Science in the Bedroom: A History of Sex Research [Hardcover]

Vern L. Bullough (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1994

From the first serious sex study ever undertaken (in France in 1830 with a group of prostitutes) to the latterday work of Masters and Johnson, this book traces the history of more than a century of sex research. Bullough addresses the difficulties and controversies in an area of research that has never been allowed to fully control its own agenda. Using examples, he describes the forces that have impinged serious research, from free love hippies and religious zealots to governments trying to support stands on public morality.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bullough ( Sin, Sickness, and Sanity ) brings his customary mix of lively prose and balanced scholarship to this enlightening history of sex research. Along with Sigmund Freud, Havelock Ellis, Alfred Kinsey and William Masters and Virginia Johnson, important but neglected female researchers Katharine Davis (1860-1935) and Clelia Mosher (1863-1940) are among the pioneer sexologists profiled. Magnus Hirschfeld (1868-1935), a wealthy German homosexual physician who fought for repeal of anti-gay laws also receives his due. Bullough, a sociologist and leading sex researcher, crams in a wealth of information on marriage manuals, the impact of contraceptives on sexual mores, lesbianism, child sexuality, prostitution, pornography, transsexualism, cross-dressing, free-love advocates and much else. He also weaves into his narrative such figures as Oscar Wilde; Richard Burton, the British explorer and collector of erotica; Wilhelm Reich; Herbert Marcuse; and Michel Foucault.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Already well known for his writings on sex and related subjects, Bullough turns out a readable, well-documented book that will be useful for students of human sexuality. He recognizes all major varieties of individual sexual experience and attitude and discusses all the medical (i.e., STDs), social, legal, and educational aspects of his subject. He explores written sex research from the ancient Greeks to the nineteenth-century giants Magnus Hirschfeld, Havelock Ellis, and Sigmund Freud, who set the stage for the current scene. Thereafter, he documents how the Rockefellers' Committee for Research in Problems of Sex did much to open up both scientific and popular understanding, and he devotes substantial space to the delvings of Alfred Kinsey. Indeed, a major attraction of the book arises from Bullough's ability to depict the lives of researchers as well as their work. In this respect, some of the best things in the book are the vignettes of Gregory Pincus, one of the most intriguing and controversial scientists in the field, and of Russell Marker and the beginnings of the huge Syntex corporation. William Beatty

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books; 1St Edition edition (May 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0465030203
• ISBN-13: 978-0465030200
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 6.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,099,301 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Thinly spread history of sexuality, June 7, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Science In The Bedroom: A History Of Sex Research (Paperback)

A vague history of sexuality, this book offers a broad scope of sex research without delving into enough specifics to make the reader feel moderately comfortable with the topic. The novel breezes through history, stressing the persecution faced by sex researchers without actually commenting on the actual theories. Too much attention is paid to the dilemmas of modern sex research, which are painfully unarticulated. You do gain a sense of the history, however; so this is a good introductory book, but for a more in depth approach search elsewhere.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Thinly spread history of sexuality, June 7, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Science In The Bedroom: A History Of Sex Research (Paperback)

A vague history of sexuality, this book offers a broad scope of sex research without delving into enough specifics to make the reader feel moderately comfortable with the topic. The novel breezes through history, stressing the persecution faced by sex researchers without actually commenting on the actual theories. Too much attention is paid to the dilemmas of modern sex research, which are painfully unarticulated. You do gain a sense of the history, however; so this is a good introductory book, but for a more in depth approach search elsewhere.