Main description:

Sex matters. It is a crucial part of whom we are and what to do. So why do we police what is 'normal' and what is 'bizarre'? As the author argues in this insightful book, whenever we disapprove of others or ourselves in this way, we close our eyes to a deeper understanding of human nature. As a psychiatrist, she has also worked inside prisons with sex offenders, so she is familiar with the extremes of 'oddity'. Here, she uses a psychoanalytic framework with humour, insight and clarity to explore why we disapprove, and what we lose when we do. She presents us with a series of interwoven vignettes, drawn from clinical work and life experiences, which have led her to these conclusions. The author argues in this book that as human beings we have a responsibility to develop a much more enquiring and open mind, and to feel privileged rather than disgusted when we have access to primitive fantasies that shine light into the dark corners of minds not considered 'normal'.

Contents:

Prologue , Introduction , Sexual release without words , Punishable by external and/or internal law: public or intimate outcry , Rape and sexual abuse in childhood , What women have that men do not , A question of pornography? , Insights gained about female prostitution from Hollywood films , Understanding versus judging murder by going to the opera , Conclusions