Reviews (2)

Not Just for Academics!
This book is a combination of pure Annie Sprinkle and the deconstruction of Sprinkle as provided by critical theorists. Theacademic sections can be heavy going if you're not used to that kind of writing, but this book is definitely worth getting, even if you end up skipping over the academic parts. The theory is like a frame around the artwork of Annie's life and like any good frame, takes up a small portion of the book, leaving the bulk of the pages for the actual art and information by and about Annie. Annie's art and life are just as vibrant and gorgeous whether you look at the frame or never notice it exists. The critique can help to set Annie's work into a larger context and it's worth reading, in my opinion, but if you love Annie Sprinkle but aren't into the post-modern scholarship thing, don't let that scare you away from "Hardcore from the Heart." Edgy, fun and bravely funny
Annie Sprinkle has been delighting us at the intellectual and visceral levels for at least a decade with her cutting edge approach to sexual taboos. I love the humor and wisdom she brings to the world of sex, and the way she makes me thinkthinkthink about the IDEAS underlying my sex life. Great stuff from a brilliant sexual philosopher and an adventurous feminist. Brava!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography/Autobiography    3. Entertainment & Performing Arts - General    4. Performance    5. Performing Arts    6. Pornography    7. Theater - History & Criticism   

Reviews (1)

Great
Very helpful for anyone who struggles with this or knows someone struggling with it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Christianity - Christian Life - Social Issues    2. Inspirational - Protestant Self Help    3. Pornography    4. Religion - Christian Life    5. Social Science    6. Sociology   

Reviews (30)

Supermodel Porn
Sure, this is an interesting and entertaining story. I couldn't tell where fact ended and fiction began. I was disappointed, being someone who has been both in front of and behind the camera in the adult film world, because it read more like a Hollywood-style script proposal.If you have a porn addiction or know someone who is obsessed by porn, get him this book. This book's chief virtue is not its black-and-white pictures but its honesty.They are so beautiful still but most are tragically destined to end up on the scrap heap of discarded flowers whose blooms have faded. After reading this book, I just desire to help these women if I can.Buy it and it may help you (or your friend) also cure their "supermodel porn" addiction as well.
Pornstar by Ian Gittler[Hardcover]
SUPER MINT condition; A SURE Collectors item; Visually Stunning Images; This book is an extraordinary marriage of memoir, photography, and investigative journalism and narration.This book is violent, funny, tragic, and uncompromising - a totally unprecidented portrait of adult stars and the beauty, heartbreak and fragility of their humanity.One of Ian Gittler's best works by far;Thank you Ian, and a BIG SUPPORTIVE THANK YOU to the porn industry.May Freedom of Speech keep your stories alive always.

i paid less than 12 bucks for this book, so it is worth it.....
there is not much pic to see in this book.if you read the text, then you will see that the author is constantly around naked porn stars, and a lot of the females were showing him the spread beaver.however, you won't be seeing much skin in this book, despite the fact that he apparently took a lot of pics.
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Subjects:  1. American actors    2. Biography    3. Erotic Films    4. Film & Video - Amateur Production    5. General    6. Motion picture actors and actr    7. Motion picture actors and actresses    8. Photo Essays    9. Photography    10. Photojournalism    11. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    12. Pornography    13. Sociology - General    14. Subculture    15. United States    16. Cultural studies    17. Films, cinema    18. Photographic reportage    19. Photography / Photojournalism    20. Sociology, Social Studies   

Reviews (5)

A Great Book For Insiders!
As someone who has dabbled in the erotica business, I highly Erotica and Censorship
This is a wonderfully conceived and splendidly executed history of the most important formative period of American erotica.Here, thanks to Gertzman's scholarship, the reader will find information available nowhere else:on marginal publishers and sexy books, and on the police and officials who tried to suppress them.The book chronicles investigations and campaigns by assorted smuthunters such as the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice, the Post Office, ambitious district attorneys, and the FBI.Gertzman breaks out the huge volume of erotica from underground presses into useful categories, and discusses each in detail, having drawn on neglected archives and hard-to-find resources.For all its careful scholarship, the book is a fine read.The discussion of Samuel Roth, perhaps the most notorious of all American pornographers, is itself worth the price of the book, because it allows Gertzman to speculate on the essential value of pornographers to a culture.

