Author Description

Explores the social dimensions of sexuality, topics such as the number of partners in both homosexual and heterosexual relationships, self- esteem and sex, masochism, cross-cultural comparisons, cultural vs. natural construction of sex, sex drive, pornography, novelty, rape, and marriage. Tice and Baumeister (Case Western U.) merge research in social psychology and human sexuality to shed light on sexual behavior shaped by society. For example, in discussing theories of why female sexual interest is suppressed, one of the circulating theories is that women need to withhold sex in order to gain male commitment, especially, financial. And so, the theory goes, it is not surprising that staunch believers in monogamy rail against prostitution and pornography (sex without commitment), since these undermine female power by offering something for "nothing." This book is geared toward the educated but not the academic, even if citing research studies is a constant mode of textual operation. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)