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The Sex Life of Food: When Body and Soul Meet to Eat
by Bunny Crumpacker"The sex life of food" doesn't mean that the strawberries have fallen in love with the oatmeal. It's a look at food—and sex—and how they go together in our daily lives much more often than we realize. There are so many ways that hunger and desire act on each other, and so many things that can influence our preferences. Not only are people moved by the taste, texture, and the shapes of the food they eat, but even the names of some dishes can kindle hunger—of both kinds—in some. As the author writes, "Sometimes cooking is foreplay, eating is making love, and doing the dishes is the morning after."The many things Bunny Crumpacker shares with the readers of her fascinating book almost could have inspired her to write a novel, sending Adam and Eve (with their apple) traveling through history as the icons of our passions. Instead, she has gone far beyond the obvious to bring us unexpected and tantalizing knowledge of how much and in how many surprising ways we assuage our hunger for both food and sex and how where there's one, there is often the other. The result is a continued delight. There's history and humor, obvious connections and truly amazing ones. The author enlightens us on a myriad of topics, including food in fairy tales, what politicians eat, comfort food, and manners at the table.But enough! There's too much to say. Turn the pages and let Bunny Crumpacker introduce you to The Sex Life of Food.
The Sex Life of the Foot and Shoe (Routledge Revivals)
by William A. RossiFirst published in 1977, The Sex Life of the Foot and Shoe examines the realities of foot and shoe eroticism practised by almost all of us, whether consciously or unconsciously. Provocative often witty and always original, the book takes us on a walking tour through history: from Chinese footbinding (completely sexual in intent) and the medieval poulaine (perhaps the most blatantly pornographic shoe ever worn) to the outrageous distortions of the foot gladly suffered by woman over the centuries in the cause of sexual allure. The author explores the obsession with ‘sick’ and ‘tired’ feet and the huge industry that has sprung up to cater to our negativism. He gives a psychosexual guide to us via footwear, grouping men’s and women’s shoes into such categories as sexy, sexless, neuter, bisexual, sensuous, peacock, masculine, eunuch and machismo. This book will be of interest to students of history, gender studies, sexuality studies and fashion.
The Sex Myth
by Rachel HillsFrom a bold new feminist voice, a book that will change the way you think about your sex life.Fifty years after the sexual revolution, we are told that we live in a time of unprecedented sexual freedom; that if anything, we are too free now. But beneath the veneer of glossy hedonism, millennial journalist Rachel Hills argues that we are controlled by a new brand of sexual convention: one which influences all of us--woman or man, straight or gay, liberal or conservative. At the root of this silent code lies the Sex Myth--the defining significance we invest in sexuality that once meant we were dirty if we did have sex, and now means we are defective if we don't do it enough. Equal parts social commentary, pop culture, and powerful personal anecdotes from people across the English-speaking world, The Sex Myth exposes the invisible norms and unspoken assumptions that shape the way we think about sex today.f we did have sex, and now means we are defective if we don't do it enough. An ambitious mix of sociology, popular culture, and powerful personal stories, The Sex Myth uncovers the invisible norms and unspoken assumptions that shape what we think about sex--and accordingly, how we feel about our own sex lives.
The Sex Myth: Why Everything We're Told is Wrong
by Brooke MagnantiWhy everything the media tells us about sex is wrong ...Is there any truth to the epidemic of sex addiction? Are our children really getting sexualised younger? Are men the only ones who like porn? Brooke Magnanti looks at all these questions and more - and proves that perhaps we've all been taking the answers for granted.Brooke Magnanti is no stranger to controversy. As Belle de Jour she enthralled and outraged the nation in equal measure. Now her real identity is out in the open, Brooke's background as a scientist and a researcher can come to bear in her fascinating investigation into the truth behind the headlines, scandals and moral outrage that fill the media (and our minds) when it comes to sex.Using her entertaining and informed voice, Brooke strips away the hype and looks at the science behind sex and the panic behind public policy. Unlike so many media column inches, Brooke uses verifiable academic research. This is fact not fiction; science not supposition.So sit back, open your mind and prepare to be shocked ...
