This book is a theoretical account for general psychology of how human beings meaningfully relate with their bodies-- from the basic physiological processes upwards to the highest psychological functions of religiosity, ethical reasoning, and devotional practices. It unites art and science into a new theory of affective synthesis that human minds are constantly involved in their everyday life worlds. Provides a new theory of aesthetic synthesis; Demonstrates the links between art and science; Provides a new understanding of the role of affect in human cognition.
One of the world’s most respected voices on erotic intelligence, Esther Perel offers a bold, provocative new take on intimacy and sex. Mating in Captivity invites us to explore the paradoxical union of domesticity and sexual desire, and explains what it takes to bring lust home. Drawing on more than twenty years of experience as a couples therapist, Perel examines the complexities of sustaining desire. Through case studies and lively discussion, Perel demonstrates how more exciting, playful, and even poetic sex is possible in long-term relationships. Wise, witty, and as revelatory as it is straightforward, Mating in Captivity is a sensational book that will transform the way you live and love.
New edition of an authoritative guide to human sexual behavior from a biopsychosocial perspective The thoroughly revised and updated second edition of The Psychology of Human Sexuality explores the roles that biology, psychology, and the social and cultural context play in shaping human sexual behavior. The author – a noted authority on the topic and an affiliate of the acclaimed Kinsey Institute - puts the spotlight on the most recent research and theory on human sexuality, with an emphasis on psychology. The text presents the major theoretical perspectives on human sexuality, and details the vast diversity of sexual attitudes and behaviors that exist in the modern world. The author also reviews the history of sexology and explores its unique methods and ethical considerations. Overall, this important and comprehensive text provides readers with a better understanding of, and appreciation for, the science of sex and the amazing complexity of human sexuality. Features broad coverage of topics including anatomy, gender and sexual orientation, sexual behaviors, sexual difficulties and solutions, prostitution, and pornography Offers more in-depth treatment of relationships than comparable texts, with separate chapters dealing with attraction and relationship processes Includes cutting-edge research on the origins of sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as new treatments for sexually transmitted infections and sexual dysfunctions Is written from a sex-positive perspective, with expanded coverage of cross-cultural research throughout and material that is inclusive and respectful of a diverse audience Includes numerous activities to facilitate dynamic, interactive classroom environments Written for students of human sexuality and anyone interested in the topic, The Psychology of Human Sexuality offers a guide to the psychology of human sexual behavior that is at once inclusive, thorough, and authoritative in its approach.
**** Cited in BCL3. A comprehensive textbook that examines sexuality from biological, psychosocial, behavioral, clinical, and cultural perspectives. This edition is substantially revised and thoroughly updated. It also adds extensive use of color throughout. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Since Darwin's day, we've been told that sexual monogamy comes naturally to our species. Mainstream science—as well as religious and cultural institutions—has maintained that men and women evolved in families in which a man's possessions and protection were exchanged for a woman's fertility and fidelity. But this narrative is collapsing. Fewer and fewer couples are getting married, and divorce rates keep climbing as adultery and flagging libido drag down even seemingly solid marriages. How can reality be reconciled with the accepted narrative? It can't be, according to renegade thinkers Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jethå. While debunking almost everything we "know" about sex, they offer a bold alternative explanation in this provocative and brilliant book. Ryan and Jethå's central contention is that human beings evolved in egalitarian groups that shared food, child care, and, often, sexual partners. Weaving together convergent, frequently overlooked evidence from anthropology, archaeology, primatology, anatomy, and psychosexuality, the authors show how far from human nature monogamy really is. Human beings everywhere and in every era have confronted the same familiar, intimate situations in surprisingly different ways. The authors expose the ancient roots of human sexuality while pointing toward a more optimistic future illuminated by our innate capacities for love, cooperation, and generosity. With intelligence, humor, and wonder, Ryan and Jethå show how our promiscuous past haunts our struggles over monogamy, sexual orientation, and family dynamics. They explore why long-term fidelity can be so difficult for so many; why sexual passion tends to fade even as love deepens; why many middle-aged men risk everything for transient affairs with younger women; why homosexuality persists in the face of standard evolutionary logic; and what the human body reveals about the prehistoric origins of modern sexuality. In the tradition of the best historical and scientific writing, Sex at Dawn unapologetically upends unwarranted assumptions and unfounded conclusions while offering a revolutionary understanding of why we live and love as we do.
