Although there has been much discussion about things like the causes, loss, and maintenance of sexual desire, there has been little research into the nature of sexual desire itself. Consequently, most of the discussions on these topics have gone on without any clear idea about what it is that is being discussed. Readers will be interested that at last there is a full-length book that attempts to say what sexual desire is. Further, this book takes an interdisciplinary and intercultural approach, drawing on a wide range of texts and research. Drawing on such diverse sources as psychology, philosophy, and biology, a thorough discussion of sexual desire is presented. Also presented are new accounts of the sexual process, gender, romantic love, and love's relation to sexual desire.
Is love “blind” when it comes to gender? For women, it just might be. This unsettling and original book offers a radical new understanding of the context-dependent nature of female sexuality. Lisa M. Diamond argues that for some women, love and desire are not rigidly heterosexual or homosexual but fluid, changing as women move through the stages of life, various social groups, and, most important, different love relationships.This perspective clashes with traditional views of sexual orientation as a stable and fixed trait. But that view is based on research conducted almost entirely on men. Diamond is the first to study a large group of women over time. She has tracked one hundred women for more than ten years as they have emerged from adolescence into adulthood. She summarizes their experiences and reviews research ranging from the psychology of love to the biology of sex differences. Sexual Fluidity offers moving first-person accounts of women falling in and out of love with men or women at different times in their lives. For some, gender becomes irrelevant: “I fall in love with the person, not the gender,” say some respondents.Sexual Fluidity offers a new understanding of women’s sexuality—and of the central importance of love.
American culture is more sexually liberal than ever. But compared to men, women's sexual pleasure has not grown: Up to 40 percent of American women experience the sexual malaise clinically known as low sexual desire. Between this low desire, muted pleasure, and experiencing sex in terms of labor rather than of lust, women by the millions are dissatisfied with their erotic lives. For too long, this deficit has been explained in terms of women's biology, stress, and age. In The Pleasure Gap, Katherine Rowland rejects the idea that women should settle for diminished pleasure; instead, she argues women should take inequality in the bedroom as seriously as we take it in the workplace and understand its causes and effects. Drawing on extensive research and interviews with more than one hundred women and dozens of sexual health professionals, Rowland shows 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. This provocative exploration of modern sexuality makes a case for closing the gap for good.
'This book taught me so much about female desire. A must read!' Cherry Healey Did you know that there is an orgasm gap of around 30% between heterosexual couples when they have sex? In Mind The Gap, Dr Karen Gurney, a clinical psychologist and certified psychosexologist, explores not just this gap, but the gaps in our knowledge of so much of the most important new science around sex and desire. In this book, you will learn that nearly everything that you've been led to believe about female sexuality isn't actually true. And that, despite what you might think, it is possible to simultaneously feel little to no spontaneous desire and have a happy and mutually satisfying sex life long term. Exploring the mismatch between ideas about sex in our society and what the science tells us, Mind The Gap also explains how this disconnect lies at the root of many of our sexual problems. Combining science with case studies, practical exercises and tips, this is a book for anyone who wants to better understand the mechanics of desire and futureproof their sex life, for life.
Winner of the 2021 SSTAR Consumer Book Award! What makes sex magnificent? What are the qualities of extraordinary erotic intimacy and what are the elements that help to bring it about? Is great sex the stuff that people remember nostalgically from the "honeymoon" phase of their relationships, or can sex improve over time? Magnificent Sex is based on the largest, in-depth interview study ever conducted with people who are having extraordinary sex. It gathers the nuggets for remarkable sex from the "experts", distilling them into an attainable blueprint for ordinary lovers who want to make erotic intimacy grow over the course of a lifetime. Looking at factors including individual and relational qualities, empathic communication and the myths and realities of magnificent sex, this book offers accessible and evidence-based guidance for lovers and therapists alike. It is replete with frank and often humorous interviews with straight and LGBTQ individuals and couples, those who are "vanilla" and "kinky", monogamous and consensually non-monogamous and healthy and chronically ill. This illuminating book explores the implications of the findings to develop a model that effectively tackles the common problems of low desire and frequency. The "cure" for low desire is to create desirable sex!
"Kathryn Hall takes a fresh and refreshing new look at why so many women are not really interested in sex. A uniquely helpful book." -Harriet Lerner, Ph.D., author of The Dance of Anger "Women don't need medicine or magic to feel desire but rather reasons and motivation. This book provides sound strategies and sensible suggestions for overcoming sexual inertia and finding genuine satisfaction." -Sandra Leiblum, Ph.D., Director, Center for Sexual & Relationship Health, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey "The many who are searching for sexual desire in an easy-to-swallow pill form may be pleasantly surprised to find it in this easy-to-read book form." -Gerianne M. Alexander, Ph.D., Texas A&M University At last, a drug-free, holistic program to restore sexual passion and desire Despite what many so-called experts believe, lack of sexual desire in women does not necessarily indicate a hormonal problem. More often, asserts sex therapist Dr. Kathryn Hall, it means that something is out of balance in our lives. In Reclaiming Your Sexual Self, Dr. Hall reveals how to discover the source of your lack of sexual interest and take charge of your health. Drawing on successful methods she has used in her clinical practice, she helps you identify the imbalances that are affecting your overall well-being and get in touch with lost or neglected sexual feelings. Through a series of illuminating exercises and with Dr. Hall's wise, warm advice, you'll discover: * Why it's okay to want sex-and enjoy it * Ways to improve communication with your partner * The right conditions and circumstances to spark your sexual interest * How to maintain a vital sexual connection for the long term * When to consult a professional Hormone replacement therapy doesn't have to be the answer. You can reclaim your sexual self and keep desire and passion alive and well by following the proven, reassuring advice in this authoritative guide.
When it comes to women's priorities, is sex on top? Lack of libido is women's most common sexual problem and once in a secure relationship, women's sex drive begins to plummet. Exploring what our libido is and why it is being depleted, sexual anthropologist Dr Bella Ellwood-Clayton argues that women don't want sex because they don't feel sexy. At a time when women's libidos are being threatened by the wider forces of media, marketing and medication and our increasingly pressured lives, who can blame them? With increasing numbers of women with low libido being diagnosed as 'sexually dysfunctional', the race to create a 'pink Viagra' is on. But do we have unrealistic expectations about our sex drive? Who defines what is normal and abnormal? And could 'low libido' in fact be the natural order of things? Provocative, authoritative and engaging, Sex Drive: In pursuit of female desire is both fascinating reading and a book that is creating passionate debate.