Title: Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex
Author: Mary Roach
Genre: Non-fiction, science
Publication Date: 2008
Purchase Price: $14.95 (paperback)
I know I’ve mentioned this before, but Mary Roach is one of my favorite authors. Not only does she write books on topics that are interesting, she does so with aplomb and a healthy sense of humor.
And Roach’s third book is no exception. Bonk is a hysterical, sometimes cringe-worthy, always fascinating look at the topic of sex research.
If names like Alfred Kinsey, William Masters, and Virginia Johnson are familiar to you, Bonk is definitely a book you should read; if you’ve never heard of any of these researchers…Bonk is definitely a book you should read.
Banned research
Bonk is about researchers who aren’t afraid to take on the tough questions, and who are often sniped at, ridiculed, thought of as perverts, and even expelled from medical organizations for their trouble.
Thank goodness for researchers who keep researching, and writers who keep writing, despite challenges and bans. The world wouldn’t be nearly as interesting without them.
Final thoughts
I wish I could dedicate an entire week to Mary Roach and Bonk. There’s so much to learn and discuss and laugh over that any review I could write here would not do the book justice.
Grab the first copy of Bonk that you can get your hands on — you will not be disappointed.
Kick-ass Quotes:
“You need a floor plan to keep track of the vaginas in Human Sexual Response. There are vaginal floors, vestibules, platforms, barrels, and outlets. Are people having sex, or are they just visiting Crate and Barrel?” (p. 42)
“If you try this on yourself, I recommend doing so when no one is home. Otherwise, you will run the risk of someone walking in on you and having to witness a scene that includes a mirror, the husband’s Stanley Powerlock tape measure, and the half-undressed self, squatting. No one should have to see that. It’s bad enough you just had to read it. Also, put the tape measure away when you’re done. My husband saw it on the bedside table and said, ‘What were you measuring?’ ” (p. 70)
What do you think about Bonk? Would you volunteer for a sex researcher’s experiment? Do you think sex research should be banned?
Week wrap-up
Well, that’s it for Banned Books Week. I’m sad to see it end, but I sleep secure in the knowledge that there are people out there holding on tight to their fREADom.
I hope you got a chance to read a banned book this week, and that it inspired great conversations.
The blog will return to its regularly scheduled programming next Wednesday. Until then, happy reading!