very lively and readable book that shows the ways in which outsiders have created interfaces, of variable permeability, with the society in which they lived -- Peter Parker * Spectator *Riveting and evocative… Written with infectious drive, Nothing Ever Just Disappears is considered, fascinating and sparkles with insight * Attitude Magazine *Diarmuid Hester has written a book I have always wanted to read. An exploration, celebration and reclamation of queer lives within their spaces and landscapes, it roams from the cloisters and locked gates of Cambridge to the hilly streets of San Francisco, the apartments of New York City and the nuclear desert of Dungeness's shingle-shore, where Derek Jarman created a world on the margins and of the margins. Hester is a fizzingly brilliant writer, and with its fusion of personal testimony, reportage, cultural history and literary criticism, this book will surely find a wide readership -- Robert MacfarlaneA moving, erudite book. Writing against the tide of erasure, Hester takes us on a journey through time, over land and sea, and casts an empathetic and sharply humorous eye on this pantheon of queer figures. A hymn to the importance of community and place, this is a vital public history of queer life that is both intimate and wondrously radical -- Seán Hewitt, author of All Down Darkness WideDiarmuid Hester's beautifully written psycho-biography explores obscure corners of places as sites of hidden queer histories. His portraits of writers and activists from E.M. Forster to Josephine Baker, London's queer suffragettes and Kevin Killian are haunted and haunting - totally riveting -- Chris KrausA charming, playfully challenging companion on a dreamy quest through lost landscapes of defiance, imagination and desire -- Jeremy Atherton LinHester's book takes the reader on a beguiling journey from country to country. Full of extraordinary details, it delves deep into queer creative minds from the past, offering up a refreshingly original perspective on the human connection to sense of place -- Luke Edward HallFrom Dungeness to San Francisco, the motley wildness of these gay pioneers is told with fitting zest by Hester. I loved it -- Martin LathamHester's book is insightful, delightful, and enlightening: an essential entrant into the queer canon -- Isabel WaidnerLightly, yet seriously, Hester's immersive prose takes us on a journey that colourfully loops together the transgressive with the political. Heady descriptions of varied queer lives are rooted in the materiality of vividly conjured places. A ‘flummox of friends’ comes to life as their stories mix, mingle and collide. Stirring, thoughtful and gorgeously fun to read -- Kiare LadnerNothing Ever Just Disappears is a book I have longed for without knowing I was missing, much like the vanished or vanishing queer spaces Hester evokes so vividly in its pages. Deftly, beautifully, it performs an enchanting queering of literary tourism and artists' house studies, from failures of epiphany we all experience in places that we expect to move us, to awkwardness about how best to honour our creative forebears in all their human complexity. It is both a much needed and engaging history of queer creative lives and their places, complicating notions of sites of production and dwelling as ’secular shrines’, and a moving memoir of Hester’s own creative geographies: the places and people that matter to him and have informed his own thinking. This book, as Hester writes, ‘is ritual’ - both pilgrimage in its writing and its reading. Once you have gazed into the convex mirror, you can’t unsee the resplendent queer world you encounter there -- Polly Atkin

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Book Synopsis* A genuine cult book that contains an extraordinary wealth of information.Trade ReviewI discovered many nuggets, and so will anyone, for it is an indispensible addition to the library or just the bedside table. * GAY TIMES *engrossing...fascinating... If you kept this book in the loo your visitors would never emerge! * EROTIC REVIEW *

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Book SynopsisCelebrate the LGTBQ community with this small but perfectly formed guide to Pride. What began as a protest for gay rights following the Stonewall riots of 1969 in New York has grown to become a global celebration of LGBTQ culture. In the 50-odd years since the original protest, and what is now widely accepted to be the first Pride march – Christopher Street Liberation Day, 1970 – Pride events are now attended by millions each year, celebrating how far we’ve come, recognising where we have to go and highlighting important causes in the queer community. The Little Book of Pride is a concise look at everything you need to know about Pride, revealing the history, the key people involved, the best Pride events around the world, inspirational quotes from famous queers, Pride facts and a fun Pride survival guide.Trade Review'A little book with a huge insight. I wish I’d had this book growing up gay.' – Tom Allen, Comedian 'Wonderful...Despite what the title may indicate, this book is far from little.' - USA Today.com"Wonderful... With over 140 pages, this is a comprehensive look at Pride." – MSN.com

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Book SynopsisFresh material brings this "delightful to read, fascinating" (The New York Times) classic to new readers.Trade Review"...ground-breaking..." -- The Times"Fisher weaves a persuasive and consistently surprising new explanation of the roots of human marriage, sex, and love. Her account cuts more deeply than the ordinary literature on human sexuality." -- Edward O. Wilson