The Sex Myth: Why Everything We're Told is Wrong
by Dr Brooke MagnantiWhy everything the media tells us about sex is wrong ...Is there any truth to the epidemic of sex addiction? Are our children really getting sexualised younger? Are men the only ones who like porn? Brooke Magnanti looks at all these questions and more - and proves that perhaps we've all been taking the answers for granted.Brooke Magnanti is no stranger to controversy. As Belle de Jour she enthralled and outraged the nation in equal measure. Now her real identity is out in the open, Brooke's background as a scientist and a researcher can come to bear in her fascinating investigation into the truth behind the headlines, scandals and moral outrage that fill the media (and our minds) when it comes to sex.Using her entertaining and informed voice, Brooke strips away the hype and looks at the science behind sex and the panic behind public policy. Unlike so many media column inches, Brooke uses verifiable academic research. This is fact not fiction; science not supposition.So sit back, open your mind and prepare to be shocked ...
The Sex Role System: Psychological and Sociological Perspectives (Routledge Revivals)
by Jane Chetwynd Oonagh HartnettFirst published in 1978, The Sex Role System traces the phenomenon of sex role stereotyping through many different disciplines and areas of study, showing how presuppositions about sex role expectations can colour our perceptions and radically affect both the theories and the practices underlying our lives today. The contributions, by several well-known psychologists and sociologists, highlight many specific areas of stereotyping in our society, including marriage, school, work, psychiatry, the Social Security services, and the Inland Revenue.In drawing together the many facets of sex role stereotyping, the editors are able to show how the complex conscious and unconscious processes making up the System are formed. An empirical approach to the problems involved, together with a discussion of the ethical issues, ensures that the reader will gain a greater understanding of the System and its substantial influences during the course of the analysis. This book is a must read for students and researchers of psychology, sociology, and feminist studies.
The Sex Tourism Handbook: Adventures in Sex Travel
by Joe DiamondAs globalization erodes national borders and the Internet spawns online communities for every conceivable interest or fetish, sex tourism is surging. Around the World in 80 Lays is the first book to explore the emergence of the online sex tourist subculture and its mounting impact on the world's flesh trade. The author, Joe Diamond, is himself an enthusiastic sex tourist, and an expert. In this groundbreaking travelogue, he traverses the globe to put sex tourism under the microscope. Through colorful anecdotes and solid research, "Rio Joe" takes readers to the world's most notorious sex havens: Brazil, Thailand, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, and many more. Around the World in 80 Lays provides an insider's view of a fascinating and lurid world that has never been exposed to the American public.
The Sex You Want: A Shameless Journey to Deep Intimacy, Honest Pleasure, and a Life You Love
by Rena MartineYou Deserve Great SexWhen it comes to relationships, our society has plenty of expectations. We're supposed to know how to speak up for ourselves in bed, be caring partners, and, of course, love ourselves first. But no one tells us how to actually do all those things, and we are left feeling unsatisfied, confused, and ashamed when we don't measure up.Former Deputy District Attorney Rena Martine was in that position. After rejecting the ideal white-picket fence life, she embarked on a journey to redefine intimacy in a way that felt true. In the years that followed, Rena defied all of society's sexual norms, built a presence as a global women's intimacy coach, and created the intimate life she craved.Now she brings those experiences to you! With no-holds-barred honesty, stories from real-life women, and sparkling humor, THE SEX YOU WANT will help you:Build a secure relationship with your most important partner—YOURSELFGet in touch with YOUR expectations for relationships so you can date more intentionallyDemystify lifestyle practices outside of the heterosexual-monogamous-vanilla box with frank discussions of female sexual fluidity, kink, and ethical non-monogamyFind apps, products, and communities to satisfy any curiosityBring deep intimacy and exciting variety into your bedroom and beyondWhen it comes to intimacy, vulnerability, and connection, you'll find that no two women are alike. THE SEX YOU WANT replaces cookie-cutter advice with powerful self-discovery tools to help you make friends with your own confidence and curiosity, build rock-solid relationships, and embrace what YOU love!
