Author Country United States Subject Sex | Cover artist Lawrence Ratzkin Language English Genre Non-fiction | |
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Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) is a book (1969, updated 1999) by U.S. physician David Reuben.
Overview
It was one of the first sex manuals that entered mainstream culture in the 1960s, and it had a profound effect on sex education and in liberalizing attitudes towards sex. It was the most popular non-fiction book of its era and became part of the Sexual Revolution of modern America.
The book was No. 1 best-seller in 51 countries and reached more than 100 million readers. In 1972 it was parodied by Woody Allen in the comedy film of the same name and received a favorable response from movie critics.
Reuben takes a very dim view of male homosexuality, characterizing the typical gay male sex life as a series of anonymous bathroom encounters, and defines a trans woman as a "surgically mutilated male homosexual".