Kink: The Shocking Hidden Sex Lives of Americans

No, this book certainly does not espouse the alternative sexual lifestyle. Nor is it a pleasant read. Basically, Bakos describes the "alternative" sex scene from the "vanilla sex" perspective. Although she does not sugarcoat her observations, I did not find her writing biased. I stumbled upon this book at a time when I found myself in a new relationship where things were happening I did not quite understand. I credit this book, and am eternally grateful to Bakos, for pulling me from the brink of a potentially dangerous D/S relationship. Particularly, the section about psychological traits (distance/coldness) at the end of the book strongly resonated with my own experience. While there may be perfectly healthy, sane and rational people practicing BDSM, there are also many dysfunctional and sick people drawn to SM and its variations. Among the recent slew of publications embracing alternative sexuality and attempting to educate the public, Bakos raises a lone and much needed critical voice.