Ladies of the Night: A Historical and Personal Perspective on the Oldest Profession in the World (Hardcover)

by Gene Simmons (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Simmons, the fire-breathing leader of rock icon Kiss—who once bragged that he had bedded more than a thousand women—delivers an entertaining if sometimes simplistic short overview of prostitution. Simmons (Kiss and Make-up) manages to work into his narrative both the Greek philosopher Diogenes and Nevada's Moonlight Bunny Ranch brothel. Other than the occasional sex joke, Simmons is serious about giving his subject its historical due, stating upfront, I am not here to judge women's personal choices or how they choose to empower themselves. The book doesn't cover what Simmons admits is the dark side of prostitution, focusing primarily on one of his favorite issues: money. Since throughout history, women have never had access to power, Simmons argues that prostitution has been a way for women to monetize the only thing that women have ever owned. Using numerous famous illustrations (e.g., William Hogarth's 18th-century painting A Harlot's Progress), Simmons and coauthor McCarron support this argument by adroitly exploring a range of topics: Sumerian goddess of sexuality Ishtar; the adulterous jara and jatini of ancient India; legal prostitution in Amsterdam's toleration zones; and Theodora, wife of Roman emperor Justinian, who Simmons considers the very first prostitution reformer. All this from the man who once wrote a song on the Kiss album Love Gun titled Got Love for Sale. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
PW REVIEW Ladies of the Night: A Historical and Personal Perspective on the Oldest Profession in the World
Simmons, the fire-breathing leader of rock icon Kiss who once bragged that he had bedded more than a thousand women delivers an entertaining if sometimes simplistic short overview of prostitution. Simmons (Kiss and Make-up) manages to work into his narrative both the Greek philosopher Diogenes and Nevada's Moonlight Bunny Ranch brothel. Other than the occasional sex joke, Simmons is serious about giving his subject its historical due, stating upfront, I am not here to judge women's personal choices or how they choose to empower themselves. The book doesn't cover what Simmons admits is the dark side of prostitution, focusing primarily on one of his favorite issues: money. Since throughout history, women have never had access to power, Simmons argues that prostitution has been a way for women to monetize the only thing that women have ever owned. Using numerous famous illustrations (e.g., William Hogarth's 18th-century painting A Harlot's Progress), Simmons and coauthor McCarron support this argument by adroitly exploring a range of topics: Sumerian goddess of sexuality Ishtar; the adulterous jara and jatini of ancient India; legal prostitution in Amsterdam's toleration zones; and Theodora, wife of Roman emperor Justinian, who Simmons considers the very first prostitution reformer. All this from the man who once wrote a song on the Kiss album Love Gun titled Got Love for Sale. --Publishers Weekly

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Phoenix Books (July 8, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1597775010
• ISBN-13: 978-1597775014
• Product Dimensions: 12.5 x 8.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #200,044 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #29 in

  Books > Entertainment > Music > Musical Genres > Heavy Metal

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Kiss This Off!, July 14, 2008

By	Liam Cassidy (los angeles) - See all my reviews

A fun, amusing read with solid scholarly underpinnings that should further galvanize the growing movement to legalize prostitution. Anyone who stands against the exploitation of women must know that removing the fear of criminal prosecution will empower women who wish to earn a living by renting their bodies for sexual recreation, wipe out human-trafficking rings and vicious pimps who clog our criminal justice system -- and add billions of dollars to our national coffers. What this country needs in every neighborhood is an old-fashioned, well-run whorehouse -- the kind with a guy playing piano in the parlor -- and Gene Simmons has made his case with this fascinating potpourri of social history and SEX!

20 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars What will Gene come up with next to make money?, July 10, 2008

By	D. Hentze (Staten Island via NJ) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Another literary classic from a greedy, egomaniac, over-the-hill rocker, that will never be happy until he's taken every last penny from KISS fans around the world. Simmons argues that prostitution has been a way for women to "monetize" the "only thing that women have ever owned." His book makes prostitution seem glamorous, without bringing up any of the dark side of it. As usual, the only part of it he really relates to is the money.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A coffee table book by Gene Simmons (that you don't have to hide under your mattress)!, July 11, 2008

By	JERSEY ROCKER - See all my reviews

I've got to admit, the Gene Simmons POV really grows on you.... Here he's as diplomatic as ever, this time tackling--wait for it--SEX, or as he insists: "The oldest profession in the world."

This is a hot topic, put briefly and (dare I say it) eloquently.

I was totally impressed by the book itself--classic in its look and style. This one's for any history lovers, fans of Gene/Family Jewels/SEX MONEY KISS, fans of sex (and money and KISS), art...you get the point. Well worth the 40 bucks (or 20-something if you buy on Amazon).