Self-described pervert Katherine Gates takes an anthopological look at the explosion of extreme fetishes and post-modern eroticisms in this lavishly illustrated guide to some of the most obscure and fascinating sexual subcultures. Here are just a few of the strange and convoluted erotic turn-ons included: Pony riding academies, cybersex and its permutations, a man whose fetish is to costume himself as a thanksgiving turkey and get cooked in an oversize oven. Also includes interviews with John Waters, Clive Barker, and Harold Schecter.

Can there still be anything new to say about the erotic, sexy play, and desire? YES, because what drives each of us to any sexual fixation-from feet or fat to latex or ponyplay-may hold mysteries, but can never be inexplicable. YES, because even the most seemingly unusual kinks and fetishes, like trample and crush, cannibal play, quicksand and male pregnancy, derive from such universal themes as power and transformation. YES, because when some taboos crumble, others emerge, with often surprising, delightful, and even disturbing consequences for our psyches and libidos. YES, because as human culture evolves, we newly discover sexual excitement and fulfillment from scenarios (such as car accidents) and objects (like gas masks and medical equipment) that never existed before. YES, because wherever there is darkness, secrecy, and silence, what's most essential is light, revelation, and ever better communication.

In tribute to the many splendors of human sexuality, The Deviant's Pocket Guide to the Outlandish Sexual Desires Barely Contained in Your Subconscious profiles over 40 of the wildest and woolliest sexual proclivities you'll ever find, even on the internet. The human race is a species of inventors. In our few millennia of existence, we've created fire, the wheel, the printing press, vaccines, and the internet. But never is our creativity more evident than when it comes time to reproduce. For nature lovers, there's Dendrophilia (you know, tree hugging). For car people, there's the Automotive Fetish. And for those people who love stuffed animals…you'll just have to look inside. Each entry in this one-of-a-kind encyclopediaexplores the psychological underpinnings, important logistics, and typical fantasies associated with the deviance in question. For the aspiring deviant, there's even a list of useful accoutrements. Hysterical and astonishingly thorough, The Deviant's Pocket Guide is the only reference book you'll ever need.

The Victorian East End lives in fear of the Ripper and his mission to kill rent boys. Silas Hawkins, nineteen and forging a life on the streets could well be the next victim, but when he meets Archer, his life changes forever. Young, attractive and rich, Archer is The Viscount Clearwater, a philanthropist, adventurer and homosexual. When Archer suspects the Ripper is killing to lure him to a confrontation, he risks his reputation and his life to stop the madman's murders. Every man must play his part, including Silas. Secrets must be kept, lovers must be protected, and for Archer and Silas, it marks the start of their biggest adventure - love. A mashup of mystery, romance and adventure, Deviant Desire is set in an imaginary London of 1888. The first book in the on-going The Clearwater Mysteries series and mixes fact with fiction. The series takes the theme of loyalty and friendship in a world where homosexuality is a crime. Insta-love, physical romance, mystery and murder. Praise for Jackson Marsh "Intensively researched." "No usual tried tropes here. Great story, natural dialogue, well-developed characters, and an unpredictable plot." "Amazing. Jackson Marsh has written a compelling mystery and a wonderful love story both at the same time."

Do the reasons we have for acting as we do derive from our concerns and desires, or are there objective values in the world that we are rationally required to pursue and protect? Alan H. Goldman argues for the internalist or subjectivist view of practical reasons on the grounds that it is simpler, more unified, and more comprehensible than the rival objectivist position. He provides a naturalistic account of practical rationality in terms of coherence within sets of desires or motivational states, and between motivations, intentions, and actions. Coherence is defined as the avoidance of self-defeat, the defeat of one's own deepest concerns. The demand for coherence underlies both practical and theoretical reason and derives from the natural aims of belief and action. In clarifying which desires create reasons, drawing on the literature of cognitive psychology, Goldman offers conceptual analyses of desires, emotions, and attitudes. Reasons are seen to derive ultimately from our deepest occurrent concerns. These concerns require no reasons themselves but provide reasons for many more superficial desires. In defense of this theory, Goldman argues that rational agents need not be morally motivated or concerned for their narrow self-interest. Objective values would demand such concern. They would be independent of our desires but would provide reasons for us to pursue and protect them. They would require rational agents to be motivated by them. But, Goldman argues, we are not motivated in that way, and it makes no sense to demand that our informed and coherent desires be generally other than they are. We need not appeal to such objective values in order to explain how our lives can be good and meaningful. Reasons from Within will appeal to anyone interested in the nature of values and reasons, particularly students of philosophy, psychology, and decision theory.

Is love “blind” when it comes to gender? For women, it just might be. This unsettling and original book offers a radical new understanding of the context-dependent nature of female sexuality. Lisa M. Diamond argues that for some women, love and desire are not rigidly heterosexual or homosexual but fluid, changing as women move through the stages of life, various social groups, and, most important, different love relationships.This perspective clashes with traditional views of sexual orientation as a stable and fixed trait. But that view is based on research conducted almost entirely on men. Diamond is the first to study a large group of women over time. She has tracked one hundred women for more than ten years as they have emerged from adolescence into adulthood. She summarizes their experiences and reviews research ranging from the psychology of love to the biology of sex differences. Sexual Fluidity offers moving first-person accounts of women falling in and out of love with men or women at different times in their lives. For some, gender becomes irrelevant: “I fall in love with the person, not the gender,” say some respondents.Sexual Fluidity offers a new understanding of women’s sexuality—and of the central importance of love.

Investigates race and racism in the U.S. exotic dance industry.