Sex Appeal: Six Ethical Principles for the 21st Century
Paul R. Abramson. Oxford University Press, USA, $19.95 (140pp) ISBN 978-0-19-539389-7
UCLA psychology professor and sex authority Abramson (Romance in the Ivory Tower) offers six tenets for a healthy attitude towards sexuality in this well-written but unsurprising treatise. Though the book clocks in at a slim 160 pages, it feels much longer, as Abramson covers well-trod territory regarding sexual harassment, preventing childhood sexual abuse, the perils of sexually-transmitted diseases, and causes for marital happiness and discord. It also doesn't help that his six principles-do no harm, celebrate sex, be careful, know yourself, speak up and speak out, and throw no stones-can, admittedly, be boiled down to three: know thyself, respect others, and enjoy the ride. Abramson's arguments for honesty in relationships and the value of self-knowledge are unassailable, and backed up with occasionally absorbing anecdotes (for instance, a brief look at masculinity in the Sambia tribe of New Guinea), but anyone interested enough to purchase this classroom lecture in book form probably won't learn anything new.
Details
Reviewed on: 02/01/2010
Genre: Nonfiction
Other - 157 pages - 978-0-19-974208-0