Two Words, One Answer.
virginity
 Virginity Lost: An Intimate Portrait of First Sexual Experiences $21.00 I decided to take a Human Sexuality class for a behavioral sciences credit at my college. I had heard a lot of good things about the course, and I knew that I would enjoy it (which I did). A large requirement (20% of the grade) for the course was to select, read, and report on a book about human sexuality, anything from childhood development to abuse to positions. Reviewing the list of approved books, Virginity Lost immediately caught my eye, so I signed myself up for it before it was taken by someone else. As part of her research, Dr. Laura Carpenter interviews (if I recall correctly) 61 people, of which the vast majority are non-virgins. She features many of their stories, writing down parts in the book as focal points of discussions. In her research, she found that all of the people she interviewed saw sex as one of three things: the stigma, the gift, or the rite of passage (in many cases, the rite was often present with the stigma/gift view). The first thing the book dives into is defining what sex and virginity is. Chapter 1 is the brief history on virginity loss - very brief indeed, but provides valuable insight on later chapters. Did you know that early Christians believed women to be naturally pure and only had to keep their abstinence, but it had to be cultivated in men and had to be encouraged to be celibate? Or that the "date" was invented by middle-class White people in the late early 20th century, and men paid for dates because they were the ones who worked and had money? Or that, through the ages, views on sexuality swung from very free to very conservative? Even further, the book touches upon how to define virginity loss in itself. Generally the accepted view is vaginal intercourse, but where do homosexuals fit in? Are their views of sex incorrect, and are they always going to be virgins because they do it differently? If a person has oral sex, but not vaginal sex, can they consider themselves moral virgins (as many people in the past did)? Thing is, no matter how interesting the subject is, it can always be made out to be DREADFULLY boring if the writing style is too technical. Dr. Carpenter doesn't fall into this trap. Although her book could obviously be used for students of sociology or psychology or by her peers in the field, it can also be read and understood by pretty much anyone with at least a 10th-grade reading level (although I've always scored very high on reading tests, so I may be distorting my memory of other 10th graders' reading abilities). Although she doesn't skimp on the detail *due to necessity*, Carpenter's style of writing is relatively simple for a rather complex idea and study. I didn't find myself phasing out and re-reading the same page 6 times, like I have with other frustrating reading requirements. She does not overload the reader with advanced theories and go on long tangents that almost entirely remove themselves from the book's topic. I recommend this book to anyone who likes sociology or psychology, needs to write a paper on a book (like I did) but has no idea what kind of book, or simply would like to know more about sexuality and virginity loss.  The Purity Myth: How America's Obsession with Virginity Is Hurting Young Women $24.95 First, let me say that if I had to star this review based on the technical writing skill, I would have given it 4 stars - Valenti's writing is tight. However, she has missed the boat on this one. She sings beautifully to the choir, but if she has any notion to sway a person who at present values the concept of virginity into believing that it is actually destructive (particularly for women), she has used all the wrong arguments - in fact, it's obvious that she doesn't even know the issues for such a person. Whereas, what she reports is real - yes, men have sought to control women to maintain their purity for one social or relegious reason or other - all that history is irrelevant to the young person right now, today, in his or her own little world, who is trying to remain pure until marriage. The reasons these little salmon swim upstream has to do with a personal, spiritual quest and/or a very prudent strategy to avoid sexually transmitted disease, pregnancy (or impregnating) and risk of reproductive system cancers. In a culture such as the Arab world, where there are still strong social prohibitions on premarital sex, sure, a gal who gives it up is going to be branded. But in America today?? Give me a break. A liberal think-tank that researches reproductive health published a study in 2006 (based on 2002 data) that stated 95% of Americans have premarital sex. If there's a myth about purity, it's that it is important anymore in our society. Get with the times, Valenti, and look beyond that old women's rights struggle. We have them now, we're exercising them now - the pressure to have sex (not abstain from it) is proof of that.  First Timer's Kit: The Complete Guide to Losing Your Virginity $14.95 I was unlucky in love until someone bought me the Three Wolf Shirt from Amazon. After wearing that shirt, the ladies started piling up. The problem? I did not know what to do once I had them. Even the awesome amazing studly powers of the wolf shirt did not overcome improper technique!!! The answer? THIS KIT! I am now not only desirable, but I can back that up with over 10 positions! Real quotes overheard from ladies after I bought this kit. "Wow...my last boyfriend only knew 9 positions!" "Wow...you are amazing!" "Wow...I did not think it possible, but your collection of rare Hero's of intercourse trading cards make you even more desirable than your Spider-Man Issue #1 did" Guys, I can not stress enough how important this kit is to your love life. Sure the Wolf Shirt can bring the ladies in, but this kit keeps them coming back for more! |
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