Let author Gia Lynne provides the tools for creating you with a sex positive life. Her advice on anatomy, puberty, orgasm, safe sex, and more is designed to create joy and pleasure—for men and women, young and old. This is not your typical sex ed book. Instead of typically puritanical views on sex and puberty, On Blossoming focuses on incorporating the principles of pleasure into sex education for our youth and creates a new paradigm of human sexuality. This book takes on a taboo topic in our culture backed with a compelling mixture of research and personal experience. Author Gia Lynne’s biggest question is, how can we expect to have sexual health if we do not learn about pleasure before our first sexual experiences? Our collective social stigma around talking about sex—most of all good sex—prevents these conversations from happening and it’s having a detrimental effect on our teens of all genders and our society as a whole. On Blossoming includes chapters on: Sensuality and Sexuality Anatomy with an Emphasis on Pleasure Puberty, Bodies, and, Oh, These Changing Times Menarche and Heat Cycles (We Really Are Mammals, After All) “The M-Thing” and Taking Care of Your Body The Big “O” How Do You DO?: Creating a Deliberate Orgasm Safe Sex and all about Latex Double “C’s”—Communication and Consent Nuts and Bolts of Friendship How to Talk about the Birds and the Bees Written for people of all ages and genders, it’s time to rework the standard script of sexual education and fill in the gaps.
Why we are so fascinated with sex and sexuality—from the preeminent philosopher of the 20th century. Michel Foucault offers an iconoclastic exploration of why we feel compelled to continually analyze and discuss sex, and of the social and mental mechanisms of power that cause us to direct the questions of what we are to what our sexuality is.
Explores how Nature underlies sexuality and intimacy • Examines how to regain intimacy in our relationships in a way that embraces our hidden wild nature and restores the sacred to our lives • Provides sacred sex and intimacy-building practices for partners and exercises to reconnect with the intuitive intelligence of the heart, remove our emotional armor, and cultivate a deeper relationship with the Earth • Shows how by healing our relationship with Nature and our sexuality, we move toward healing the whole planet Nature is having sex all the time--that’s one of the reasons we feel so alive when we are immersed in it. Sexuality is essential to the sensation of Nature in your own body, of connecting to the piece of Earth closest to you--your own flesh and bones. Many a couple has been overcome by passion while walking in the woods or on the beach; many a soul has found solace or epiphany in Nature. Living in accordance with Nature depends on you being your true, whole self--a sexual, sensual, erotic, fully alive human being. Exploring the territory of intimacy, sacred sex, and emotional healing as a journey to wholeness, Julie McIntyre examines the sacred relationship between sexuality and the Earth and reveals how to create deep, lasting intimacy with your lover by recapturing the wild, spontaneous, natural sexuality that is your birthright. Detailing the process of moving from your head to the secret garden of your heart, she provides exercises to heal your psyche of old emotional trauma, reconnect with the intuitive intelligence of the heart, and cultivate a deeper relationship with the Earth in order to trust yourself and become vulnerable and open with your lover and thus truly intimate. She shows how there is a direct relationship between our beliefs and values about sex and intimacy and our beliefs and values about the environment and the Earth. She reveals how, by healing our separation from Nature and our sexuality, we can bring the sacred back into our lives, shape our own ecstatic sexual experiences, and move toward healing the whole planet.
Researchers have spent the last decade trying to develop a 'pink pill' for women to function like Viagra does for men. So where is it? Well, for reasons this book makes crystal clear, that pill will never exist - but as a result of the research that's gone into it, scientists in the last few years have learned more about how women's sexuality works than we ever thought possible, and this book explains it all.
This modern and comprehensive guide to Tantra celebrates the sacredness of desire and the human body. Much more than an erotic sex manual, Secrets of Sacred Sex explains the Hindu Tantric tradition, its philosophy, and its principles. The authors, a devoted married couple, demystify Tantra in ways that make this ancient tradition accessible to beginners, offering authentic exercises and techniques that will help turn your every moment of pleasure into an opportunity to experience the divine.
