Customer Reviews

Rape of the A. P. E. (American Puritan Ethic : The Official History of the Sex Revolution, 1945-1973 : The Obscening of America, an R. S. V. P.)

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Like many other reviewers, I originally read this book in my youth. As a matter of fact, I took the "Government Man" chapter of the book and performed it as my piece for high school speech tournaments. Needless to say, the judges were quite confused. I agree with the reviewer who said that the book will sprout legs and walk away; in my case I owned a mint condition paperback that mysteriously disappeared. I too have searched in vain to find another copy of this masterpiece of American humorous literature. If and when this book is found, you should buy at almost any price. This is the type of rare gem that should be keot under lock and key -- In fact, it should be left to your favorite person as an heirloom in your Last Will and Testament. Allan Sherman uses all of the wit that he mustered for his classic "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh" and then some. This look at the sexual evolution/revolution in America is timeless as well as ingenius. I'm only sorry that Mr. Sherman did not live longer to share more works with us.

I was an 18 year old, away with friends camping in the summer of '75. About four days into the trip, we were bored of the night life in the area so we would read at night. One girl in the group had a book that she couldn't put down. The book was "The Rape of the A.P.E.". At first she read us exerpts from it, but in the end she read the entire book to us. At the end of the trip, each of us had purchased his or her own copy. In the ensuing years, I purchased, loaned out and lost 17 copies of this book. My father , a NYC policeman, lost 3 copies to coworkers. I now possess my only hard cover copy and wouldn't lend it to the Pope. It is a book about the American Sexual Revolution. Allen Sherman gives one man an elongated lifespan of 100,000 years to see where we went wrong. It is funny, educational and thought prevoking. I hope someone has the insight to put it back into print. I would be interesting to see how the author would interpet the disco scene of the seventies, AIDS , as well as things today.

I first read the Rape of the A*P*E* at the tender age of about 15, living in NYC, when it's content seemed that perfect blend of the hilarious and the profound. Come to think of it, the content would play the same today, some 25 years later. (An avid reader), it was the only book I found worthy at that age, of which to make a gift to another sophomore. The passing years have dimmed my memory of the particulars, so I have been especially anxious to re-read it. So glad to find fellow aficionados! Needless to say, my copy has long since disappeared to the netherworld of all loaned texts and not another is to be found anywhere, unless we continue to collectively petition the publisher to jump on the bandwagon. I loved it!

After reading some of the other reviews, I, too, read this in high school for the first time. And now, 25 years later, I am searching for a copy. Sherman, may he rest in peace, authored a book that completely hit the mark. The evolution of Sapp and the retracing of the sexual revolution are just wonderful pieces of writing. I wish more people had read this and I join many of the others in hoping for a reprint!

My best friend found a dusty old copy of this book in a box in his parents' attic when we were kids. He read it and passed it on to me with the caveat, "If you don't have my book in hand, don't ever bother coming back." This was 15 years ago. My friend and I still quote passages from the book almost every time we see each other. I was fortunate to find a paperback version of the same book in a used bookstore some years ago. I paid $2.50 for it, although I would have gladly paid 100 times that price for this rare, insightful piece of art. This book is not for the "virgin ears" of the religious right. It fact, it gets downright raunchy at times. (One chapter is titled, "Short Chapter, Long Footnote." The "chapter" consists of one word -- f*ck.) I consider myself a well-read bibliophile, and this book is unquestionably my favorite.

Beyond any doubt, this is one of the funniest, hilarious, profound, thought provoking, enjoyable, profane, irreverent, and just plane good books I have ever had the pleasure of reading. It probably ranks as not "one of the," but as "the." Allen Sherman has written the history of the sexual revolution in America from 1945 to 1973, although his history covers much more ground than that. By the way, A.P.E. stands for "American Puritan Ethic." This history covers sex, from Neolithic times, up until it was published in the early 1970s. I bought my first copy soon after the paperback version was published in 1975, having lost (actually, it was stolen by my swine of a room mate, for which I will never forgive him, and hope to find someday in a dark ally) my original hardcover edition which was given to me as a present from my parents. I have since gone through five copies of the soft cover, each in turn, being "borrowed" and never returned.

Anyway, Sherman, in this one of a kind work, covers so much more that sex. Politics, morals, literature, movies, T.V. the military, religion and so much more, just scratch the surface. This is the sort of book that will have you laughing so hard that your sides will split; yes, they will actually be sore, and asking yourself questions such as "did I just read what I think I read?" The author has chosen a guy who is about 100,000 years old to tell this tale and uses him to find just where everything went out of order, with we, the human race. Through his eyes we view history, for the most part, our sexual history, but that, i.e. sex, like most things is so interwoven with everything else that it takes a sharp eye to see where everything overlaps or does not, as the case may be. Sherman also takes on the Bible, and I can remember when this was first published, that there was a bit of a squabble over that portion of the book.

Reader be warned, the language is rather blunt in this one, as it is meant to be. The political commentary is sharp, sarcastic, and I must say, quite insightful. Sherman's observations of the overall human condition are absolutely spot-on and he tells it the way he sees it, painful though it might be. Despite this being an extremely funny work, it is also extremely thought provoking. I cannot go as far as some of the reviewers here and state that the book was a life changing experience for me, but I will say that it certainly caused me to look at things differently. Like another reviewer here though, I have often been curious as to what the author's reaction would be now in lieu of the AIDs epidemic, ramped drug use, violence, and some of the other problems we face to day. This is a sobering thought and one that should be considered when reading this work.

If you are lucky enough to be able to find a copy of this one, buy it, read it, and guard it. I cannot for the life of me figure out why this one has not been reprinted over and over and over again. What a horrible loss for so many people. (And no, you cannot borrow my "like new" copy of the paperback edition).

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

Is it possible that there is really only a single copy of this incredible book? We all seem to have read it, been profoundly affected by it, shared it, and never seen it again. Hmmmmmm. For 15 years I have been searching for a copy to no avail. Hopefully someone will lend it to me and it will be my "turn" again!

I first picked this book up just before my 18th birthday, back in 1975, when the paperback edition was released. I read it several times over the next few years and somehow, it vanished from my collection. Imagine my surprise, after mentioning it to a colleague last year, of finding a paperback copy for only 50 cents at the local Goodwill store.

About the book itself, though, Allen Sherman hit it right on the head! The false morals of society didn't improve the quality of life, but rather, caused a drastic downturn. Every time I read any historical text, I cross reference how the morals of the church have shackled us from enjoying some of God's greatest creations, including sex.

I wish Playboy Press would reissue this tome!

I first was given this book by my father when I was 17. I started reading it, and devoured the whole thing in just 2 days. I didn't sleep just to finish it and absorb it. A wonderful book that I wish they would re-print (my dad's had his copy for some 20+ years). If only 3 books would be issued to every person alive when they were born, this would be one of them.

I was given my first copy of this book when I was in high school. I laughed hysterically at times from some of the true stories related in it, and cried at some of the others. Mr. Sherman ranks right up there in my mind with Robert A. Heinlein in his ahead of his time thinking. If more people read this book and applied some of the principles, there would be fewer sex crimes and a happier world. It is so sad that this book is out of print-I keep loaning out the copies I can get my hands on and never getting them back. Maybe we could get Allen Sherman to update and re-publish his masterpeice?