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Book SynopsisIn June 1969, police raided New York gay bar the Stonewall Inn. Pride charts the events of that night, the days and nights of rioting that followed, the ensuing organization of local members of the community – and the 50 years since in which activists and ordinary people have dedicated their lives to reversing the global position.Pride documents the milestones in the fight for LGBTQ equality, from the victories of early activists to the passing of legislation barring discrimination, and the gradual acceptance of the LGBTQ community in politics, sport, culture and the media. Rare images and documents cover the seminal moments, events and breakthroughs of the movement, while personal testimonies share the voices of key figures on a broad range of topics. Pride is a unique celebration of LGBTQ culture, an account of the ongoing challenges facing the community, and a testament to the equal rights that have been won for many as a result of the passion and determination of this mass movement.A fully updated edition of Matthew Todd's essential 2019 book, Pride is a celebration and a clarion call. Table of ContentsIntroduction • A time of revolution • Culture: Literature • Bonnie's Stone Wall • At the Inn • The night they buried Judy Garland • The Stonewall riots • Christopher Street Liberation Day • Culture: Music • First London Pride • Timeline: Key progress in the 1970s • You Gotta Give 'em Hope – Harvey Milk • The early 1970s and the Naked Civil Servant • Culture: Nightlife • Culture: Theatre • Disaster • Culture: Art • Timeline: Out in Office • Outrage! • Culture: Movies • Lesbian Avengers • Allies • Culture: Television • Proud to Serve • Marriage • Timeline: transgender rights • Culture: Sport • Hate • No One Left Behind • Index • Credits.

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Book SynopsisWATERSTONES BEST POLITICAL BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2021LONGLISTED FOR THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDALI am absurdly excited for this book' Caroline Criado PerezBestselling author KatrineMarçalreveals the shocking ways our deeply ingrained ideas about gender continue to hold us back. Every day, extraordinary inventions and innovative ideas are side-lined in a world that remains subservient to menBut it doesn't have to be this way. From the beginning of time, women have been pivotal to our society, offering ingenious solutions to some of our most vexing problems. More recently, it is women who have transformed the way we shop online, revolutionised the lives of disabled people and put the climate crisis at the top of the agenda.Despite these successes, we still fail to find and fund the game-changing ideas that could alter the future of our planet, giving just 3% of venture capital to female founders. Instead, ingrained ideas about men and women continue to shape our economic decisions; favouring men and leading us to the same tired set of solutions.For too long we have underestimated the consequences of sexism in our economy, and the way it holds all of us women and men back. Katrine Marcal's blistering critique sets the record straight and shows how, in a time of crisis, the ingenuity and intelligence of women is that very thing that can save us.Trade ReviewPraise for Mother of Invention ‘A book with a radical agenda … Marçal wants nothing less than a revolution in the way we think about ourselves.’ The Times ‘A smart, witty and fascinating warning from history. I loved this book.’ CAROLINE CRIADO PEREZ, Bestselling Author of Invisible Women ‘wry and witty … it’s high time to put the needs of all people and the planet at the heart of invention.’ KATE RAWORTH, author of Doughnut Economics ‘This is an absolute must-read. Equal parts informative and infuriating.’ DR FERN RIDDELL, author of Sex: Lessons from History ‘From wheeled suitcases to witch trials, Katrine Marçal makes you look again at history in this funny, clever and provocative book’HELEN LEWIS, author of Difficult Women: A History of Feminism in 11 Fights ‘…Infuriating, but always thought-provoking and intriguing. A clearly-needed wake-up call to future innovators not to view the world through a narrowly gendered lens but to pay attention to the skills and lived experiences of all. ‘PROFESSOR GINA RIPPON – bestselling author of The Gendered Brain [Katrine] brilliantly proves how male-driven technology over the ages has limited full human development by neglecting a liberating female narrative and perspective.’ JAN ELIASSON, Former Deputy Secretary-General of the UN ‘Mother of Invention had me nodding along in emphatic agreement. To tackle the substantial problems ahead, we cannot afford to innovate with ‘one hand tied behind our backs.’ IRISH TIMES ‘This second book by the author of Who Cooked Adam Smith’s Dinner? is both bracing and highly entertaining. Marcal’s contention is that while women have been coming up with ingenious inventions since the beginning of time, they are routinely sidelined in a world geared to men.’ THE BOOKSELLER

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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 SynopsisRose and Rosie are known for their candid and hilarious YouTube videos... but now they are taking oversharing to a whole new level. Discussing sexuality, revealing secrets and empowering others, OVERSHARE is a book packed with Rose and Rosie''s unique take on friendships, fame, mental health and LGBT issues.As visibly out members of the LGBT community, they open up about their own experiences, both together and as individuals, and have written this book in the hope that it gives strength to those who have faced similar difficulties. They are spreading a message of positivity and inclusivity, and want everyone to feel comfortable in their own skin, no matter what their sexuality. Delve deep into the unfiltered highs and lows of Rose and Rosie''s life: family relationships, secrets of a happy marriage, struggles with OCD and anxiety, finding love and navigating the world as a gay couple. Get ready to laugh, cry, cringe and OVERSHARE.

