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Sex Power Money
Part comedy, part anthropological study, here is everything Sara Pascoe has learned from scientists, sex education teachers, pornographers and '90s films about love, cruelty, domination, masculinity, status, and economic pressures.
Is internet porn ruining marriage?
'Mind Rape' isn't a thing, is it?
Like her much-loved first book, Animal, Pascoe overthinks and overshares in the name of our entertainment and education.
Sex Power Money is a whip-smart, winningly funny look into who – and what – we are, and what makes us tick.
Is internet porn ruining marriage?
'Mind Rape' isn't a thing, is it?
Like her much-loved first book, Animal, Pascoe overthinks and overshares in the name of our entertainment and education.
Sex Power Money is a whip-smart, winningly funny look into who – and what – we are, and what makes us tick.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published August 27, 2019
338 people are currently reading
4240 people want to read
About the author
Sara Pascoe
8 books390 followersSara Patricia Pascoe is an English comedian and actress. She has appeared on TV programmes such as 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown for Channel 4, and Taskmaster for digital channel Dave.
Twitter @sarapascoe
Twitter @sarapascoe
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 366 reviews
October 5, 2019
‘I began wanting to write a book about sex,’ explains Sara Pascoe, ‘but what I kept learning was that everything is connected to money.’ Yes, depressing, isn't it. That sums up the pattern of the book pretty well – it begins in a spirit of great, shall we say, socio-erotic curiosity, and ends up tangled inexorably with notions of transactional sex, so-called ‘erotic capital’, and the dispiriting process of jamming individual sexuality into the structures of a capitalist society.
Sara Pascoe is a brilliant stand-up comedian, and I was slightly disappointed not to love this more than I did; part of the problem is that I am also a bit of a geek on this subject, so her bibliography is stuff that I myself have been reading through recently and hence was already aware of (A Mind of Its Own, King Kong Théorie, Sex, Lies & Statistics, Testosterone Rex etc.). The other problem is that, being a brilliant stand-up, she is arguably better at dealing with this stuff on the stage than on the page. Once you've seen her routine about the unfairness of men paying for dinner (which you should, it's great), there is no need to read her discussion of it in this book, where it's just slightly less funny but not really any more detailed.
Pascoe writes this book very much from the standpoint of a non-expert, someone trying to learn about and understand the things that make sex, and gender relations, such a constantly challenging area. Why is porn so distasteful to her but so popular with so many men? Should prostitution be legal, and why is it even necessary? Do men and women have different libidos, and if so is that because of evolution or society? Is the human brain more like Lidl or Sainsbury's? That kind of thing.
This ‘naïve nerd’ persona has its downsides (she proclaims that she isn't an expert so often, you're entitled to wonder why you shouldn't just be reading the books in the bibliography instead), but one really nice consequence is the way she is so open about her biases. Unlike so many books on this subject, Pascoe is happy – indeed eager – to look at evidence that goes against her instincts, and to draw conclusions disinterestedly.
And, impressively, she really does. Despite the implications of the quote above, she is totally even-handed in her survey of the issues, and exercised just as much by the unfairnesses facing men as those facing women. (‘I am not a meninist,’ she has to clarify at one point. ‘But some of the stuff they bring up is very valid.’) This is particularly so when it comes to studies in evolutionary biology, whose continued influence on sex she, like so many of us, would like to dismiss but cannot. ‘I HATE this assumption [that men are more sexual than women],’ she writes, in a a fairly typical aside. ‘But it's undeniable that there is a divergence.’ And elsewhere: ‘Sometimes I hate evidence.’ In the end, she is led to the conclusion that many of the gender disparities in behaviour ‘are not created by societies but remnants of forces going much further back’.
I found her an interesting read on pornography, to which she feels an instinctive revulsion, partly due to some experiences in past relationships. ‘Before I started researching this book,’ she says, ‘I'd have sworn on my life that porn was to blame for much of modern sexism.’ She is brought to tears by reading Gail Dines's Pornland, and goes on the internet with great trepidation to find out more for herself. But, perusing PornHub, she says: ‘All I've found in my research is middle ground.’
