Customer Reviews

Prostitution, Power and Freedom

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

O'Connell's book does a scholarly, impartial job of describing prostitution practices all over the world, and is a very useful resource for any scholars who write on related topics. The information is often presented in anecdotal form, based on interviews with practitioners. O'Connell also does a good job describing the legal and cultural regimes in which different prostitution practices exist. As an empirical survey of practices as they exist, it's really very good.

The economic analysis utilized in the book was perhaps weak (there were places where it was starkly wrong), and, given the economic, or at least commoditized, nature of the subject matter, this is too bad. But, in any event, I do not think that this at all detracts very much from the overall merit of the work.

Worth owning.

This a profoundly powerful book, the clear and incisive way it examines its subject finds a path through a disturbing and confused field.

A unique academic work, capable of make one laugh and cry (sometimes at the same time), this should be essential reading for any one studying or thinking about studying sociology or the social sciences.

Surely Julia O'Connell Davidson is one and the same author as "Sylvia O'Conner Davidson" (Methods, Sex and Madness).