Skin City: Uncovering the Las Vegas Sex Industry

I initially read this book on a whim from the library, after about the first 2 chapters I knew I had to buy it. The overall writing style can be a bit over tenuous, but the information inside is truly amazing. While we all hear about "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" and the amazing tales that come out of vacationing people there, we don't know the true story behind not only how people came to Vegas, why they came, and what life is really like behind all the hype of the world's party town. Very few books I can say that I had to re-read simply out of interest and the joy of reading, but this is one of those that draws you into itself, and the true persons of Las Vegas emerge. From the Oscars of Porn, to the Porn Stars themselves, to the steppers, pros. and not so pros. that were willing to talk about their lives, it envelops you and draws you to the Taboo questions you never feel ready or able to talk about but are truly interested in. I think that this book is a must read for anyone interested in Las Vegas, and the "underworld" that exists within the mysteries of visiting the one and only Las Vegas.

Not Fiction. This book is a presentation of information gleaned from interviews with women (and men) in the sex industry of Los Vegas. Its not just about prostitution, and its not particularly salacious. It is an interesting clear eyed look at a socially shunned part of living. You're not going to learn how to pick up a hooker, but you might learn who she is, what she's like, and why she's there. It fleshes out a stereotype. (Yeah, please ignore the pun...)

I loved the book and found that it showed the "other side" of Las Vegas that I "Joe Average" tourist never gets to see and never quite understood--it is nice to be able to put actual faces with the characters you only hear about...I have read several of Sheehan's books and the humor is once again captivating...This book would be great material for a movie or a TV reality show....

The first chapter, in which Sheehan describes his visit to the "Oscars of Porn" is the one that stood out for me. He plays the role of "Everyman" as he becomes our peephole into a world we've all been curious about but have never seen. His humor is infectious - I kept laughing out loud as I read about the people who call porn their career. Some of it is so outrageous - you just have to laugh.Everything in this book is just fascinating - I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend it - though given the cover - maybe read it in the privacy of your own home.Excellent!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Having been a visitor to sin city since the fifties I've always found fascination in the growth of the sex trade. Each of the eleven chapters details a different aspect of the industry, from porn, outcall, madams, strippers, swingers, male prostitution, and the police. the stories are written in more of a journalistic vein which gives the author more lattitude for exposition however I had hoped for a section(s) on the history and evolution of the sex industry in Southern Nevada. Most of the information is just an elaborated confirmation of what you can gather in a day in Vegas from the sex litertature you can get from the postcards and sex magazines given away freely on the streets. But several chapters ie. "The Oscars of Porn" and the chapter about "Mate Swapping" did explain areas of sexual interest that only a guide could explain without first hand knowledge. One thing that was clearly a revelation to me was the enormity of the industry and how it extends into all aspects of life, and not only in Las Vegas.The book reads easily and is enormously entertaining. It certainly takes a sympathetic view of the participantants and shows the industry from their side. I applaud Jack Sheehan's openness to withhold judgement. I also appreciated the time spent to allow the sex workers to explain how the made the psychological jump (excuse the pun) from a lay person to a service provider. Anyone who has ever wondered how the collective mind of the sex industry works will find an honest an open explanation that should lighten up even the most callous of conservatives.