What wild ecstasy : the rise and fall of the sexual revolution (edição 1997)

They said that the birth control pill would change everything. It almost did, for a decade or two, until STDs, libidinal burnout, and the Meese Commission put a stop to the fun. This book is a historical overview of those years, with elements of sociology and sexology. A history of the changes, good and bad, during “the giddy decade” when sex came out of the closet. Changes in sexual mores. Changes in hemlines and permissiveness. The growth of the pornography industry. The evolution of porn from artful erotica to “full-frontal” and hard core. Women’s liberation, LGBT liberation. Free-love cults, swinging clubs, wife swapping, orgies and group sex. Reactions to the changes from the Religious Right and radical feminists.

Here are discussions of censorship, adultery, abortion, AIDS, prostitution, bizarre sex practices, and many other topics. Sex researchers such as Masters and Johnson. Pornographers and porn actors. Is pornography demeaning to women? Does it incite to rape? Does the Mafia control the porn business? Is sex therapy legitimate or a scam? Can sexual orientation be changed by therapy? How prevalent is homosexuality? These are only a few of the issues discussed. Are sex surveys such as the Kinsey Report to be believed?

Some interesting stats from various surveys:
One in three or four women had an abortion. (page 125)
Three out of ten pregnancies ended in abortions. (122)
Two thirds of white males had sex with prostitutes. (21)
Median number of sex partners over a lifetime: 7.3. (354)
Median frequency of intercourse: once per week. (354)

The author calls for sexual freedom, a permanent sexual revolution emancipated from false inhibitions, guilt, and hang-ups. He wants to rescue sexuality from the grips of “politicians, clergies, and ideologues.” This book is “a call to arms against … the sexual tyranny that men continue to impose on women.” It covers human sexuality from just about every angle, normal and abnormal. It is fair and sympathetic to sexual minorities.

Recommended to readers who would like to understand those years and those changes. Could be better organized but the research is good and the writing is excellent. The topic is interesting, though sordid at times. Not recommended to prudes. I wish the type fonts were larger and easier to read, but they are readable. Indexed and sourced, but no illustrations. ( )