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Book SynopsisWere the 1960s really a great time of liberation and joyful experimentation? Growing Up takes an unflinching look at the dark underbelly of the sexual revolution.No era in recent history has been both more celebrated and vilified than the 1960s. And at the heart of all that controversy - the music, drugs, fashion, hopes, dreams and political movements - is sex.In this wide-ranging and eye-opening survey of the sexual landscape of the 1960s, Peter Doggett has assembled a dozen little-known stories that reveal how the sexual revolution transformed people's lives - for better or worse.'An important reappraisal of a decade that changed us, for good and ill' Sunday Times'Fascinating...shows rather conclusively that the sixties was not a sexual paradise' Evening Standard'Creates an account of the 1960s that, unlike most popular histories, does not edit out the grim bits' Mail on SundayTrade ReviewThe case to rethink our assumptions about the period is one Doggett makes with verve and controlled passion ... An excellent book -- David Aaronovitch * The Times, *Book of the Week* *[A] fascinating...new book about the decade [the 60's] -- Rachel Cooke * Observer *Refreshingly undogmatic, well-researched and highly readable -- David Kynaston * Spectator *I very much enjoyed the ride. Growing Up's strengths lies not so much in it being an expert guide to the seedier side of the 1960s (which it certainly is) but in the question Doggett has woven in every chapter, but just manages to leave unsaid: just how much has changed? -- Kate Lister * Daily Telegraph *In rich and playful prose, Growing Up knits together material from newspapers, women's magazines, films, television and pop music to create an account of the 1960s that, unlike most popular histories, does not edit out the grim bits -- Louise Perry * Mail on Sunday *An important reappraisal of a decade that changed us, for good and ill -- Christina Patterson * Sunday Times *Peter Doggett's fascinating new book Growing Up shows rather conclusively that the sixties was not a sexual paradise -- Tomiwa Owolade * Evening Standard *

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Book SynopsisSex is as fascinating to scientists as it is to the rest of us. A vast pool of knowledge, therefore, has been gleaned from research into the nature of sex, from the contentious problem of why the wasteful reproductive process exists at all, to how individuals choose their mates and what traits they find attractive. This fascinating book explores those findings, and their implications for the sexual behaviour of our own species. It uses the Red Queen from Alice in Wonderland' who has to run at full speed to stay where she is as a metaphor for a whole range of sexual behaviours. The book was shortlisted for the 1994 Rhone-Poulenc Prize for Science Books.Animals and plants evolved sex to fend off parasitic infection. Now look where it has got us. Men want BMWs, power and money in order to pair-bond with women who are blonde, youthful and narrow-waisted a brilliant examination of the scientific debates on the hows and whys of sex and evolution' Independent.Table of ContentsHuman nature; the enigma; the power of parasites; genetic mutiny and gender; the peacock's tale; polygamy and the nature of men; monogamy and the nature of women; sexing the mind; the uses of beauty; the intellectual chess game; the self-domesticated ape.

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Book SynopsisMia is nineteen, too mentally ill and too often on drugs to keep a 'straight' job so she starts working at a massage parlour. She takes to sex work with recklessness, aplomb, and good humour.As she works her way through Sydney's many rub-and-tug joints, Mia, or Sasha as she is now known, meets women from every walk of life who choose sex work for myriad reasons. While negotiating the demands of her new job, she battles her problematic drug use, and the mental illness that has shaped her life. Rather than needing saving from sex work, it is the work that saves her from her many demons.This is a unique memoir, a story about a distinct period in a woman's life, a path taken on the way tomaking her what she is. It is shameless, painfully honest and with an ending that refuses to wrap up in a tidy bow.

