The Pleasure's All Mine: A History of Perverse Sex
Throughout history, sexual norms have shifted drastically: an act that is seen as deviant at one time may be widely accepted at another. Peakman (A Cultural History of Sexuality) argues that sexual acts have not changed much through the ages, but the cultural response to them has. Today, discussions about sexual preferences are still taboo in many parts of the world, and many opinions are still colored by society's long-held beliefs. One example is masturbation, seen as healthy in Ancient Rome and Greece and as a sin under the Catholic Church. Peakman offers a history of many sexual acts that have been perceived as perverse, including homosexuality, bestiality, sadomasochism, necrophilia, incest, and pedophilia. This is a history for the general reader, primarily covering Western thought; it's also a wonderful reference source for sexual studies and research. Though it occasionally lacks details, the work does succeed in providing a nice overview. Peakman asks readers to think about how society dictates their own opinions, and her work helps pave the way for more open discussions of sexuality in the future. 68 color plates, 112 halftones. (Nov.)