O: The Intimate History of the Orgasm

Orgasm is one of society's most compelling shaping forces-and most of us probably think that we are living in its golden age. But are we? The history of the orgasm is as elusive as orgasm itself can be, for sex rarely makes it into the historical record. Now acclaimed British journalist Jonathan Margolis delivers an authoritative, witty, and stimulating mixture of fascinating facts and in-depth analysis of this most compelling and enigmatic of phenomena. On the surface, there's not much to an orgasm-just an explosive burst of 156-mph nerve impulses. Most people manage just twelve minutes of orgasmic bliss per year. Some never experience it at all. Yet the urge for orgasm rules much of human life, across national and cultural boundaries. How much have we learned about female pleasure since the 1558 discovery of the clitoris? How has the drive for pleasure, and the fear of it, shaped various societies? How much does the sensation of orgasm differ for different people? Drawing on the orgasm's biology, literature, anthropology, psychology, and technology, Jonathan Margolis delivers the final word on both male and female orgasm in an enlightening history that is a pleasure to read.