Interesting Story of the Jewish Presence in the Eroticia Bus
The author tackles the question of why people who distributed books which were banned or critized as pornography were often Jewish.He has done his homework, digging up prominent examples, and makes comparisons between theother kinds of dirty jobs immigrants and their sons did, and the publishingand selling of smut.Sometimes, this "smut" was greatliterature; sometimes it was just plain curious and brought in good moneyduring the depression.You get to know some of these men pretty well.Youdo not like them much, maybe, but you do understand. The author does a goodjob of explaining the career of the most famous of these publishers, a verycomplex and haunted man you diskike, but feel sorry for too. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Erotica    2. General    3. Pornography    4. Pornography (Social Aspects)    5. Social Science    6. Sociology    7. United States    8. United States - 20th Century   

Subjects:  1. Caribbean & West Indies    2. Caribbean Area    3. Pornography    4. Sex tourism    5. Social Science    6. Sociology    7. Sociology - General    8. Women's Studies - General    9. Caribbean islands    10. Pornography & obscenity    11. Prostitution    12. Social Science / Women's Studies    13. Tourism industry   

Reviews (6)

not so great
I did not find this book helpful or comforting.It basically was about the author's marriage and did not offer any helpful suggestions.I was comforted to know that another woman experienced the same hurt, however, I needed ways to help get through the pain....not read the details for her marriage.

Finally, someone understands where Iam coming from!
The words of the author were a mirror image of the words of my heart, except I didn't know how to express it quite so succinct. This book provides practical and Biblical advice for couples faced with sexual addiction. It moved me from anger, bitterness and denial to coping strategies. I finally began to make sense of sexual addiction and how it has affected my marriage whether I realized it or not. I recommend this book for any wife that finds herself broken hearted and not knowing what to do next.

An Excellent Resource
Stone Cold in a Warm Bed is beautifully written. The Wilson's have confronted a difficult issue with sensitivity, compassion and wisdom. They not only share their story, they take the reader through a step by step process of healing.Kathryn Wilson illustrates what women need to know and what couples need to share in order to bring their marriage back into a healthy union.Readers will learn how faith can rebuild a marriage and heal the wounds of a sexual addiction.Kathryn Wilson's personal account and guidance will instruct and inspire women.They will find the hope they need and never feel alone again after reading this book. The most helpful Christian book on this topic that I have seen!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Christianity    2. Inspirational - Protestant Self Help    3. Marriage    4. Men    5. Pornography    6. Religion    7. Religion - Christian Life    8. Religion - Christian Living    9. Religious aspects    10. Sexual behavior    11. Substance Abuse & Addictions - Sexual   

Reviews (3)

Best reference of it's type available
It's a reference book folks, not something you curl up with to read on a rainy afternoon. At last, a comprehensive guide!
Pay no attention to that last reviewer... I'm not exactly sure what he thought he was buying.Buy this book for one purpose alone - to serve as a comprehensive reference tool.If you're a serious fan of X-rated movies,particularly a collector, this is just the book you need.Whenever youwant to know exactly how many films a starlet made, and exactly what thetitles are, you just flip this open and there's all the relevant info,indexed by the actress (or actor, but why you'd want that is beyond me). Kudos to Patrick Riley!!(Don't look to this book for details of what eachactress DOES in each movie - he has another book for that, which I plan toget when I find it.)

Ugh! Phooey! Yuk! (Get the message?)
I sure wish I could get my money back. I bought this book about 18 months ago at a bookstore and after a few months I wished I could take it back, but they had gone out of business ( hope this doesn't happen to you Amazon) :-) . This guy Riley doesn't have much taste or imagination. Don't waste your money. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bibliographies & Indexes    2. Catalogs    3. Credits    4. Erotic Films    5. Film & Video - General    6. Film & Video - Guides & Reviews    7. Individual Movie Actors And Actresses    8. Motion picture actors and actr    9. Motion picture actors and actresses    10. Movie/Tv Tie-Ins    11. Performing Arts    12. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    13. Pornography    14. Bibliographies, catalogues, discographies    15. Directories    16. Films, cinema   

Features

• Illustrated

Reviews (3)