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Book SynopsisThe searing, must-read feminist essay from the author of A Girl is a Half-formed Thing 'Fearless ... A fierce and fascinating manifesto in McBride's persuasive prose' Sinéad Gleeson 'Formidable' Vogue In this galvanizing essay, Eimear McBride unpicks the contradictory forces of disgust and objectification that control and shame women. From playground taunts of 'only sluts do it' but 'virgins are frigid', to ladette culture, and the arrival of 'ironic' porn, via Debbie Harry, the Kardashians and the Catholic church - she looks at how this prejudicial messaging has played out in the past, and still surrounds us today. McBride asks - are women still damned if we do, damned if we don't? How can we give our daughters (and sons) the unbounded futures we want for them? And, in this moment of global crisis, might our gift for juggling contradiction help us to find a way forward? 'A satisfying feminist polemic' Susie Orbach 'Remarkable' Scotsman 'Eimear McBride is that old fashioned thing, a genius' GuardianTrade ReviewA fearless, interrogative work that speaks so much to structural inequality and misogyny. A fierce and fascinating manifesto in McBride's persuasive prose -- Sinéad GleesonA satisfying feminist polemic -- Susie Orbach * Guardian *A fierce, clear-eyed examination of the myriad ways in which women are objectified ... remarkable -- Stuart Kelly * Scotsman *Formidable -- Hayley Maitland * Vogue *An invigorating call to refuse the disgust directed at women * Herald *McBride is a very skilful prose stylist and is indubitably right to be incensed at the double standards and sheer prejudice of our culture * iPaper *Something Out of Place is an erudite contribution to that growing impulse in contemporary nonfiction: to cast one's testimony out into the void in the hopes that another will answer, and then another and another, and that each will be as exactingly executed, as deeply nuanced as the one preceding it * Irish Times *A brief and vivid polemic about disgust and shame and how they are used to such successful effect to disempower women ... There is something very exciting about contemplating a future for women where our disagreements about how best to live don't translate into weakness and division -- Megan Nolan * New Statesman *

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Book SynopsisFor most of western history, all sex outside marriage was illegal, with the church and state punishing any dissent. Between 1600 and 1800, this entire world-view was shattered by revolutionary new ideas - that consenting adults have the freedom to do what they like with their own bodies, and morality cannot be imposed by force. This groundbreaking book shows that the creation of this modern culture of sex - broadcasted and debated in a rapidly expanding universe of public media - was a central part of the Enlightenment, and helped create a new model of western civilization whose principles of equality, privacy and individual freedom last to this day.Trade ReviewPath-breaking ... touching ... This is a marvellously rich and thought-provoking book, written with clarity and humanity, and drawing on a huge range of materials, from sermons to pornography to social statistics -- Noel Malcolm * Sunday Telegraph *The Origins of Sex overturns the conventional wisdom that the sexual revolution began in the Sixties ... baby boomers will be shocked and, I suspect, a little upset -- Cosmo Landesman * Sunday Times *A revelation ... The book is not simply a finely crafted work of history, but a study that will reshape the way its readers understand the most intimate level of their lives.It may even bring some sanity to modern debates about sexuality -- Diarmaid MacCulloch[A] sumptuously rich, learned and enlightening debut ... What makes Dabhoiwala's book so gloriously enjoyable is its happy blend of provocative ideas with splendidly rich historical anecdotes ... [a] lucidly written, densely researched and thoroughly persuasive book -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *An extraordinary kind of sex book [from] one of Oxford's brightest stars. His fat tome, The Orgins of Sex, took 20 years of historical research and is garnering the kind of "magisterial" reviews that cast Dabhoiwala in the role of the younger, cuter, Simon Schama -- Helen Rumbelow * The Times *Faramerz Dabhoiwala's The Origins of Sex, an enthralling history of changing ideas about sexual freedom and desire from 1600 to 1800, interestingly blends progressivist and circular approaches. He shows us a Western world (mainly England) emerging from medieval sexual morality and enjoying 200 years of relative freedom, but he also shows it sliding back into repression and denial in the 19th century. The future remains a question mark... his book [is] inspiring as well as provocative -- Sarah Bakewell * The Independent *In The Origins of Sex, Faramerz Dabhoiwala does for the history of sexual attitudes what Lawrence Stone did for the history of sex and the family. Rigorously academic in his approach, Dabhoiwala focuses on intellectual and social currents to trace the grand sweep of sexual attitudes between 1600 and 1800. His aim "is not primarily to enter into the bedrooms and between the sheets of the past", but to examine sex as a public, rather than private, preoccupation. It needed a writer as erudite as Faramerz Dabhoiwala to knit together established theories of changes in the Enlightenment and weave in the primary sources to show how sex figures in the bigger picture. The book is packed with information and peppered with fascinating examples. It will delight students of social and sexual history, and anyone interested in the history of ideas -- Times Literary Supplement * Julie Peakman *