In the end she concludes that, however distasteful, it's probably harmless, though she is confused by the ‘imbalance in power’ that is so often acted out in porn – ‘It seems no one is interested in sex between equals, it's all teacher and student, stepmom and son, drug smuggler and customs officer.’ But surely power dynamics are a staple in all kinds of erotica – Mills & Boon etc. – not just porn?
When it comes to sex work, Pascoe ends up much more on the fence. Again, she is excellent on setting out her own preconceptions. ‘Hence my difficulty in being objective about sex work,’ she says. ‘I get it wrong. I believe it must be so awful because it would be so awful for me.’ And: ‘When I started writing this book I assumed that anyone in sex work or prostitution would want to get out of it at any cost. And that is not true.’
She is sharp enough to see that the issue of sex trafficking is a red herring – ‘Trafficking is not one extreme of sex work, it is as separate and opposed as rape is from sex.’ But for all that, she is not entirely convinced by the idea that ‘sex work is just work’. Ultimately, she feels, there just is a qualitative difference between selling your time for soulless hours stacking shelves, and being physically penetrated by a stranger in a hotel room. And I think there is something in what she says, though she could perhaps have gone a bit further in understanding why this distinction is felt so deeply.
‘I can't help my bias,’ she concludes. I really liked the parts of this book where she investigated where those biases came from. She is really interesting when she talks about her preconceptions of men; ‘I recognised a psychopathy in aroused males,’ she says at one point, reflecting on past relationships – a very striking phrase. Yet this is not because she has felt less sexually driven than them – in fact, she has whole routines (and passages in this book) about having a higher libido than her partner and feeling sexually frustrated.
In the end, on a personal level the juxtaposition of written jokes and recycled research did not quite connect with me here. But for someone who is relatively new to these ideas, this would definitely make for a very appealing and readable overview. Otherwise, binge-watching her on YouTube could be a better choice.
Sara Pascoe is a brilliant stand-up comedian, and I was slightly disappointed not to love this more than I did; part of the problem is that I am also a bit of a geek on this subject, so her bibliography is stuff that I myself have been reading through recently and hence was already aware of (A Mind of Its Own, King Kong Théorie, Sex, Lies & Statistics, Testosterone Rex etc.). The other problem is that, being a brilliant stand-up, she is arguably better at dealing with this stuff on the stage than on the page. Once you've seen her routine about the unfairness of men paying for dinner (which you should, it's great), there is no need to read her discussion of it in this book, where it's just slightly less funny but not really any more detailed.
Pascoe writes this book very much from the standpoint of a non-expert, someone trying to learn about and understand the things that make sex, and gender relations, such a constantly challenging area. Why is porn so distasteful to her but so popular with so many men? Should prostitution be legal, and why is it even necessary? Do men and women have different libidos, and if so is that because of evolution or society? Is the human brain more like Lidl or Sainsbury's? That kind of thing.
This ‘naïve nerd’ persona has its downsides (she proclaims that she isn't an expert so often, you're entitled to wonder why you shouldn't just be reading the books in the bibliography instead), but one really nice consequence is the way she is so open about her biases. Unlike so many books on this subject, Pascoe is happy – indeed eager – to look at evidence that goes against her instincts, and to draw conclusions disinterestedly.
I'm trying to write a book about how evolution moulded human sexuality – my starting point can't be ‘male sexuality is essentially abusive’ or ‘straight men should all be in prison’, although they are both things I have said when drunk. Researching this book, I've realised I am deeply prejudiced. Writing this book, I am attempting to confront that.
And, impressively, she really does. Despite the implications of the quote above, she is totally even-handed in her survey of the issues, and exercised just as much by the unfairnesses facing men as those facing women. (‘I am not a meninist,’ she has to clarify at one point. ‘But some of the stuff they bring up is very valid.’) This is particularly so when it comes to studies in evolutionary biology, whose continued influence on sex she, like so many of us, would like to dismiss but cannot. ‘I HATE this assumption [that men are more sexual than women],’ she writes, in a a fairly typical aside. ‘But it's undeniable that there is a divergence.’ And elsewhere: ‘Sometimes I hate evidence.’ In the end, she is led to the conclusion that many of the gender disparities in behaviour ‘are not created by societies but remnants of forces going much further back’.