A welcome new perspective
Heh.It appears to me that both the previous reviewers missed the point of this interesting book.Let not the prospective reader be misled by them. This work is good but misses the mark
I found this book to be filled with facts about porn and women over the past three or so decades, however, it left me rather cold as to it's approach to the reader. I did not feel involved with the contents. It readmore like a dictionary or encyclopedia than an expose or display on sex andporn and women. I found the amount of research to be adequate and all, butI just did not feel a part of what the author was trying to accomplish. Ifelt rather distant and cold to an issue which has been hotly debated sincethe begining of time. The book is interesting and well written, but notpassionate by any standard. It certainly does not use flair, or even wrycomedy to bring home it's points. It chooses to acomplish it's goals byjust giving you the facts and nothing but the facts, madam. I may belooking at this issue from a male standpoint but after reading Woman, anintimate geography(which was fantastic), this left me a little cold.

Wonderful Book!
A very refreshing view of women and pornography! People have beenbrainwashed for years about how horrible pornography is toward women! Soits about time someone starts to point out the wonderful aspects of womenand porn!There is certainly nothing degrading about porn! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Human Sexuality    2. Pornography    3. Sexual behavior    4. Social Science    5. Social aspects    6. Sociology    7. Women    8. Women and erotica    9. Women's Studies - General   

Reviews (2)

Still relevant after all these years
I have to take issue with Peter Summers review of Kappeler's work, which seems to assume a kind of progress that I can't see. He uses as an example of Kappeler's outdatedness the quote: ""It is, in fact, impossible that women, black people, the working classes and consumers attain anything like their 'democratic rights', anything like full human rights and liberty within the present cultural system of values.""Still sounds right to me. One thing he misses is Kappeler's value as a contemporary counter to anti-porn feminists like Andrea Dworkin.It's true that the book is long on theory, but theory is a good thing when it helps to explain culture.This is a text which has helped me think about representation/imagery for over twenty years now, far more useful than more famous books like Sontag's _On Photography_. Another point the previous reviewer misses is the way that Kappeler connects racism and sexism and sees both as essential aspects of patriarchal culture.

The Meaning of 'Phallic Vexation'
This book was published in 1986 but I only came across it (second hand) in 2001. It caused me to wonder whether people still agree with a feminist critique that describes sexual intercourse as 'phallic vexation', comments that 'with lovers like men, who needs torturers?' and includes the all encompassing statement:Read more

Subjects:  1. Feminism    2. Pornography    3. Representation (Philosophy)    4. Social aspects    5. Sociology    6. Women's Studies    7. Reference, Information and Interdisciplinary Subjects   

Reviews (5)

dreamland
Jeff Burton is an amazing photographer.His book covers and uncovers it all!It is sexy, funny, shocking, and beautiful. I find it difficult to choose favorites. I love the man with tattoo and the woman's nylons.The cat and the shredded draperies made me smile. A Thought-Provoking Treasure and Feast for the Eye
I find Dreamland a beautiful, disturbing, heartachingly sensitive "story" of human desire.For those looking for yet another cheesy peep show, this book is bound to be a disappointment. For anyone interested in exploring the borderlines where lust and virtue, gratification and despair, dreams and reality, generosity and commerce blur, this book is a thought-provoking treasure and a feast for the eye.

Not what I expected
As a another customer commented, you might expect the contents of this book to reflect the photo on the cover. But that would be a mistake.If you're expecting something along the lines of Roffman or Underhill, this book isn't for you -- the subject matter is grittier and the suggestive nudity depicts mixed sexes in many shots. Most surprising, though, is that most of the pages aren't sexual at all and instead seem to focus on the Hollywood sign, L.A. buildings, and nature scenes. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Documentary Photo Collections    2. Erotic Films    3. Gay/Lesbian Nonfiction    4. Photoessays & Documentaries    5. Photography    6. Photography, Erotic    7. Pictorial works    8. Pornography    9. Subjects & Themes - Erotica    10. Subjects & Themes - Portraits    11. Photographs: portraits   

Reviews (1)

A must read for anyone open minded
A very thought provoking analysis of the psychological and social foundations and implications of pornography. Occasionally the analysis seems somewhat onedimensional which is due to the usual shortcomings of the psychoanalytic method. There are obvious spots where a phylosophical discussion would be extremely interesting while the book proceeds to develope psychological ideas. That, however, is consisten with the goal and spirit of the text. The views very balanced and non-ideological. A must read for anyone interested in the subject matter or just looking for deeper arguments in bar conversations. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Politics/International Relations    2. Pornography    3. Pornography (Social Aspects)    4. Sociology    5. Sociology - Social Theory    6. Political Science / General    7. Pornography & obscenity   

Reviews (3)

No scholarship here!
The book has some interesting vintage erotic photos, but virtually no attempt is made to place them in any historical context. The text is uninformative and useless. A waste of money!