The Sexual Abuse Victim and Sexual Offender Treatment Planner
by Arthur E. Jongsma Jr. Rita BudrionisThe Sexual Abuse Victim and Sexual Offender Treatment Planner provides all the elements necessary to quickly and easily develop formal treatment plans that satisfy the demands of HMOs, managed care companies, third-party payors, and state and federal review agencies. Saves you hours of time-consuming paperwork, yet offers the freedom to develop customized treatment plans for clients who are sexual abuse victims and/or sexual offenders Organized around 27 main presenting problems, including such offender issues as anger difficulties, deviant sexual arousal, and legal issues; such victim issues as eating disorders, self-blame, and social withdrawal; and such offender and victim issues as family reunification and self-esteem and stress-management deficits Over 1,000 well-crafted, clear statements describe the behavioral manifestations of each relational problem, long-term goals, short-term objectives, and educational interventions Easy-to-use reference format helps locate treatment plan components by behavioral problem or DSM-IV-TR(TM) diagnosis Includes a sample treatment plan that conforms to the requirements of most third-party payors and accrediting agencies (including HCFA, JCAHO, and NCQA)
The Sexual Abuse Victim and Sexual Offender Treatment Planner, with DSM 5 Updates (PracticePlanners)
by Arthur E. Jongsma Jr. Rita BudrionisThis timesaving resource features: Treatment plan components for 27 behaviorally based presenting problems Over 1,000 prewritten treatment goals, objectives, and interventions—plus space to record your own treatment plan options A step-by-step guide to writing treatment plans that meet the requirements of most insurance companies and third-party payors The Sexual Abuse Victim and Sexual Offender Treatment Planner provides all the elements necessary to quickly and easily develop formal treatment plans that satisfy the demands of HMOs, managed care companies, third-party payors, and state and federal review agencies. Saves you hours of time-consuming paperwork, yet offers the freedom to develop customized treatment plans for clients who are sexual abuse victims and/or sexual offenders Organized around 27 main presenting problems, including such offender issues as anger difficulties, deviant sexual arousal, and legal issues; such victim issues as eating disorders, self-blame, and social withdrawal; and such offender and victim issues as family reunification and self-esteem and stress-management deficits Over 1,000 well-crafted, clear statements describe the behavioral manifestations of each relational problem, long-term goals, short-term objectives, and clinically tested treatment options Easy-to-use reference format helps locate treatment plan components by behavioral problem Includes a sample treatment plan that conforms to the requirements of most third-party payors and accrediting agencies (including HCFA, JCAHO, and NCQA)
The Sexual Abuse of Children: Volume I: Theory and Research
by William O'Donohue James H. GeerThe sexual abuse of children is now seen as an enormous problem; first, because there is an increasing awareness that it is more prevalent than previously thought, and second, because it gives rise to so many complex questions. How is sexual abuse to be defined? What are the effects of abuse? How can the victim be helped? How can abuse be prevented? These two comprehensive volumes cover a wide spectrum of basic and applied issues. Expert contributors -- including physicians, attorneys, psychologists, philosophers, social workers, and engineers -- address such relevant topics as epidemiology, animal models, legal reforms, feminist scholarship, child pornography, medical assessment, and diverse models of psychotherapeutic intention.
The Sexual Abuse of Children: Volume II: Clinical Issues
by William O'Donohue James H. GeerThe sexual abuse of children is now seen as an enormous problem; first, because there is an increasing awareness that it is more prevalent than previously thought, and second, because it gives rise to so many complex questions. How is sexual abuse to be defined? What are the effects of abuse? How can the victim be helped? How can abuse be prevented? These two comprehensive volumes cover a wide spectrum of basic and applied issues. Expert contributors -- including physicians, attorneys, psychologists, philosophers, social workers, and engineers -- address such relevant topics as epidemiology, animal models, legal reforms, feminist scholarship, child pornography, medical assessment, and diverse models of psychotherapeutic intention.
The Sexual Economy of War: Discipline and Desire in the U.S. Army (Battlegrounds: Cornell Studies in Military History)
by Andrew ByersIn The Sexual Economy of War, Andrew Byers argues that in the early twentieth century, concerns about unregulated sexuality affected every aspect of how the US Army conducted military operations. Far from being an exercise marginal to the institution and its scope of operations, governing sexuality was, in fact, integral to the military experience during a time of two global conflicts and numerous other army deployments.In this revealing study, Byers shows that none of the issues related to current debates about gender, sex, and the military—the inclusion of LGBTQ soldiers, sexual harassment and violence, the integration of women—is new at all. Framing the American story within an international context, he looks at case studies from the continental United States, Hawaii, the Philippines, France, and Germany. Drawing on internal army policy documents, soldiers' personal papers, and disciplinary records used in criminal investigations, The Sexual Economy of War illuminates how the US Army used official policy, legal enforcement, indoctrination, and military culture to govern wayward sexual behaviors. Such regulation, and its active opposition, leads Byers to conclude that the tension between organizational control and individual agency has deep and tangled historical roots.
