“As a sex writer, Jesse Bering is fearless and peerless.” Dan Savage“You are a sexual deviant. A pervert, through and through.” We may not want to admit it, but as the award-winning columnist and psychologist Jesse Bering reveals in Perv, there is a spectrum of perversion along which we all sit. Whether it’s voyeurism, exhibitionism, or your run-of-the-mill foot fetish, we all possess a suite of … your run-of-the-mill foot fetish, we all possess a suite of sexual tastes as unique as our fingerprints and as secret as the rest of the skeletons we’ve hidden in our closets.
Combining cutting-edge studies and critiques of landmark research and conclusions drawn by Sigmund Freud, Alfred Kinsey, and the DSM-5, Bering pulls the curtain back on paraphilias, arguing that sexual deviance is commonplace. He explores the countless fetishists of the world, including people who wear a respectable suit during the day and handcuff a willing sexual partner at night. But he also takes us into the lives of “erotic outliers,” such as a woman who falls madly in love with the Eiffel Tower; a pair of deeply affectionate identical twins; those with a particular penchant for statues; and others who are enamored of crevices not found on the human body.
Moving from science to politics, psychology, history, and his own reflections on growing up gay in America, Bering confronts hypocrisy, prejudice, and harm as they relate to sexuality on a global scale. Humanizing so-called deviants while at the same time asking serious questions about the differences between thought and action, he presents us with a challenge: to understand that our best hope of solving some of the most troubling problems of our age hinges entirely on the amoral study of sex.
As kinky as it is compassionate, illuminating, and engrossing, Perv is an irresistible and deeply personal book. “I can’t promise you an orgasm at the end of our adventure,” Bering writes, “but I can promise you a better understanding of why you get the ones you do.”
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When you are a sexologist everything is about sex even in cases where non-sex related explanations have been found.
The author drowns the reader in terms, categories, and nomenclatures but the big picture never emerges. This is probably the greatest failure of the book, though, it is somewhat indicative of the state of his field of study.
The …
This was a book I read without initial expectations that I would want to. I found it to be very interesting, loaded with facts and studies, written with disarming charm and candor.
In my opinion, the book became fairly heavy in defense of pedophilia.
Yawn
It gives the reader insite into the fact that sexuality occurs on a spectrum and that ones sexuality is not a choice but a necessity for the survival of all species.
I was disappointed. This was mostly the author’s re-hash of various sexologist’s writings. I, mistakenly, was expecting case studies with quotes from the respondents and their emotional views of their conduct.
You will love this book if you’re even remotely interested in sexuality. Bering is a talented writer, and his witty writing will keep you entertained and engaged while you learn all about the fascinating exploration of sexuality through the ages. You’ll walk away with a whole new perspective!