A Report on porn?
This book can hardly be considered an in-depth report on American commercial sexual activity. John Quinn's text, in sixty or so pages, is a superficial overview of the last hundred years illustrated with a few vintage porn and burlesque photos, I would have expected to see examples of Tijuana Bibles, burlesque and film posters, men's magazine covers, video boxes, adult web-site home pages etc, etc. Dian Hansen contributes an interesting short postscript on the future of porn. TASCHEN Does it Again!
This is a cover-to-cover porn odyssey...no holds barred.My copy has a very cool pink 3-D-psychodelic cover and while the text is minimal, the images are not.Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Photoessays & Documentaries    3. Photography    4. Pornography    5. Subjects & Themes - Erotica    6. Erotic art    7. Pornography & obscenity   

Reviews (4)

A Great Look at the Sexiest Men from Titan Men Magazine
"Bruno Gmunder presents Titan Men. A book with a great look at the sexiest men from [T]itan [M]en magazine. Men hanging out looking fine as ever. You deserve a look. Don`t Miss this 2006 Collector's Edition! FULL COLOR!"--� zebraz

Studs to the Ying-Yang
Rugged, rough, sexy, sleazy, hypermasuline, poetic...these are only some of the words that describe this photo journey through the studs of Titan.

Unbelievably Sexy!
Treat yourself to this book, you won't be disappointed. The men are extraordinarily handsome with the right stuff in all the right places. As the other reviewer stated, don't expect any scrawny, chicken-legged twinks in this. Full of well-endowed beefcakes with hairy chests to the max! Enjoy! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions    2. Photoessays & Documentaries    3. Photography    4. Pornography    5. Social Science    6. Sociology    7. Subjects & Themes - Erotica    8. Subjects & Themes - Nudes    9. Erotic art   

Reviews (1)

All hail the new Sotos
Peter Sotos, Tick (Creation, 2000)Read more

Subjects:  1. Erotica - General    2. Fiction    3. General    4. Nonfiction - True Crime / Espionage    5. Pornography    6. True Crime / Espionage    7. Crime & criminology    8. Sex & sexuality   

Reviews (1)

You will not get off on this book -- you will grow with it
For most people who do BDSM or any of its components, the motivation is fun and hot sex.For Bob Flanagan it was a way to exploit the body that was betraying him through illness and make himself as much of a master of it as he could be.Six interviews are the bulk of the book -- each accompanied with pictures from his life.This is also a brief collection of his art and an interview with his partner.Three years after this book, Bob Flanagan's body would give out and he would pass into a better world where I hope that the only "pain" he feels are those that are good for him.It is a moving and distrubing account of his struggle with illness and his attempts to make the world more aware of and accepting of others like himself. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Entertainment & Performing Arts - General    5. Individual Photographer    6. Performance    7. Pornography    8. Specific Groups - Special Needs    9. Subjects & Themes - Erotica   

Reviews (1)

