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Health & Lifestyle » Sex & Sexuality

Most Recommended Books

The Joy of Sex by Alex Comfort

“This was a seminal book. It not only reflected but created the sexual revolution. Even now, people who haven’t read it know what it’s about.”

Susan Quilliam,

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Our interviews on sex and sexuality cover everything from sex education to sperm. Relationship coach and agony aunt Susan Quilliam chooses her best books on sex, including the 1972 The Joy of Sex by Alex Comfort and Come As You Are: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life by Emily Nagoski. The Joy of Sex, she argues, is a classic, but suffers from the limitations of its time, including “a lot on the man as the active person”.  Quilliam’s new edition of the book has changed all this and removed the regular references to group sex and the suggestion of having sex on a moving motorbike. Nagoski’s book, Quilliam argues, needs no editing, and is “one of the best books ever written . . . for guiding women in particular through the minefield of their sexuality in today’s world.”

Eric Berkowitz—journalist, author and lawyer and author of Sex and Punishment: 4,000 years of Judging Desire—talks about sex and society.  He chooses works of literature, including The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee as well as history (Roman Sexualities, edited by Judith P Hallett and Marilyn B Skinner).  His own book ends at the end of the 19th century, because if he’d continued, he argued, the last chapter “would have been 450 pages long”.  Faramerz Dabhoiwala looks at the 18th century sexual revolution.  He chooses, amongst others, Clarissa by Samuel Richardson and Letters to the Women of England by Mary Robinson, arguing these books illustrate the nature of that revolution and the extent to which women were relatively disadvantaged by it.

Jonathan Zimmerman, Professor of Education and History at New York University explores the minefield of sex education and argues that any attempt to find a value-free way of teaching the subject “is a fool’s errand”.  Kate Figes talks about sex and marriage; she also chooses Comfort's The Joy of Sex. Her other choices include Married Love by Marie Stopes and Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. Evan Zimroth, the poet and novelist, chooses her best books on adultery. Fittingly, she breaks our rules and chooses six books.

Edmund White chooses his best works of gay fiction, including titles by Jean Genet, Christopher Isherwood, Alan Hollinghurst and E M Forster. Finally, to sex and sexuality in the animal kingdom as a whole: Tim Birkhead talks about sperm, how testes size among primates correlates very closely with promiscuity in a given species and how hens can reject the sperm of inferior cockerels, amongst other fascinating insights. Humans, he tells us, “are at the lower end of the [primate] scale, we’re not as exciting as chimpanzees [every male in the troupe copulates with every female every day], but not as dull as gorillas [silverbacks have no competition and so don’t need much sperm].”

    The best books on Dating, recommended by Mia Levitin

  • Read
    The best books on Dating - Ars Amatoria, or The Art of Love by Ovid, translated by Rolfe Humphries

    1

    Ars Amatoria, or The Art of Love
    by Ovid, translated by Rolfe Humphries

  • Read
    The best books on Dating - From Front Porch to Back Seat: Courtship in Twentieth-Century America by Beth L. Bailey

    2

    From Front Porch to Back Seat: Courtship in Twentieth-Century America
    by Beth L. Bailey

  • Read
    The best books on Dating - Dataclysm: Love, Sex, Race, and Identity — What Our Online Lives Tell Us about Our Offline Selves by Christian Rudder

    3

    Dataclysm: Love, Sex, Race, and Identity — What Our Online Lives Tell Us about Our Offline Selves
    by Christian Rudder

  • Read
    The best books on Dating - Modern Romance: An Investigation by Aziz Ansari

    4

    Modern Romance: An Investigation
    by Aziz Ansari

  • Read
    The best books on Dating - The Curious History of Dating: From Jane Austen to Tinder by Nichi Hodgson

    5

    The Curious History of Dating: From Jane Austen to Tinder
    by Nichi Hodgson

The best books on Dating, recommended by Mia Levitin

“Love,” wrote Ovid, “is no assignment for cowards.” Cultural critic Mia Levitin talks us through the history of seduction from the Classical era, through ballroom dancing, calling cards and into the present age of swiping on our mobile phones. Here she recommends five of the best books for those braving the modern dating scene.