The Sexual Evolution: How 500 Million Years of Sex, Gender, and Mating Shape Modern Relationships
by Nathan H. Lents“Enthralling . . . Lents gleefully tears down cis, hetero, and monogamous norms, outlining surprising case studies that give the lie to restrictive conceptions of gender and sex. The result is an indispensable glimpse into the queerness of animals.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)Evolutionary biologist Nathan H. Lents knows what makes humans unique—and it’s most definitely not our sexual diversity. A professor at John Jay College, Lents has spent his career studying what makes us, well, us, and contrary to what the culture warriors want people to believe—diverse sexual behavior is not a new development, or even a human one. It didn’t just emerge from a progressive culture; it’s the product of billions of years of evolutionary experimentation throughout the animal kingdom. It’s not a modern story, a Florida story, or even a human story. It’s a biological story.In The Sexual Evolution, Lents takes readers on a journey through the animal world, from insects to apes, revealing what the incredible array of sexual diversity can teach us about our own diverse beauty. Nature, it turns out, has made a lot of space for diverse genders and sexual behaviors. And why? Because when it comes to evolution—diversity wins. This is not just a political or social message, instead it’s rooted in science and cultivated from understanding the full breadth of sexuality that exists throughout the world.With shades of both Frans de Waal and Esther Perel, Lents’s storytelling is as fascinating as it is topical, offering eye-opening stories about the diversity of animal life, while relating it to our own sexual journey as a species. At once a forceful rebuttal to bigotry and a captivating dive into the secret sex lives of animals, The Sexual Evolution is the rare book of pop science that leans into the controversy. Sex, the reactionaries say, should only be for procreation between a man and a woman, anything else goes against nature. Well, nature would like a word with them.
The Sexual History of London: From Roman Londinium to the Swinging City—Lust, Vice, and Desire Across the Ages
by Catharine ArnoldIf Paris is the city of love, then London is the city of lust. From the bath houses of Roman Londinium to the sexual underground of the twentieth century and beyond, The Sexual History of London is an entertaining, vibrant chronicle of London and sex through the ages.For more than a thousand years, England's capital has been associated with desire, avarice, and the sins of the flesh. Richard of Devises, a monk writing in 1180, warned that "every quarter abounds in great obscenities." As early as the second century AD, London was notorious for its raucous festivities and disorderly houses, and throughout the centuries the bawdy side of life has taken easy root and flourished. In The Sexual History of London, award-winning popular historian Catharine Arnold turns her gaze to London's relationship with vice through the ages. London has always traded in the currency of sex. Whether pornographic publishers on Fleet Street, or courtesans parading in Haymarket, its streets have long been witness to colorful sexual behavior. In an accessible, entertaining style, Arnold takes us on a journey through the fleshpots of London from earliest times to present day. Here are buxom strumpets, louche aristocrats, popinjay politicians, and Victorian flagellants—all vying for their place in London's league of licentiousness. From sexual exuberance to moral panic, the city has seen the pendulum swing from Puritanism to hedonism and back again. With latter chapters looking at Victorian London and the sexual underground of the twentieth century and beyond, this is a fascinating and vibrant chronicle of London at its most raw and ribald.
The Sexual Matrix: Boy Meets Girl on the Evolutionary Scale
by Sam K. KachiganSubstituting superficial controversy for critical analysis, Kachigan offers a crude socio-biological treatment of sex, gender, and style, and concludes that the greater variation in female appearance is due to their competition for a limited number of desirable males.
