Pornology: Noun--1: A Good Girl's Guide to Porn; 2: The misadventures of the world's first anthroPORNologist; 3: A Hilarious Exploration of Men, Relationships, and Sex [Paperback]

Ayn Carrillo-Gailey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 3, 2007

When Ayn Carrillo-Gailey confronted her boyfriend about his porn habit, he pronounced her “pornophobic.” Determined to prove she wasn’t phobic, simply more enlightened, Ayn set out to learn all she could about this phenomenon. Like any good researcher, she added her new quest to her daily To-Do list: 1. Drop off dry cleaning 2. Call Mom 3. Visit sex toy store on Melrose Acting as an amateur anthropologist introduced Ayn to a world populated by everyday people. Her quest aroused the curiosity of her female friends: her knitting group quickly turned into informal information sessions, as the women-single or married, involved or not-were desperate for information. What does XXX mean vs. un-rated? What’s the difference between topless dancers and strip clubs? Why is some of it actually not that stimulating? And why are men obsessed with it? Along the way, Ayn ditched the porn-obsessed boyfriend, and learned that one should not try to make change from a stripper’s G-string tips, nor is the Hustler store the best place to make a first impression on a hot guy. Pornology is the result of one woman’s quest to pierce the veil that modestly covers something many women actually want to know about. Suprising, hilarious, informative, and ultimately non-judgmental, this narrative is one readers won’t put down-once they admit they’re curious enough to pick it up!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Carrillo-Gailey is just the latest in a decade-long string of women writers (e.g., Lisa Palac and her 1997 memoir, The Edge of the Bed, for starters) to run with the idea that "good girls" don't need to be afraid of pornography. The concept isn't particularly original, and neither is its execution. After a boyfriend accuses her of being "pornophobic," the Los Angeles screenwriter picks up some erotica in a bookshop, begins masturbating, then breaks up with the boyfriend after a misguided visit to a strip club. The story of how she finds, loses and recaptures her next lover unfolds through a series of implausible anecdotes (beginning with an awkward encounter at Hustler's sex toy shop) populated by a sitcom-perfect cast of supporting characters, including the promiscuous best friend, the gay buddy—even a nearsighted Chinese mother prone to comic malapropisms. Carrillo-Gailey insists all the porn-related material is true, but concedes that some situations have been "altered for dramatic purposes," and the increasingly outlandish nature of those embellishments raises questions about the other passages. On the other hand, they do liven up her banal discoveries: vibrators can be fun, Playboy isn't even that smutty and so on in this uninspired fairy tale. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Readers eager to spice up carefully constructed lifestyles will appreciate this spunky, funky, hip-young-thang's look at the wonderful world of smut and how it fits into contemporary women's lives. Modeling her research on anthropological inquiry, "good girl" (she says) Carrillo-Gailey was inspired by a boyfriend who accused her "of being pornophobic." Feeling challenged, she listed "every porn subject [she] was curious about" and began to explore. While friends saw her as a "spy" making "them more sexually savvy," she hoped "to understand men and their fascination with porn." The resultant book affords an upbeat-cum-perky look at strip clubs, sex toys, and pornographic videos, magazines, and Internet offerings. Carrillo-Gailey bought and wore "vibrating panties" (declining the optional $50 remote control, however), organized a Tupperware-ish home sex-toy party, and attended a seminar on oral sex. Busy, busy, busy! She achieved, and hopes to convey, greater awareness of products that "might add pleasure," whether used on oneself or someone else, as well as that, as with carbs, "there is good porn and bad porn." Mike Tribby
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Running Press; hardcover edition (April 3, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762427744
• ISBN-13: 978-0762427741
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,115,261 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bridget Jones meets Sex and the City!, April 5, 2007

By 

akaMyMom "Francesca" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pornology: Noun--1: A Good Girl's Guide to Porn; 2: The misadventures of the world's first anthroPORNologist; 3: A Hilarious Exploration of Men, Relationships, and Sex (Paperback)

I read this book because I saw it recommended in Zink Magazine and on a couple blogs. Don't usually read relationship or humor books, but this was a great, fun read that is more like a novel than a non-fiction book. And, best of all, it gets us women into the minds of men, men into the minds of women, and provides free sex tips that are cheap and easy.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious and Informative, April 10, 2007

By 

Garret (seattle, ca) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pornology: Noun--1: A Good Girl's Guide to Porn; 2: The misadventures of the world's first anthroPORNologist; 3: A Hilarious Exploration of Men, Relationships, and Sex (Paperback)

I picked up this book for the fascinating facts on the industry, and was surprised to be drawn into the narrative as well. Learned some useful relationship tips for sure.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!, June 6, 2011

By 

Bunnie (NJ) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Pornology: Noun--1: A Good Girl's Guide to Porn; 2: The misadventures of the world's first anthroPORNologist; 3: A Hilarious Exploration of Men, Relationships, and Sex (Paperback)

I really loved this book, it was funny and informative at the same time. Although you can tell some of the stories are sensationalized for the sake of the book, it is still very realistic and I really enjoyed it. It was amusing reading this in public places where everyone could see the title -- and I laughed out loud at several parts. I definitely recommend this book to anyone that enjoys learning from others' experiences.