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Book SynopsisShereen El Feki is a writer, broadcaster, and academic who started her professional life in medical science before going on to become an award-winning journalist with The Economist and a presenter with Al Jazeera English. She is former vice-chair of the UN's Global Commission on HIV and the Law, as well as a TED Global Fellow. Shereen writes for a number of publications, among them the Huffington Post. With roots in Egypt and Wales, Shereen grew up in Canada; she now divides her time between London and Cairo.www.sexandthecitadel.comTrade ReviewImportant, brave and necessary * Naomi Wolf *Remarkable... Sex and the Citadel should be celebrated - not least for freeing voices silenced by a mixture of taboo and political repression. It provides crucial oxygen for discussions that will need more airing in the long, conflicted years ahead -- Rachel Halliburton * Independent on Sunday *Compelling, revelatory... No one can be sure where the Arab awakening will lead now -- towards fiercer sexual controls or a slight relaxing of them. The one thing El Feki is sure of is that there will be no seismic shifts. This will be evolution, not revolution -- Jenni Russell * Sunday Times (Culture) *Fascinating -- Daisy Goodwin * Mail on Sunday *Frequently eye-popping… The stories emphasise just how bewildering the issue of sex has become across the Middle East -- Nicholas Blincoe * Daily Telegraph *

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Book Synopsis''One of the great social historians of our time. No one else makes history this fun'' Amanda Foreman''How Was It For You? subtly but powerfully subverts complacent male assumptions about a legendary decade'' David Kynaston--------------------------------A feeling that we could do whatever we liked swept through us in the 60s . . .The sixties: a decade of space travel, utopian dreams and - above all - sexual revolution. It liberated a generation. But mostly men.Meet dollybird Mavis, debutante Kristina, bunny girl Patsy, industrial campaigner Mary and countercultural Caroline. From Carnaby Street to Merseyside, white gloves to Black is Beautiful, their stories illustrate a turbulent power struggle, throwing an unsparing spotlight on morals, drugs, race, bomb culture and sex.This is a moving, shocking book about tearing up the world and starting again. It''s about peace, love and psychedelia, but also misogynyTrade ReviewVirginia Nicholson is one of the great social historians of our time, and How Was It For You? is another jewel in her crown. No one else makes makes history this fun -- Amanda ForemanThey say that if you remember the 1960s you weren't really there. But if you really weren't, then the next best thing is to read this fascinating book. With the meticulous attention worthy of a Vidal Sassoon haircut, Virginia Nicholson has shaped her dazzling kaleidoscope of facts, feelings and observations, into a razor-sharp account of the women who lived through that tumultuous decade -- Juliet NicolsonEssential reading for all those who lived through it, and for those who came after -- Marina Lewycka, author of A Short History of Tractors in UkrainianIntimate, immersive, often moving, How Was It For You? subtly but powerfully subverts complacent male assumptions about a legendary decade -- David KynastonHow Was It For You? brings it all back. As always Virginia Nicholson's book is full of fascinating history and fascinating new material. It makes it feel like the Sixties have never been away, which they never have been, as far as I'm concerned. Wonderful -- Hunter DaviesA hugely ambitious, kaleidoscope of a book, written in a sympathetic but also hard-headed tone that captures squalor and tragedy as well as glamour -- Richard Vinen, author of The Long '68Virginia Nicholson's social history of the lives of women during the 1960s is an absorbing study of an extraordinary age. Beautifully written and intensively researched, it covers a wide range of characters and many levels of society, uncovering with remarkable perspicacity a world of rebellion and change. I am sure How Was It for You? will remain a vital study for many years to come -- Selina HastingsWritten with verve, wit and empathy, this account of the 1960s skilfully interweaves the lives of individual women with broader social and cultural changes. Virginia Nicholson nudges the reader to reconsider the well- beaten tracks and to reflect upon out-of-the-way experiences. Best of all How Was It For You? neither idealises nor excoriates the bouncy, controversial decade -- Sheila RowbothamEvery baby boomer should read this great and wonderfully revelatory book if only to shout, 'Ah yes, that's exactly what it was like for me!' -- Anne Sebba, author of Les ParisiennesFor