The Sexual Outlaw: A Documentary (Books That Changed the World)
by John RechyFrom the award-winning writer, &“a passionate manifesto for gay rights by an author who openly and unapologetically identifies himself as a participant&” (People). In this angry, eloquent outcry against the oppression of homosexuals, the author of the classic City of Night gives &“an explosive non-fiction account, with commentaries, of three days and nights in the sexual underground&” of Los Angeles in the 1970s—the &“battlefield&” of the sexual outlaw. Using the language and techniques of film, Rechy deftly intercuts the despairing, joyful, and defiant confessions of a male hustler with the &“chorus&” of his own subversive reflections on sexual identity and sexual politics, and with stark documentary, reports of the violence our society directs against homosexuals—&“the only minority against whose existence there are laws.&” &“An intelligent, persuasive and, in its way, heartbreaking manifesto.&” —The New York Times &“A jolting book . . . An intense, personal, and courageous document. A book written out of rage, unnerving, thought provoking.&” —Los Angeles Times Praise for John Rechy &“Rechy shows great comic and tragic talent. He is truly a gifted novelist.&” —Christopher Isherwood, author and playwright &“His tone rings absolutely true, is absolutely his own, and he has the kind of discipline which allows him a rare and beautiful recklessness. He tells the truth, and tells it with such passion that we are forced to share in the life he conveys. This is a most humbling and liberating achievement.&” —James Baldwin, novelist, playwright, and activist &“His uncompromising honesty as a gay writer has provoked as much fear as admiration . . . John Rechy doesn&’t fit into categories. He transcends them. His individual vision is unique, perfect, loving and strong.&” —Carolyn See, author of Dreaming: Hard Luck and Good Times in America
The Sexual Paradox: Men, Women and the Real Gender Gap
by Susan PinkerSusan Pinker, psychologist and award-winning columnist, has written a groundbreaking and controversial book that reveals why learning and behavioral gaps between boys and girls in the classroom are reversed in the workplace. Pinker examines how fundamental sex differences play out over the life span. By comparing fragile boys who succeed later with high-achieving women who opt out or plateau in their careers, Pinker turns several assumptions upside down: that women and men are biologically equivalent, that intelligence is all it takes to succeed, and that women are just versions of men, with identical interests and goals. In lively prose, Pinker guides readers through the latest findings in neuroscience and economics while addressing these questions: Are males the more fragile sex? What do men with Asperger syndrome or dyslexia tell us about more average men? Which sex is the happiest at work? Why do some male college dropouts earn more than the bright girls who sat beside them in third grade? After three decades of women's educational coups, why do men outnumber women in corporate law, engineering, physical science, and politics? The answers to these questions are the opposite of what we expect. A provocative examination of how and why learning and behavioral gaps in the nursery are reversed in the boardroom, this illuminating book reveals how sex differences influence career choices and ambition. Through the stories of real men and women, science, and examples from popular culture, Susan Pinker takes a new look at the differences between women and men.
The Sexual Self: How Character Shapes Sexual Experience
by Avodah K. OffitA guide to exploring the theory that character shapes sexuality and sexual difficulties. Terms such as sexual hypochondria, supersex and sexual learning disability are introduced in this text in order to highlight the relationship with personality forces.
The Shadow Work Journal: A Guide to Integrate and Transcend Your Shadows
by Keila ShaheenJoin more than a million readers around the world in this journey to self-discovery, healing, and inner transformation—new, expanded edition with added tips and exercises curated by therapists! Are you ready to transcend your shadows and journey toward deeper self-awareness and inner peace? The first step is to confront the shadows that have been holding you back for years. The Shadow Work Journal, a smash hit on TikTok, is an empowering and compassionate tool to help you face and overcome the obstacles and limiting self-beliefs that are holding you back from achieving your true potential. Based on highly effective therapeutic practices, this interactive journal guides you on an exploration through the hidden aspects of your psyche, to help you confront and embrace your shadow self. Whether you&’re struggling with anxiety, depression, loneliness, or confusion, you&’ll find plenty of tools to help you here. Using insightful prompts, thought-provoking exercises, and reflections, you&’ll discover a path to develop greater self-awareness, cultivate self-love and acceptance, and find a deeper connection with your authentic self. Join the millions of people whose lives have been transformed through The Shadow Work Journal and experience the healing you deserve. Benefits of Shadow Work: -Strengthen friendships, relationships, and everyday interactions with others -Heal generational trauma -Become &“un-stuck&” -Set personal boundaries -Build compassion for yourself and those around you -Process the world around you with clarity and insight
The Shadow and the Counsellor: Working with the Darker Aspects of the Person, the Role and the Profession
by Steve PageThe Shadow and the Counsellor introduces the concept of shadow, the darker side to ourselves that we do not wish to acknowledge, or do not even recognise. It examines how it comes into being and explores its impact within counselling. The Shadow and the Counsellor is structured around a six stage model which is designed to help the counsellor recognise, confront and deal with their 'shadow' side. This can then be a framework for reflection and practical action.With case studies including short clinical examples to longer examples running through the book, this will give counsellors a new way of approaching their practice.