    The best books on Sex, recommended by Susan Quilliam

  • Read
    The best books on Sex - Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life by Emily Nagoski

    1

    Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life
    by Emily Nagoski

  • Read
    The best books on Sex - The Joy of Sex by Alex Comfort

    2

    The Joy of Sex
    by Alex Comfort

  • Read
    The best books on Sex - The Hite Report by Shere Hite

    3

    The Hite Report
    by Shere Hite

  • Read
    The best books on Sex - Chéri by Colette

    4

    Chéri
    by Colette

  • Read
    The best books on Sex - Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx

    5

    Brokeback Mountain
    by Annie Proulx

The best books on Sex, recommended by Susan Quilliam

Sex: it’s all around us, but many of us still have questions. Relationship coach and author Susan Quilliam, who updated the 1970s classic, The Joy of Sex, talks us through the best sex guides and also some of the groundbreaking books that broke taboos and paved the way to more open-minded sexual attitudes.

    The best books on Sex Education, recommended by Jonathan Zimmerman

  • Read
    The best books on Sex Education - Spring Awakening by Frank Wedekind

    1

    Spring Awakening
    by Frank Wedekind

  • Read
    The best books on Sex Education - Coming of Age in Samoa by Margaret Mead

    2

    Coming of Age in Samoa
    by Margaret Mead

  • Read
    The best books on Sex Education - Sex and Society in Sweden by Birgitta Linner

    3

    Sex and Society in Sweden
    by Birgitta Linner

  • Read
    The best books on Sex Education - The Means of Reproduction by Michelle Goldberg

    4

    The Means of Reproduction
    by Michelle Goldberg

  • Read
    The best books on Sex Education - Not Under My Roof: Parents, Teens, and the Culture of Sex by Amy Schalet

    5

    Not Under My Roof: Parents, Teens, and the Culture of Sex
    by Amy Schalet

The best books on Sex Education, recommended by Jonathan Zimmerman

A one-size-fits-all approach to sex education cannot function in a globalised world, says professor of education and history, Jonathan Zimmerman. He picks the best books on sex education.

    The best books on Sex and Society, recommended by Eric Berkowitz

  • Read
    The best books on Sex and Society - The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

    1

    The Picture of Dorian Gray
    by Oscar Wilde

  • Read
    The best books on Sex and Society - Disorder in the Court by George Robb and Nancy Erber (editors)

    2

    Disorder in the Court
    by George Robb and Nancy Erber (editors)

  • Read
    The best books on Sex and Society - The Children’s Hour by Lillian Hellman

    3

    The Children’s Hour
    by Lillian Hellman

  • Read
    The best books on Sex and Society - Roman Sexualities by Judith P Hallett and Marilyn B Skinner (editors)

    4

    Roman Sexualities
    by Judith P Hallett and Marilyn B Skinner (editors)

  • Read
    The best books on Sex and Society - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

    5

    To Kill a Mockingbird
    by Harper Lee

The best books on Sex and Society, recommended by Eric Berkowitz

For thousands of years, human societies have tried to regulate sexual activity. The author of Sex and Punishment tells us why this should be so, and how what’s permissible has varied according to time and place.

    The best books on The 18th Century Sexual Revolution, recommended by Faramerz Dabhoiwala

  • Read
    The best books on The 18th Century Sexual Revolution - Social Bliss Considered by Peter Annet

    1

    Social Bliss Considered
    by Peter Annet

  • Read
    The best books on The 18th Century Sexual Revolution - The Journals of James Boswell by James Boswell

    2

    The Journals of James Boswell
    by James Boswell

  • Read
    The best books on The 18th Century Sexual Revolution - Clarissa by Samuel Richardson

    3

    Clarissa
    by Samuel Richardson

  • Read
    The best books on The 18th Century Sexual Revolution - A Letter to the Women of England by Mary Robinson

    4

    A Letter to the Women of England
    by Mary Robinson

  • Read
    The best books on The 18th Century Sexual Revolution - Ancient and Modern Pederasty Investigated and Exemplify'd by Thomas Cannon

    5

    Ancient and Modern Pederasty Investigated and Exemplify'd
    by Thomas Cannon

The best books on The 18th Century Sexual Revolution, recommended by Faramerz Dabhoiwala

The roots of our (generally) open attitude to sex lie not in the sixties but the 1760s, says the historian and author of The Origins of Sex, who explores this earlier sexual revolution through its literature.

