America Unzipped: In Search of Sex and Satisfaction

Alexander, a Glamour contributing editor and author of MSNBC's ""Sexploration"" column, seeks to pin down American sexuality by investigating the tension between America's ""hypersexual culture"" and the persistent, sexually conservative traditions which oppose it. Arguing that Americans of all kinds are embracing sexual exploration, Alexander wonders ""why there is so much sexual experimentation now and if anybody is finding any happiness doing it."" To find out, he sets off on a cross-country trek to interview average (and otherwise) Americans about their love lives. The journey's highlights include a talk with Phil Harvey, founder of his own ""porn and sex product empire""; preacher Joe Beam's sex class for married Christian couples; Alexander selling sex toys at a ""romance superstore"" in Arizona; Passion Party women in the Midwest; and a fetish convention in Florida. Most of Alexander's subjects have a rather permissive view of sexuality, so the book feels slightly weighted against social conservatives (though, according to his research, Alexander's focus mirrors the trend). Still, for anyone curious about the state of sexuality in America, this smart, intriguing tour will scratch your (intellectual) itch.