The Shadow of the Object: Psychoanalysis of the Unthought Known
by Christopher BollasIn The Shadow of the Object, Christopher Bollas integrates aspects of Freud’s theory of unconscious thinking with elements from the British Object Relations School. In doing so, he offers radical new visions of the scope of psychoanalysis and expands our understanding of the creativity of the unconscious mind and the aesthetics of human character. During our formative years, we are continually "impressed" by the object world. Most of this experience will never be consciously thought, and but it resides within us as assumed knowledge. Bollas has termed this "the unthought known", a phrase that has ramified through many realms of human exploration, including the worlds of letters, psychology and the arts. Aspects of the unthought known --the primary repressed unconscious --will emerge during a psychoanalysis, as a mood, the aesthetic of a dream, or in our relation to the self as other. Within the unique analytic relationship, it becomes possible, at least in part, to think the unthought -- an experience that has enormous transformative potential. Published here with a new preface by Christopher Bollas, The Shadow of the Object remains a classic of the psychoanalytic literature, written by a truly original thinker.
The Shadow of the Second Mother: Nurses and nannies in theories of infant development
by Prophecy ColesThe Shadow of the "Second Mother" explores why has there been such little interest, in psychology, social history and biography, in the important contribution that ‘second mothers’, such as wet nurses and nannies, have had upon the emotional life of the children they have nursed. For the last three thousand years and throughout most civilisations they have nurtured the children of the privileged, and kept alive the abandoned and unwanted child, and yet there has been a profound silence surrounding the influence they may have had. The author explores the lives of several well-known people who have been wet nursed, such as Michelangelo, Rousseau, Jack London, Nabokov and Klein. She speculates that they all were affected emotionally by their ‘second mother’, and concludes that a universal feature of such delegated mothering seems to be that the bond between mother and child is broken, and the child may be left with a life-long distrust of close relationships. In The Shadow of the "Second Mother", Coles combines an exploration of attachment theory with neurology, making it possible to give an explanation as to why these important figures have lain unnamed and ignored in our social and psychological consciousness. This intriguing new approach to an ancient practice will be fascinating reading for psychotherapists, psychoanalysts, sociologist and students of social history.
The Shadow of the Tsunami: and the Growth of the Relational Mind
by Philip M. BrombergDuring early development, every human being is exposed to the relative impact of relational trauma – disconfirmation of aspects of oneself as having legitimate existence in the world of others – in shaping both the capacity for spontaneous human relatedness and the relative vulnerability to "adult-onset trauma." To one degree or another, a wave of dysregulated affect – a dissociated "tsunami" – hits the immature mind, and if left relationally unprocessed leaves a fearful shadow that weakens future ability to regulate affect in an interpersonal context and reduces the capacity to trust, sometimes even experience, authentic human discourse. In his fascinating third book, Philip Bromberg deepens his inquiry into the nature of what is therapeutic about the therapeutic relationship: its capacity to move the psychoanalytic process along a path that, bit by bit, shrinks a patient's vulnerability to the pursuing shadow of affective destabilization while simultaneously increasing intersubjectivity. What takes places along this path does not happen because "this" led to "that," but because the path is its own destination – a joint achievement that underlies what is termed in the subtitle "the growth of the relational mind." Expanding the self-state perspective of Standing in the Spaces (1998) and Awakening the Dreamer (2006), Bromberg explores what he holds to be the two nonlinear but interlocking rewards of successful treatment – healing and growth. The psychoanalytic relationship is illuminated not as a medium for treating an illness but as an opportunity for two human beings to live together in the affectively enacted shadow of the past, allowing it to be cognitively symbolized by new cocreated experience that is processed by thought and language – freeing the patient's natural capacity to feel trust and joy as part of an enduring regulatory stability that permits life to be lived with creativity, love, interpersonal spontaneity, and a greater sense of meaning.
The Shaking Woman, or A History of My Nerves
by Siri HustvedtThe author delves into the mysteries of her own neurological condition in a far-ranging memoir that is “graceful, intense, and curiously affirming” (Booklist).While speaking at a memorial event for her father in 2006, novelist Siri Hustvedt suffered a violent seizure from the neck down. Despite her flapping arms and shaking legs, she continued to speak clearly and was able to finish her speech. It was as if she had suddenly become two people: a calm orator and a shuddering wreck. Then the seizures happened again and again.The Shaking Woman or A History of My Nerves tracks Hustvedt’s search for a diagnosis, one that takes her inside the thought processes of several scientific disciplines, each one of which offers a distinct perspective on her paroxysms but no ready solution. In the process, she finds herself entangled in fundamental questions: What is the relationship between brain and mind? How do we remember? What is the self?In The Shaking Woman, Hustvedt synthesizes her experience and research into a compelling mystery: Who is the shaking woman? In the end, the story she tells becomes, in the words of George Makari, author of Revolution in Mind, “a brilliant illumination for us all.”