Against Love: A Polemic


Laura Kipnis - 2003
    Love is, as everyone knows, a mysterious and all-controlling force, with vast power over our thoughts and life decisions.But is there something a bit worrisome about all this uniformity of opinion? Is this the one subject about which no disagreement will be entertained, about which one truth alone is permissible? Consider that the most powerful organized religions produce the occasional heretic; every ideology has its apostates; even sacred cows find their butchers. Except for love.Hence the necessity for a polemic against it. A polemic is designed to be the prose equivalent of a small explosive device placed under your E-Z-Boy lounger. It won't injure you (well not severely); it's just supposed to shake things up and rattle a few convictions.

Boys & Sex: Young Men on Hookups, Love, Porn, Consent, and Navigating the New Masculinity


Peggy Orenstein - 2020
    It also had an unexpected effect on its author: Orenstein realized that talking about girls is only half the conversation. Boys are subject to the same cultural forces as girls—steeped in the same distorted media images and binary stereotypes of female sexiness and toxic masculinity—which equally affect how they navigate sexual and emotional relationships. In Boys & Sex, Peggy Orenstein dives back into the lives of young people to once again give voice to the unspoken, revealing how young men understand and negotiate the new rules of physical and emotional intimacy.Drawing on comprehensive interviews with young men, psychologists, academics, and experts in the field, Boys & Sex dissects so-called locker room talk; how the word “hilarious” robs boys of empathy; pornography as the new sex education; boys’ understanding of hookup culture and consent; and their experience as both victims and perpetrators of sexual violence. By surfacing young men’s experience in all its complexity, Orenstein is able to unravel the hidden truths, hard lessons, and important realities of young male sexuality in today’s world. The result is a provocative and paradigm-shifting work that offers a much-needed vision of how boys can truly move forward as better men.

Women Who Love Too Much: When You Keep Wishing and Hoping He'll Change


Robin Norwood - 1985
    Therapist Robin Norwood describes loving too much as a pattern of thoughts and behaviour which certain women develop as a response to problems from childhood.

Sex for One: The Joy of Selfloving


Betty Dodson - 1987
    With warmth and intelligence, and informative line drawings, Dodson explains how anyone can learn to fully enjoy the pleasures of self-love, pointing out that masturbation is still the safest sex.

Henry and June: From "A Journal of Love": The Unexpurgated Diary of Anaïs Nin, 1931-1932


Anaïs Nin - 1986
    From late 1931 to the end of 1932, Nin falls in love with Henry Miller's writing and his wife June's striking beauty. When June leaves Paris for New York, Henry and Anaïs begin a fiery affair that liberates her sexually and morally, but also undermines her marriage and eventually leads her into psychoanalysis. As she grapples with her own conscience, a single question dominates her thoughts: What will happen when June returns to Paris? An intimate account of one woman's sexual awakening, Henry and June exposes the pain and pleasure felt by a single person trapped between two loves.

Why He Didn't Call You Back: 1,000 Guys Reveal What They Really Thought About You After Your Date


Rachel Greenwald - 2009
    One minute there was a potential romance happening, and the next? He vanished, inexplicably. If you knew why men reacted in these ways, you could do something about it next time when the right guy comes along. So Rachel Greenwald did what you’re too embarrassed to do yourself. As a renowned dating coach with a Harvard MBA, she applied business savvy to the dating world by conducting in-depth "Exit Interviews" with 1,000 single men, asking them why they hadn’t called back after a date or online flirtation. By refusing to accept glib responses such as "There was just no chemistry," she extracted unabashedly honest and raw answers. It turns out that men leave women hanging for clear, consistent reasons. The Top Ten Date-Breakers–revealed here in Greenwald’s unique research–are the result of signals that women of all ages send unknowingly, but are easily fixed. Citing true anecdotes and case studies, this book examines the most frequent date-breakers that men confessed, and offers practical advice on how you can avoid them. Greenwald’s goal isn’t for you to pretend to be someone you’re not, but rather to keep the ball in your court. By using her research results as a guide to tweak your comments and gestures, you’ll have more men asking to see you again. Then you can accept or decline their invitations: you’re doing the selecting–not them. In today’s increasingly complex dating world, both online and offline, learning how to maximize your dates is essential. With a fresh and entertaining behind-the-scenes vantage point, Why He Didn’t Call You Back offers simple solutions that empower women to choose the men they really want to date.

Sexy Witch


Lasara Firefox Allen - 2005
    Utterly honest and captivating, LaSara FireFox banishes the damaging misconceptions and shame often associated with female sexuality and sheds light on what it truly means to be a “Sexy Witch.” Each of the seven lessons-covering issues of body image, menstruation, genital exploration, self-acceptance, mentors, and gender-include fun facts, illuminating quotes, and exercises for nurturing the body and spirit. The second half of the book is devoted to rituals-to be practiced alone or with others-that celebrate one's power as a woman, a sexual being, and a Witch. ”LaSara Firefox is a dazzling inspiration and firestarter to everyone who encounters her.” - Susie Bright, author of Full Exposure “LaSara Firefox is a genius! You couldn't ask for a better guide to take you on this emboldening adventure.  Accessible and engaging whether or not you consider yourself a 'witch, ' Sexy Witch is a fabulous book full of serious fun.” - Ariel Gore, author of The Hip Mama Survival Guide Second-generation Witch and ordained Priestess, LaSara FireFox (California) has been writing about sexuality and spirituality for over a decade. She was a columnist for NewWitch magazine and has appeared on Playboy TV's Sexcetera and Canada's SexTV. FireFox is also a graduate of the acclaimed San Francisco Sex Information human sexuality intensive.