If you want to passionately argue that […] male-on-male killing is created by culture then I will watch your TED talk, but I'm unlikely to be convinced.
I found her an interesting read on pornography, to which she feels an instinctive revulsion, partly due to some experiences in past relationships. ‘Before I started researching this book,’ she says, ‘I'd have sworn on my life that porn was to blame for much of modern sexism.’ She is brought to tears by reading Gail Dines's Pornland, and goes on the internet with great trepidation to find out more for herself. But, perusing PornHub, she says: ‘All I've found in my research is middle ground.’
[Cited studies] actually found, when measuring the length of time spent on visible aggression (biting, slapping, choking, etc.) in these videos, that violence was a declining trend. And films where the female performer seemed to be enjoying herself were far more popular (in views and ‘likes’) than any in which women simulated or experienced distress.
In the end she concludes that, however distasteful, it's probably harmless, though she is confused by the ‘imbalance in power’ that is so often acted out in porn – ‘It seems no one is interested in sex between equals, it's all teacher and student, stepmom and son, drug smuggler and customs officer.’ But surely power dynamics are a staple in all kinds of erotica – Mills & Boon etc. – not just porn?
When it comes to sex work, Pascoe ends up much more on the fence. Again, she is excellent on setting out her own preconceptions. ‘Hence my difficulty in being objective about sex work,’ she says. ‘I get it wrong. I believe it must be so awful because it would be so awful for me.’ And: ‘When I started writing this book I assumed that anyone in sex work or prostitution would want to get out of it at any cost. And that is not true.’
She is sharp enough to see that the issue of sex trafficking is a red herring – ‘Trafficking is not one extreme of sex work, it is as separate and opposed as rape is from sex.’ But for all that, she is not entirely convinced by the idea that ‘sex work is just work’. Ultimately, she feels, there just is a qualitative difference between selling your time for soulless hours stacking shelves, and being physically penetrated by a stranger in a hotel room. And I think there is something in what she says, though she could perhaps have gone a bit further in understanding why this distinction is felt so deeply.
‘I can't help my bias,’ she concludes. I really liked the parts of this book where she investigated where those biases came from. She is really interesting when she talks about her preconceptions of men; ‘I recognised a psychopathy in aroused males,’ she says at one point, reflecting on past relationships – a very striking phrase. Yet this is not because she has felt less sexually driven than them – in fact, she has whole routines (and passages in this book) about having a higher libido than her partner and feeling sexually frustrated.
In the end, on a personal level the juxtaposition of written jokes and recycled research did not quite connect with me here. But for someone who is relatively new to these ideas, this would definitely make for a very appealing and readable overview. Otherwise, binge-watching her on YouTube could be a better choice.
September 21, 2019
Fantastic. She's just so well informed, clever, thoughtful, critical, balanced, and of course, funny. This took me through some highs and lows and made me keep rethinking everything I THOUGHT I thought about sex, power, money. The audiobook is amazing.
October 2, 2019
Worth it for her take down of the movie Indecent Proposal alone. She handles difficult subjects with humor and honesty but also the necessary critical eye. She looks at the evolutionary and societal aspects of the interplay of sex, power, and money and doesn't shy away from some uncomfortable realities, including looking at her own biases (which often reflect many of OUR own biases). Not always a comfortable read, but always an interesting and entertaining one.
October 13, 2021
Sex Power Money is both highly entertaining and horribly depressing.
Entertaining because of Sara Pascoe's lively, insightful commentary. Depressing because, wow, Sara Pascoe has interacted with some terrible, terrible men.
I only recognise Sara Pascoe from panel shows (I've not seen her stand up) and this was the first book of hers I've read. The subjects of sex work, power dynamics, evolutionary biology, porn and exploitation can be very serious and I was dubious as to how "hilarious" a book on these topics could be.
It certainly had some very funny moments and some chapters had me laughing out loud. Guffawing in the garden, hoping my neighbours wouldn't overhear and wonder if I'd lost the plot and started cackling to myself.
The amusing bits didn't detract at all from what was, at times, a very distressing conversation.
And a conversation is basically what this book is. Sara Pascoe writes as a comedian and journalist and this book is an exploration that brings in (simplified) science, lots of anecdotes, a dissecting essay on Indecent Proposal, personal experience and LOTS of discussion.