An Academic Book On Lewd Books
Two hundred years from now, some academic will publish an analysis of pornography on the inchoate internet; how it reflected our medical and social views, how it changed our views of the sexes, how it favored some activities over others, and so on.Everyone knows that humans have enjoyed porn for about as long as they have enjoyed sex, but probably the age of the internet is going to make things different.In eighteenth century Britain, people had to put up with the print media, but the eighteenth century was a time of rapid change, with advances in medicine, science, and exploration.Many of these were reflected in the erotic works of the time, and such works have now been analyzed in _Mighty Lewd Books: The Development of Pornography in Eighteenth Century England_ (Palgrave Macmillan) by Julie Peakman.Peakman, who is a historian of sex, has gone through scads of original material from the time; her extensive bibliography, for instance, has four pages of works attributed to that prolific author, Anonymous.Her title comes from a diary entry of Pepys, in which he confesses to reading a little of "... a mighty lewd book, but yet not amiss for a sober man once to read over to inform himself in the villainy of the world."Peakman's own book is far from lewd; it is a serious academic treatise, and as for villainy, most people who take an interest in this subject are probably not going to be as self-servingly judgmental as Pepys was.There is necessarily some low humor in some of the works covered, the publishers were often a furtive lot whom society wished to castigate, and there are prejudices we now think are unfashionable; but this is far from a catalogue of villainies.Peakman has written in an unjudgmental and detached tone throughout, giving a valuable view of some of the foundations of modern pornography.
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Subjects:  1. 18th century    2. England    3. English literature    4. English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh    5. Erotic literature, English    6. Europe - Great Britain - General    7. History    8. History and criticism    9. History: World    10. Literature - Classics / Criticism    11. Modern - 19th Century    12. Pornography    13. British & Irish history: c 1700 to c 1900    14. Erotic fiction    15. History of specific subjects    16. Literature: Special Interest    17. Pornography & obscenity    18. United Kingdom, Great Britain    19. c 1700 to c 1800    20. c 1800 to c 1900   

Reviews (1)

Worth a look
yes, it's a bad title and scary cover, but there's some good writing to be found within. the kind of feminist thinking about porn that you definitely won't find inthe mass media -- or the new york review of books. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Feminism    2. Obscenity (Law)    3. Pornography    4. Social aspects    5. Sociology    6. Women's Studies - General    7. Performing Arts / General   

Reviews (2)

Refreshing lack of sensationalism
I've actually worked in the adult industry (I work at a production company) for 10 years, and I've read a lot of books and articles about it.I think this book is the one I enjoyed the most.
Complete Rubbish
I was so happy to get this book! I am obsessed with "behind the scenes" of tawdry subjects like this, and I had high hopes.Read more

Subjects:  1. Erotica - General    2. Film & Video - General    3. General    4. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    5. Popular Culture - General    6. Pornography    7. Social Science    8. Sociology    9. Education / Multicultural Education    10. Films, cinema    11. Popular culture    12. USA   

Reviews (1)

Excellent Inquiry Into A Volatile Issue
The "Opposing Viewpoints" series usually provides an interesting look at a controversial subject from a variety of differing perspectives. Their volume on pornography is no exception.
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Subjects:  1. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 10-12)    2. General    3. Juvenile Nonfiction    4. Pornography    5. Social Issues - General    6. Social Problems (General) (Young Adult)    7. Sociology   

Reviews (2)

Pornoland
The photos are beautiful and aproach the subject - pornography industry - with a sensible touch, as well as display this universe on a rather unusual way. The images are at the same time poetical and documental ( which means that we can figure out real people behind porn icons). The presentation text, by Martin Amis, whom I think, do not need a formal presentation since he is one of the best known contemporary british writers, also focuses the people and their motivations beyond the characters they play in the media / product they sell.Photographer de Luigi has a very accurate aesthetic sense as much as is good enough to catch his subject avoiding deja vu, posing and vulgarity.

An Adventure Book!
PORNOLAND is not what you would imagine from the title: this is not a down-and-dirty expose of the seamy exploitation of pornography.This book is a running commentary on the world of making Porn movies, an industry that has flourished since the first movie camera was made (and indeed, in etchings and drawings that date back centuries in time!).Photographer Stefano de Luigi has traveled to Los Angeles, Milan, Budapest, Prague, Tokyo,and Dortmund and captured the process involved of making low budget, negligibly scripted, one-movie-per-day pornography flicks: his photographs are more about color and atmosphere on set than they are about the actors at work.The impact of this voyeuristic journey is made more solid by the accompanying writings of Martin Amis (whose novels such as the current 'Yellow Dog' continue to be best sellers).
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Subjects:  1. Erotic films    2. General    3. Individual Photographer    4. Photoessays & Documentaries    5. Photography    6. Pictorial works    7. Pornography    8. Pornography (Social Aspects)    9. Sex-oriented businesses    10. Social Science    11. Sociology    12. Subjects & Themes - Erotica