With Pleasure: Thoughts on the Nature of Human Sexuality

This is an intriguing book, provocative in its content and noteworthy in its presentation. In terms of presentation, the book is not just social science or behavioral science but has something of the flavor of a legal brief. That is, the authors are concerned not only to expand a reader's conception of human sexuality but to argue that such an expanded conception is a good thing. They militate against narrow views of human sexuality by bringing in evidence from primate behavior and from human societies that are outside the mainstream. The central argument of the book is that sex, as the authors have observed it in its various forms, does not have as its primary end procreation but is an act done, well, "with pleasure" and therefore has procreation as its byproduct. And then the authors take off their empirical behavioral-science hats and go into advocacy mode: since sex is observed to be done "with pleasure," everybody therefore should see sex as primarily about pleasure and not procreation. And the authors go from observational mode to advocacy mode quite seamlessly, "with pleasure," I should say. The authors don't have to go out of their way to provoke; some of the information presented here is so eye-widening as to be provocative in its own right. The book is overall quite entertaining, and I recommend it to open-minded readers wishing to be entertained and as well to more conservative readers willing to be open-minded, at least for the duration of the reading of the book.

Very informational and educational. Easy to read and not dull as expected.

Professors Abramson and Pinkerton have done an admirable job analyzing human sexuality from a modern (i.e., multi-disciplinary) perspective. Their thoughtful presentation demonstrates great moral and intellectual courage. Consequently, I predict their book will be kindly received by thoughtful individuals well into the future. A hearty thanks to the authors for having written this ground-breaking book!