those of us who missed the 60's, Virginia Nicholson catapults this era to roaring, authentic life. Rich with intimate voices and a keen edged analysis of the public perceptions at work, this book brilliantly evokes the struggle between the urgent change and the heavily freighted forces of tradition that defined this singularly compelling decade. Read it. It is unputdownable -- Priya ParmarA tremendous achievement... a triumph of research and organisation - but also of sympathy * Observer on Millions Like Us *An important and humane book of female social history * The Times on Perfect Wives in Ideal Homes *A ground-breaking book, richly nuanced with titbits of information, insight and understanding * Daily Mail on Singled Out *Virginia Nicholson is the outstanding recorder of British lives in the twentieth century. She has told us how it was for British women - and therefore of course for men and children - in the twentieth century. The formidable research and sympathetic understanding of so many different lives make this account of the 1960s - that swinging, sexy, revolutionary decade - the most vivid and moving of all her works. A fascinating decade, a fascinating book -- Carmen Callil, author of Bad FaithI loved this. Yes, the 1960s were good fun, sometimes. But Virginia Nicholson forensically unpicks what "promiscuity" really meant for flower-chicks, fearful of seeming un-cool. They were perpetuating a society as patriarchal and phallocentric as ever - even in the counter-culture. I was there, and she's right. Amazingly right about so many things. Roll on the 1970s when things did change - but that's for another of her excellent books -- Valerie Grove, author of Laurie LeeSparklingly readable . . . Having read Nicholson's magisterial and sensuous overview of the decade, I feel I'm floating above the Sixties (a bit like Lucy in the Sky) and looking down on them with a new understanding -- Ysenda Maxtone Graham * The Times *The stories are terrific -- Rosie Boycott * Financial Times *This vivid comprehensive study brought so many memories flooding back to me! It's a treat for those of us who were around in the sixties, and delightfully instructive for those who weren't -- Dame Jacqueline WilsonSparkling . . . there is a wonderfully diverse range of voices . . . we have a long way to go, but reading this book made me grateful for how far we have come * The Sunday Times *Clever . . . absorbing * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisHow did sexual relationships work before, in and outside of marriage in the pre-modern era? What problems did contraception and sexually transmitted diseases pose? How did people deal with prostitution and pornography back then? What were the possibilities for same-sex and queer desire and practice? Using numerous examples and sources from across the continent, Sexuality in Premodern Europe shows that even in earlier centuries, sexual life had an elementary significance for the coexistence of couples and communities. It was just as decisive for how individuals saw themselves and others as it was for maintaining the social, economic and political order.Franz X. Eder interestingly emphasises the socio-historical view of sexuality, offering an apt foil for the cultural perspective which is so prevalent in the field. In this book, sexual behaviour is understood and thought about as social practice. From this vantage point, Eder deals with the function of the sexual in upbringing andTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Preface 1. Introduction 2. Reign of the Phallus: Greek Antiquity 3. Infamia and Pudicitia: Roman Antiquity 4. How the ‘Evil’ Thorn Pierced the Flesh: Judaism and Early Christianity 5. Contradictory Sexual Worlds in the Middle Ages 6. Reformation and Discipline: 15th to 17th Century 7. Coda Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisOut now: the new book by Dr Fern Riddell, a powerful and entertaining history of sex. Revised and updated. __________These are the facts: throughout history human beings have had sex. Sexual culture did not begin in the sixties. It has always been celebrated, needed, wanted and desired part of what it means to be human.So: what can learn by looking at the sexual lives of our ancestors? What does it tell us about our attitudes and worries today, and how can the past teach us a better way of looking forward?In this wide-ranging and powerful new history of sex, Dr Fern Riddell will uncover the sexual lives of our ancestors and show that, just like us, they were as preoccupied with sexual identities, masturbation, foreplay, sex, deviance; facing it with the same confusion, joy and accidental hilarity that we do today.Sex: Lessons from History is a revealing and fascinating look at how we''ve always been obsessed with how se

