Threesomes: Studies in Sex, Power, and Intimacy

Karlen follows his classic Sexuality and Homosexuality with this report based on a 20-year study and interviews with approximately 200 people. Surprisingly uninhibited male and female respondents provide data on their sexual triads: two women erotically engaged with one man; less often, the reverse and other variations. Describing several sexual occasions with two men, a teacher explains that they're great for her, but, ``to fulfill my husband, I really want to get him two ladies . . . ''; an author delights in his ``beautiful, three-way, live-in marriage.'' Readers will wonder at the lives of the children of parents who revel in threesome sexuality, yet the objective Karlen makes no judgments: he merely states that he is not sure that these youngsters are worse off than those in a traditional home. He adds, however, that very few of the interviewees would talk about their children. Controversial as it may be, the study is a significant contribution to the understanding of sexual behavior. (May)