How to Think More About Sex (School of Life)
Rod Stewart probably wasn’t thinking about evolutionary biology when he asked the musical question, “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?,”nor is the average denizen of the local singles bar; yet the roles of physical and mental attributes are paramount considerations when choosing a sexual partner. Physical makeup, however, is just one element in an overall package of desirability that versatile observer and writer De Botton (The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work, 2009) trenchantly analyzes in an effort to reconcile society’s overwhelming preoccupation with sex and an individual’s equally obsessive quest to attain, and maintain, meaningful physical relationships. From adultery to fetishes, pornography to impotence, De Botton examines the pleasures and pitfalls of contemporary sexual experiences, including marital boredom, dating in cyberspace, and the nature of romance. Thinking about sex is easy; having a satisfying sexual relationship may be more difficult. By encouraging readers to understand their desires and manifestations of sexuality in new and more reflective ways, de Botton’s addition to the School of Life series offers a tantalizing discourse on this endlessly fascinating, and eternally misunderstood, subject. --Carol Haggas