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Book SynopsisReimagines black and brown sensuality to develop new modes of knowledge productionIn Sensual Excess, Amber Jamilla Musser imagines epistemologies of sensuality that emerge from fleshiness. To do so, she works against the framing of black and brown bodies as sexualized, objectified, and abject, and offers multiple ways of thinking with and through sensation and aesthetics. Each chapter draws our attention to particular aspects of pornotropic capture that black and brown bodies must always negotiate. Though these technologies differ according to the nature of their encounters with white supremacy, together they add to our understanding of the ways that structures of domination produce violence and work to contain bodies and pleasures within certain legible parameters.To do so, Sensual Excess analyzes moments of brown jouissance that exceed these constraints. These ruptures illuminate multiple epistemologies of selfhood and sensuality that offer framewoTrade ReviewTending to a lush theoretical ground of brownness and being realized through the senses, Amber Musser’s Sensual Excess challenges the very dimensions of normative ways of reading and sensing minoritarian epistemologies…. Inviting empathy and embodiment to ways of knowing, the text pulses with both sentient and critical offerings from an archive of explicit body performances that center racialized and sexualized works of art. * Women & Performance *Seductive, urgent, and poetic, Sensual Excess is a vital contribution to psycho-analytic theory, critical race studies, and queer theory. Guided by the senses and therefore not inhibited by mastery, Musser still manages to astonish the reader with her dazzling theoretical dexterity, a model for the relentless engagement one must deploy in projects concerning flesh. * QED *In a feat of sheer poeticism, Sensual Excess offers readers a lucid consideration of various representational strategies employed by artists of color in order to rewrite the scripts positioned on their bodies. Mussers attunement to the sensesespecially taste, touch, and smelllend a particularly textured quality to the book, and aids in her brilliant construction of an expansive and juicy framework for pondering the rich versions of the self, and the other, as staged in brown feminine performance. -- Uri McMillan, author of Embodied Avatars: Geneaologies of Black Feminist Art and PerformanceThis book is a model for how to read, engage, think with, and celebrate black, brown, feminist, queer, and sex-centered art practices. Sensual Excess is a sustained argument for and celebration of the sensual politics of work by artists like Xandra Ibarra, Mickalene Thomas, Nao Bustamante, and Lyle Ashton Harris. Mussers writing centers on the performative space of the encounter with art objects and practicesblack and brown life unfolds not only in these artworks but around and through them. Mussers writing is distinguished by a devotion to the material detail of these works, to their vitality, to their philosophical intensities, to their ecstatic and transformative potential. -- Jennifer Doyle, author of Hold It Against Me: Difficulty and Emotion in Contemporary Art

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Book SynopsisAn anthology of stories from sexuality workers about the therapeutic power of sex work. You'll hear from surrogate partners, sexological bodyworkers, and other intimacy professionals, including those specialising in kink and BDSM - to show how compassionate sexual practice can provide bodily affirmation, trauma recovery, pleasure - and solace.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisIt's the kind of book that makes you wonder, why wasn't this written before?' It could change lives' EVENING STANDARDTurns everything you've been taught about sex on its head' RUBY RAREWhat lies are we told when it comes to sex?What impossible expectations pollute our health, our happiness and our access to fundamental human rights?Bringing together deep research with intimate, real stories from women who pay thousands for hymen reconstruction to men who fear their inexperience defines them this is a revitalisation of sex education for the twenty-first century.Trade Review‘I can’t tell you how much I needed a book like this growing up’KATE LISTER, TELEGRAPH, FOUR STARS ‘It’s the kind of book that makes you wonder, ‘why wasn’t this written before?’ It could change lives’EVENING STANDARD ‘More of us are having open conversations about consent and pleasure. Losing It is a valuable part of that conversation’THE TIMES ‘Urgent, myth-busting’REFINERY 29 ‘Optimistic … Smith Galer is at her best when writing about the global picture, and she includes some fascinating interviews with women from across the world’NEW STATESMAN ‘Many books claim to be myth-busting, but this terrific debut truly is … Essential reading for anyone whose sex education and formative sexual experiences were distinctly lacking. Most of us, in other words.’ THE BOOKSELLER ‘EDITOR’S CHOICE’ ‘A stunning debut … Not only a call to arms, but a forceful affirmation of what we owe to one another – good sex and healthy relationships’FERN RIDELL ‘Compassionate, vibrant, deftly argued … Smith Galer’s rigorously researched book is an urgently needed, unputdownable joy – and a triumph’ELINOR CLEGHORN ‘Turns everything you’ve been taught about sex on its head’RUBY RARE ‘Compelling, informative, compassionate: Sophia has done an incredible job tackling the myths and stories our society tell around sex – I wish I’d had this book to read a decade ago!’YASSMIN ABDEL-MAGIED ‘Sophia Smith Galer is one of the UK’s most impressive young journalists, and here’s further proof of her talents… A compelling book, full of persuasive, punchy prose’GREG JENNER ‘A daring and eloquently written book … With statistics to smash our warped view of topics such as virginity and consent, this is a must read’PATSY STEVENSON ‘With compassion, intelligence, and engrossing storytelling … It is essential and empowering reading’DAVID ROBSON