The Power of the Pussy - How To Get What You Want From Men: Love, Respect, Commitment and More!


Kara King - 2012
    In this book you'll learn valuable lessons that will teach you how to... ~Flip the switch in your female brain, so you can beat men at their own game... ~Have men lining up to date you and desperate for your attention... ~Heal from a broken heart and never be sad over a man again! ~Become the type of woman that commands respect from men... ~Get the proposal, the ring, and the man of your dreams! Get what you want from men and have the time of your life while doing it! This book has empowered women and dramatically changed their lives by changing the way they think about men and dating, and it can change your life too! DISCLAIMER: This book contains strong language, sexual content and subject matter that may be offensive to some readers.

Addiction to Love: Overcoming Obsession and Dependency in Relationships


Susan Peabody - 1989
    The most common of these is staying in a bad relationship because of a fear of being alone-the "I hate you but don'¬?t leave me" relationship. In ADDICTION TO LOVE, recovering love addict Susan Peabody explains the variety of ways this disorder plays out, from the obsessively doting love addict to the addict who can'¬?t disentangle from an unfulfilling, dead-end relationship. Peabody provides an in-depth and easy-to-follow recovery program for those suffering from this unhealthy and often dangerous addiction and explains how to create a loving, safe, and fulfilling relationship.A seminal work on unhealthy and obsessive behaviors in love, and how to change behavior to have a positive relationship. This third edition includes a new introduction and revisions to the text throughout.Some symptoms of love addiction include love at first sight, excessive fantasizing, abnormal jealousy, nagging, and accepting dishonesty.Even relationships with parents, children, siblings, or friends may be addictive-dependency is not always related to romantic love.Previous editions have sold more than 40,000 copies."Love addiction is a three-headed serpent that Susan Peabody adeptly slays. This is the quintessential book for any love addict or counselor needing to fully understand this highly prevalent and complex disorder. Susan detects and dissects aspects of this condition not comprehended in other books of its kind. Recovery is possible. This book makes it possible to take the succinct steps necessary toward a loving and reciprocal long-term intimate relationship."-Sudi Scull, M.F.T., C.N., psychotherapist and nutritionist

Passionate Marriage: Keeping Love and Intimacy Alive in Committed Relationships


David Schnarch - 1997
    With a new preface by the author, this updated edition explores the ways we can keep passion alive and even reach the height of sexual and emotional fulfillment later in life. David Schnarch accompanies his inspirational message of attaining long-term happiness with proven techniques developed in worldwide workshops to help couples develop greater intimacy. Chapters provide the scaffolding for overcoming sexual and emotional roadblocks— from evaluating personal expectations to laying the groundwork for keeping the sparks alive years down the road, and everything in between. This book is sure to help couples overcome hurdles in their relationships and reach the fullest potential in their love lives.

What Is This Thing Called Love?


Gene Wilder - 2010
    Each emotionally involving story illuminates a different kind of love: star-crossed, intense, needy, eternal, unrequited, even comical. Wilder’s protagonists will be instantly recognizable to his fans: men and women who stumble into relationships that can fulfill them or knock them out cold. Which one it will be depends, often, on the smallest of gestures or reactions. Wilder’s stories include:• “In Love for the First Time,” about a lover so shy and studious that he’s a “funny duck” who has to be led by the hand by his equally inexperienced girlfriend• “About Being in Love,” featuring coarse but charming Buddy Silverman, who yearns for connection but looks for it in exactly the wrong kind of woman• “The Woman in the Red Hat,” who shows a writer who has only explored love in his books what the real thing feels like.

Supersex


Tracey Cox - 2002
    A super-hot sex manual for a new generation, Supersex is a stylish, witty, and cutting-edge look at sex in the new millennium. From the internationally best-selling author Tracey Cox, this beautifully illustrated guide highlights the author's unique ability to write about sex in an honest and entertaining way. From the basics of the male and female anatomy to hard-hitting information on sexual techniques, this book covers-and uncovers-it all.

The Truth About Love: The Highs, the Lows, and How You Can Make It Last Forever


Patricia Love - 2001
    Pat Love reveals that love has normal, predictable stages that include highs and lows, and that many couples mistake the lows for the end of love. The Truth About Love is an inspiring, practical guide that will teach you how not to break up before the breakthrough realization: You can create the true love you long for with the partner you already have.

Have The Relationship You Want


Rori Raye
    A step-by-step guide for women to tranforming your love life practically overnight.

Modern Love: 50 True and Extraordinary Tales of Desire, Deceit, and Devotion


Daniel Jones - 2007
    Editor Daniel Jones has arranged these tales to capture the ebb and flow of relationships, from seeking love and tying the knot to having children and finding love that endures. (Cynics and melancholics can skip right to the section on splitting up.) Taken together, these essays show through a modern lens how love drives, haunts, and enriches us. For anyone who’s loved, lost, stalked an ex, or made a lasting connection, and for the voyeur in all of us, Modern Love is the perfect match.