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Solitary Sex

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Solitary Sex: A Cultural History of Masturbation
AuthorThomas W. Laqueur
PublisherZone Books
Publication date2003
ISBN978-1-890-95133-7

Solitary Sex: A Cultural History of Masturbation is a non-fiction book by American historian and sexologist Thomas W. Laqueur. It was published in 2003 by Zone Books. It discusses the history of masturbation, which Laqueur argues that western cultural perceptions of masturbation changed to be much more negative in the 18th century, a shift which he dates to the c. 1712 publication of anti-masturbation pamphlet Onania: or, the heinous sin of self-pollution.In a review in The Guardian, author Ian Sansom compared the book to masturbation in the sense that he found it "voluminous, occasionally repetitive, and undoubtedly fascinating". The Journal of Modern History also found the author's claims interesting, and praised Laqueur's writing and attention to detail. The reviewer also called the book unique, in part due to what they described as its status of one of the first complete books about masturbation. Historian Edward Shorter felt that the book was not so much a history of masturbation as a history of the cultural perceptions of masturbation. He also disagreed with several of Laqueur's claims, including his idea that masturbation became stigmatized in part due to the private nature of the act.

References

  1. Sansom, Ian (2003-07-26). "Review: A Cultural History of Masturbation by Thomas W Laqueur". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  2. Scrine, Clair (September 2005). "Solitary Sex: A Cultural History of Masturbation . By Thomas W. Laqueur. New York: Zone Books, 2003. Pp. 501. $34.00". The Journal of Modern History. 77 (3): 747–749. doi:10.1086/497727. ISSN 0022-2801.
  3. Shorter, Edward (July 2004). "Solitary Sex: A Cultural History of Masturbation . By Thomas W. Laqueur (New York, Zone Books, 2003) 501 pp. $34.00". The Journal of Interdisciplinary History. 35 (1): 116–117. doi:10.1162/002219504323091289. ISSN 0022-1953.

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