'O': The Intimate History of the Orgasm - Hardcover

The secret history of the orgasm, from its evolutionary beginnings to its current iconic status.
When, in 1558, an anatomist called Columbus discovered the clitoris, a whole new world of sexual pleasure opened up - and it was a steady progress climaxing in the present Golden Age.
That at least is the official history. Here Jonathan Margolis produces evidence to show that in Europe and America progress was extremely slow while in other places the secrets of the orgasm created almost unimaginable worlds of pleasure. The book draws on orgasm's biology, anthropology, psychology, technology and sociology. Revered in ancient societies, by the 13th century, modesty ruled: St. Francis of Assisi would throw himself into a thorn bush to disguise unwanted erections and avoid all possibility of orgasm. Victorians still regarded the female orgasm as a form of hysteria and, in the 19th century, women were strongly advised against riding bicycles for this reason. Later, in Edwardian Britain and America, vibrators were routinely advertised in respectable women's magazines as a form of handy household appliance. Margolis considers the effect of the Pill, feminism and Viagra on the state of the orgasm in the 21st century.
Packed with fascinating facts and insights, Margolis's mischievous history of the orgasm will both amuse and inform.

According to the World Health Organization, more than a hundred million acts of sexual intercourse take place every day. In this immensely entertaining and informative book, Margolis lays out in glorious and rich detail the widely varied human experience of sex beyond the simple and necessary act of reproduction. From straightforward biology of the human body to the mind-bendingly various cultural norms and practices within human civilizations past and present, Margolis presents a beautifully written, deep-focus view of human sexual pursuit, gratification and frustration. According to Margolis, the orgasm has been cherished, misunderstood, feared and pandered to throughout the ages. He cites anthropological research indicating that while the innate human tendency toward "pair bonding" holds true, sex and pleasure were once free and synonymous. Orgasm, with its white-hot physical pleasure and consciousness-altering effects, was worshiped in many developing cultures. As civilizations became more sophisticated about reproduction and, sadly, property rights, orgasms and who gives, receives and enjoys them, became increasingly regulated. In the West particularly, the female orgasm—always a mystery to the mostly patriarchal power structure—was increasingly seen as a threat to the advancement of social development. In the modern age, science has taken a front seat in the understanding and exploration of this most basic of human experience, with mixed results. While women have made strides toward orgasmic equality, in Margolis's view there is still some way to go. Neither leering nor squeamish, Margolis has created a fresh, compelling work guaranteed to ignite much late-night conversation.
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