Pornography

by Debbie Nathan

Our culture tells us we aren't supposed to look at pornography — much less talk publicly about it. But the Internet has created unprecedented access to porn. Taking an objective view of popular interest in the subject, this book deals with it as a social issue, translating the best academic research into reader-friendly language. Author Debbie Nathan answers a number of questions, What, exactly, is pornography? How is it distributed? What effect has porn had on new technologies and how have these technologies changed it? Nathan describes in clear and cogent terms the arguments for and against pornography, as well as looking into who is making those arguments and why. She examines the porn industry and looks at what pornography is like when it’s made by women rather than men. The book considers why adults are so concerned with young people’s consumption of this product, and presents ideas for how the latter can take a critical approach to dealing with it. Ultimately, Pornography avoids the standard overemotional responses to present a dispassionate, productive look at a complex subject.

Genres: Nonfiction, Sexuality

144 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2007

Reviews

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the ONLY book I have found in all of my gender studies and non-fiction wandering that takes neither a pro nor a con stance on pornography. It gives the reader the history of porn, takes them through the multifaceted realm of sexual fantasy and provides the modern implications of internet and i-porn... but never once does it condemn or praise. A breath of fresh air for those who want a straight (no pun intended) look at the world of pornography.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the few non-textbooks I've come across to cite specific research related to pornography as being non-harmful, or at the very least, as having a neutral impact. In the end, it basically says - "don't pay attention to the moral crusaders who want to ban all porn, here's the research saying it's not bad - and if you want to read those articles, you'll come to realize that there's no basis for these moral entrepreneurs' claims of the harm that comes from porn..."

I liked the brief overview of the history of porn, the changing definitions of pornography over the ages, and the systematic evaluation of legal, moral, religious, & feminist objections to porn.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read as part of research for school. A good intro to issues surrounding pornography and its history throughout the world.

[Dalton Unruh]

I dont this is the right book because of the cover but the title is what i am reading but this book has two different views how its bad and how it is good but there is a lot of good reasons why it is bad and how kids should not interact with it until a certain age so they dont get addicted like if they were smoking or drinking they get addicted and they cant stop but otherwise this book is very well written and how the writer had the arguments about the topic of the book and how kids can catch a view of it and then they would never stop looking at and most people should do it at the age of 18 or even longer inless they have caught it at a young age and then they just start watching it forever until they get a girlfriend and do the certain things to them like they watched or else they can just make out in bed and not go all the way until they get married or if they are at the age of like 20 something or else they could go out to movies or something or just hangout with other friends and go play games or just go out and eat but this book is very well written and i like both of the views because they are both really good arguments.

[Jeffrey St. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Debbie Nathan, a frequent contributor to CounterPunch, offers up an antidote to the hysteria about pornography. "Pornography" is a cool-eyed examination of the political economy of the porn industry. Nathan explores the status of workers in the porn industry, as well as the merits of feminist porn and the frail evidence behind the claims of some social scientists that porn warps young minds. A book that should be read by knee-jerk censors and prudes, who, naturally, will never scan a single page.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

The major attribute of this book is that it doesn't try to do anymore than it claims to. As part of the Groundwork Guide collection, it offers a solid foundation for taking a critical look at porn. Nathan provides perspective on the various cultural arguments surrounding porn by taking a look at the history, the audience, the workers, and the research. All in all, it's both an interesting and a quick read that gives you insight into a topic that folks don't generally talk about.

[Alan]

Outdated and reads like a high school essay. Didn't learn much!

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

A useful (although brief) social history, examining some of the moral/ethical debate about pornography. It would be interesting to see a revised addition with any research that may have been done since the book's 2007 publication.

[Chris Schneider · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fairly quick and easy read, we learn about the history of pornography and some of the truths about it from someone who does not have a puritanical agenda. Nathan often discusses the pros and cons of pornography, often siding on the side of pro-- seeing it as instructive, as a release, and as more-or-less harmless, while still acknowledging its problems and dangers. She also makes it clear that we still are in an age where we are appalled by expressions of sexuality, and that things gradually (and sometimes quickly) change.

This was written in 2007, and it is obvious that indeed some things have changed. However, most of what she writes about is still quite applicable to the here and now.

[Seven Pesos · Rating 3 out of 5]

At the time of writing this (the year 2023), this book is horribly outdated. The name of the porn game has changed several times since the book's writing, but still was an interesting read to get a general feel for the relevant issues surrounding pornography in 2007. While this was a short little primer on the various sub-topics of pornography, I wish Debbie spent more time talking about pornography and globalism. This issue feels very relevant today with the OnlyFans-ification of the porn market completely blowing open the door for sexual exploitation of economically depressed regions / ethnicities / communities / people (I'm currently seeing a lot of Ukrainian OnlyFans accounts, presumably a side-effect of the war.)