Country United States Publication date 2001 ISBN 978-0-684-85320-8 Publisher Simon & Schuster | Language English Pages 358 Originally published 2001 Page count 358 Subject Human sexuality | |
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A Mind of Its Own: A Cultural History of the Penis is a non-fiction book by New York-based columnist and author David M. Friedman that details the history of the human penis.
Contents
Format
The book is set up in different time periods, beginning with Mesopotamia and ending with current Western beliefs about the male sex organ, ranging from being considered divine to being hidden. Two of the major focuses of the book are Sigmund Freud's sexual theories and the erection industry such as Viagra. In the descriptions of how different religions have treated human penes, Friedman said that Christians started the trend of not liking the portrayal of the male sex organ. There is a chapter about pseudoscientists who try to link penis size to race, while the last chapter of the book only focuses on the erection industry. Marcelle D'Argy Smith of the New Statesman said that the book has a mix of "sex, death, torture, self-destruction, heroes, villains, love, drugs, money and high-tech machinery."
Reception
Ian Sansom of The Guardian described the book as a work of philosophy in its own way. Wisam Mansour of the Journal of Men, Masculinities and Spirituality said that the book is written "in a scholarly manner coupled with a sense of humor". Marcelle D'Argy Smith of the New Statesman said that "every woman should read it and so should everyone with a penis".
A Seattle Times review said the book is "embarrassingly europhallocentric".
A book review in the Journal of the History of Sexuality describes the book as "high journalism" – neither based on history nor culture in an acceptable manner.