    Edmund White recommends the best of Gay Fiction

  • Read
    Edmund White recommends the best of Gay Fiction - Our Lady of the Flowers by Jean Genet

    1

    Our Lady of the Flowers
    by Jean Genet

  • Read
    Edmund White recommends the best of Gay Fiction - A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood

    2

    A Single Man
    by Christopher Isherwood

  • Read
    Edmund White recommends the best of Gay Fiction - The Folding Star by Alan Hollinghurst

    3

    The Folding Star
    by Alan Hollinghurst

  • Read
    Edmund White recommends the best of Gay Fiction - Maurice by E M Forster

    4

    Maurice
    by E M Forster

  • Read
    Edmund White recommends the best of Gay Fiction - Dancer from the Dance by Andrew Holleran

    5

    Dancer from the Dance
    by Andrew Holleran

Edmund White recommends the best of Gay Fiction

The author, critic and creative writing professor tells us about the battle to establish gay fiction. He recommends five novels where beautiful writing and gay themes come together.

    The best books on Sperm, recommended by Tim Birkhead

  • Read
    The best books on Sperm - Biologische Untersuchungen (Die Spermien der Vogel) by Gustaf Retzius

    1

    Biologische Untersuchungen (Die Spermien der Vogel)
    by Gustaf Retzius

  • Read
    The best books on Sperm - Behavioural Ecology by J.R. Krebs (Editor), N.B. Davies (Editor)

    2

    Behavioural Ecology
    by J.R. Krebs (Editor), N.B. Davies (Editor)

  • Read
    The best books on Sperm - Sperm Competition and the Evolution of Animal Mating Systems by Robert L. Smith (Editor)

    3

    Sperm Competition and the Evolution of Animal Mating Systems
    by Robert L. Smith (Editor)

  • Read
    The best books on Sperm - Female Control by William Eberhard

    4

    Female Control
    by William Eberhard

  • Read
    The best books on Sperm - Sperm Competition and its Evolutionary Consequences in the Insects by Leigh W. Simmons

    5

    Sperm Competition and its Evolutionary Consequences in the Insects
    by Leigh W. Simmons

The best books on Sperm, recommended by Tim Birkhead

Professor Tim Birkhead is one of the pioneers of spermatology. He explains how promiscuous females can be selective about sperm, even after multiple inseminations

    The best books on Sex and Marriage, recommended by Kate Figes

  • Read
    The best books on Sex and Marriage - Married Love by Marie Stopes

    1

    Married Love
    by Marie Stopes

  • Read
    The best books on Sex and Marriage - The Joy of Sex by Alex Comfort

    2

    The Joy of Sex
    by Alex Comfort

  • Read
    The best books on Sex and Marriage - Sex and Psyche by Brett Kahr

    3

    Sex and Psyche
    by Brett Kahr

  • Read
    The best books on Sex and Marriage - Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

    4

    Love in the Time of Cholera
    by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

  • Read
    The best books on Sex and Marriage - Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy and translated by Rosamund Bartlett

    5

    Anna Karenina
    by Leo Tolstoy and translated by Rosamund Bartlett

The best books on Sex and Marriage, recommended by Kate Figes

Research shows that middle-aged sex is the best of people’s lives, says journalist and author Kate Figes. She picks the best books on sex and marriage.

    The best books on Adultery, recommended by Evan Zimroth

  • Read
    The best books on Adultery - The End of the Affair by Graham Greene

    1

    The End of the Affair
    by Graham Greene

  • Read
    The best books on Adultery - Light Years by James Salter

    2

    Light Years
    by James Salter

  • Read
    The best books on Adultery - Julia Paradise by Rod Jones

    3

    Julia Paradise
    by Rod Jones

  • Read
    The best books on Adultery - Simple Passion by Annie Ernaux

    4

    Simple Passion
    by Annie Ernaux

  • Read
    The best books on Adultery - Unopened Letters by Linda Zisquit

    5

    Unopened Letters
    by Linda Zisquit

  • Read
    The best books on Adultery - Birthday Letters by Ted Hughes

    6

    Birthday Letters
    by Ted Hughes

The best books on Adultery, recommended by Evan Zimroth

The poet, novelist and author of memoirs explores parallels between faith in the divine and commitment to a worldly erotic passion, and books that show you can have purity within licentiousness

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We ask experts to recommend the five best books in their subject and explain their selection in an interview.

This site has an archive of more than one thousand interviews, or five thousand book recommendations. We publish at least two new interviews per week.

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