Hustling

by Gail Sheehy

The netherworld of prostitution has never before been so deeply explored or vividly portrayed as in this book. Sheehy presents a realistic portrait of a fierce new breed of woman on the American scene.

Genres: Sociology, Nonfiction

254 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published July 1, 1974

About the author

Gail Sheehy is an American writer and lecturer, most notable for her books on life and the life cycle. She is also a contributor to the magazine Vanity Fair.

Her fifth book, Passages, has been called "a road map of adult life". Several of her books continue the theme of passages through life's stages, including menopause and what she calls "Second Adulthood", including Pathfinders, Spirit of Survival, and Menopause: The Silent Passage. Her latest book, Sex and the Seasoned Woman, reveals a hidden cultural phenomenon: a surge of vitality in women's sex and love lives after age fifty. She has also authored a biography of Hillary Rodham Clinton titled Hillary's Choice. Her novel Middletown, America is being adapted as a TV miniseries. (from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Ryan Holiday · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't even remember how I chanced upon this one but I'm glad that I did. It was written in 1971 about prostitution in America, specifically addressing what life hustling sex for money is like. Sheehy's reporting is an example of real, phronetic social science. The author takes the subjects as they are, looks at what they're actions mean for the rest of us and never lets her own disposition color the work. She is critical and honest, a surprisingly rare feat in books like this. Too often the writers are too sympathetic to the women involved and glamorize the behavior, or they're too high on their moral horse to add anything but judgment and hypocrisy. Anyway, good and worth reading. There are some anecdotes in here about New York City in the 70s that make for good conversation.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sheehy's expose on prostitution.

[Chipper · Rating 3 out of 5]

i’m pretty sure season one of The Deuce on HBO borrowed this entire book; i recognized so many plot lines, real life figures and places from the show in this book.

still, david simon made it more interesting then Gail Sheehy. most of that stems from the fact that i wanted to look as cool bartending as james franco did in that show. 3/5 stars

[King Mack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book promotion: The philosophical philosopher presents the last Mack standing scriptures Mackology 3rd edition written by a king named Mack !$!

[Johanna]

Sheehy's writing hasn't aged well but the stories and her investigation into NYC real estate are fascinating.