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Book SynopsisTHE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Men are responsible for all unwanted pregnancies. Why? Ovulation is involuntary. Ejaculation is not. It is also true that...- Men are 50 times more fertile than women- Birth control is hard to access, use, and comes with numerous side effects- Vasectomies are less risky than tubal litigationsYet, it''s women who are expected to do the work of pregnancy prevention. Why must women be responsible for men''s bodies, as well as their own?Rather than endlessly exploring how and why we control women''s bodies in the highly polarised anti-abortion and pro-choice ''debate'', Ejaculate Responsibly makes a witty and unflinching case for why men must be held accountable for their reproductive choices. There are zero consequences for men who ejaculate irresponsibly. It''s time to shift the responsibility - and burden - of pregnancy prevention onto men.''A gorgeous manifesto'' Oprah Daily ''A tactical, full-throated cry for men to step up'' Vogue Trade Review'A gorgeous manifesto' -- Oprah Daily'A tactical, full-throated cry for men to step up' -- Vogue'Flashes of acerbic humour and eye-opening statistics bolster Blair's common-sense case. This polemic has the power to change minds' -- Publishers WeeklyHats off to Gabrielle Stanley Blair for pointing out so clearly the elephant in the room in any discussion about contraception or abortion - that it's high time for men to stop focusing on legislating women's bodily autonomy and instead turn the spotlight on their own role in unwanted pregnancy. A small but mighty book -- Milli Hill, author of Give Birth like a Feminist

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Book SynopsisWinner of the British Society of Criminology Annual Book Prize 2022. This valuable exploration of work duality calls for recognition of the experiences of sex workers, featuring the accounts of individuals who take extraordinary risks to hold jobs in both sex industries and non-sex work employment.Table of ContentsForeword by John Lowman Introduction “You can’t make a living doing porn”: Laith “I am the same me in bookings as I am out”: Sage “I was an escort on a bike”: Kora “Maybe it will be good for British girls because less Europeans coming into the industry”: Darcy “I was outed in one of the tabloid newspapers”: Anonymous “They are both shitty jobs … because I’m not free”: Sierra “Don't judge us as different from you": Wyatt Postscript

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Book SynopsisSarah Imhoff tells the story of the queer, disabled, Zionist writer Jessie Sampter (18831938), whose body and life did not match typical Zionist ideals and serves as an example of the complex relationships between the body, queerness, disability, religion, and nationalism.Trade Review“Sarah Imhoff presents the remarkable story of Jessie Sampter, whose life breaks with all the conventional associations of a Zionist pioneer. Disabled due to polio, living with a woman in mandate-era Palestine, and a pacifist and internationalist with right-wing Zionist politics, Sampter violated expectations and flouted conventions. Using feminist theory and crip theory, Imhoff reconstructs Sampter’s life and the vital challenges she presented in her day and in our own.” -- Susannah Heschel, Eli M. Black Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies, Dartmouth CollegeTable of ContentsAcknowledgments vii Introduction 1 1. A Religious Life 27 2. A Life with Disability 68 3. A Queer Life 106 4. A Theological-Political Life 144 5. Afterlives 193 Notes 223 Bibliography 249 Index 263

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Book SynopsisA FRANK, FUNNY AND EMPOWERING CELEBRATION OF FEMALE PLEASUREAn orgasm will help you sleep and keep you looking younger, it doesn’t cost money and isn’t a scarce resource. So why is it that, like the pay gap, there is an ‘orgasm gap’ between women and men? The Hotbed Collective began life as a podcast with a mission ‘to make life better one orgasm at a time’. Their debut book, More Orgasms Please is an open, honest and at moments hilarious dive into all aspects of sex for women. It covers feminist porn, body image, menopause and much more. Like the podcast that inspired it, More Orgasms Please is like the best sort of chat between friends: punchy and playful, normalising and educating. It is an eye-opening read that puts women’s bodies and our right to pleasure firmly on the map. Think of it as ‘Couch to 5k’ ... for orgasms. Trade ReviewHonest and fun… this put women’s bodies and our right to pleasure firmly on the map * Stylist *More Orgasms Please is readable in the extreme, full of personality and genuinely funny as well as relatable * Mail on Sunday *Intelligent, witty women with friendly voices and great advice * Bustle *Enjoyable, friendly, realistic, upbeat * Guardian *Excellent * Spectator *

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Book SynopsisMillions of women in our country experience some mix of low desire, absent pleasure, tanking lust and elusive orgasms. It's just stress, motherhood, anxiety, poor body image, or plain old boring monogamy though, right? Wife loses interest, husband is left cold for too long-these and similar narratives have been accepted as the norm. With The Pleasure Gap, Katherine Rowland aims to dismantle such claims once and for all. Women aren't less sexual than men, she asserts, for one and they're certainly not predetermined to lose sexual drive as they age. And, in fascinating new accounts featured by Rowland, a growing number of women are taking steps to reignite their sexuality. Through rich narrative accounts of dozens of women and sexual health professionals, science journalism, social criticism and compelling profiles of women from all walks of life, Rowland argues that the pleasure gap is neither medical malady nor psychological condition but rather a result of our culture's troubled relationship with women's sexual expression and pleasure.

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