I am not rating this book as a scientific work but as an EXPLORATION of the topic, with all its resultant idiosyncrasies, inconsistencies, humour and heart.
I think it's an intelligent, thought provoking, fascinating book. I'm not going to pretend there aren't oversimplifications and extrapolations in the scientific theory. Even the experts don't agree on a lot of this stuff. Sara Pascoe mashes up opinion, fact, stories and theories in what turned out to be the fastest book I've read in a long while.
The speed at which I read this is partly due to the engaging writing and partly because sex is interesting. I love to find out what other people think about sex; I love to find out what other people find erotic and learn the details of others' private lives.
Ethical issues are abundantly discussed. Much as I enjoy moral debate, "enjoy" is the wrong word here, particularly in later chapters, as the content got quite upsetting.
Many times reading this book, I felt angry and sick at what some human beings do to others. Examples of women being dehumanised and objectified were particularly difficult to read about.
I'm not going to get into the nitty gritty. I'll just say that I agree with a lot of Sara Pascoe's conclusions. Not all of them, but she talks a lot of sense and I find her admissions of her own feelings and biases to be refreshing and insightful.
There are a lot of books I would like to read along similar veins. I'd also be interested in reading Sara Pascoe's other book (unsubtly advertised throughout!)
Sex Power Money manages to be both heavy and light at the same time. I would definitely recommend it.
Entertaining because of Sara Pascoe's lively, insightful commentary. Depressing because, wow, Sara Pascoe has interacted with some terrible, terrible men.
I only recognise Sara Pascoe from panel shows (I've not seen her stand up) and this was the first book of hers I've read. The subjects of sex work, power dynamics, evolutionary biology, porn and exploitation can be very serious and I was dubious as to how "hilarious" a book on these topics could be.
It certainly had some very funny moments and some chapters had me laughing out loud. Guffawing in the garden, hoping my neighbours wouldn't overhear and wonder if I'd lost the plot and started cackling to myself.
The amusing bits didn't detract at all from what was, at times, a very distressing conversation.
And a conversation is basically what this book is. Sara Pascoe writes as a comedian and journalist and this book is an exploration that brings in (simplified) science, lots of anecdotes, a dissecting essay on Indecent Proposal, personal experience and LOTS of discussion.
I am not rating this book as a scientific work but as an EXPLORATION of the topic, with all its resultant idiosyncrasies, inconsistencies, humour and heart.
I think it's an intelligent, thought provoking, fascinating book. I'm not going to pretend there aren't oversimplifications and extrapolations in the scientific theory. Even the experts don't agree on a lot of this stuff. Sara Pascoe mashes up opinion, fact, stories and theories in what turned out to be the fastest book I've read in a long while.
The speed at which I read this is partly due to the engaging writing and partly because sex is interesting. I love to find out what other people think about sex; I love to find out what other people find erotic and learn the details of others' private lives.
Ethical issues are abundantly discussed. Much as I enjoy moral debate, "enjoy" is the wrong word here, particularly in later chapters, as the content got quite upsetting.
Many times reading this book, I felt angry and sick at what some human beings do to others. Examples of women being dehumanised and objectified were particularly difficult to read about.
I'm not going to get into the nitty gritty. I'll just say that I agree with a lot of Sara Pascoe's conclusions. Not all of them, but she talks a lot of sense and I find her admissions of her own feelings and biases to be refreshing and insightful.
There are a lot of books I would like to read along similar veins. I'd also be interested in reading Sara Pascoe's other book (unsubtly advertised throughout!)
Sex Power Money manages to be both heavy and light at the same time. I would definitely recommend it.
September 21, 2019
I'm always interested to read a book by a comic, especially if they're writing on a particular subject. Any comedian worth their salt have the uncanny ability to see through bullshit. So, when they themselves have to write something which is fact based, you can rely on the quality of work they must have done to ensure that there's no bullshitting in their work. Aziz Ansari's Modern romance is a another good example apart from this book.
To be honest, that's the main reason I picked up this book. Having known Sara's work from BBC, I had an expectation of high quality from her, but my o my, I was not prepared for the emotional roller coaster I'd go through reading this book. It's, extremely well researched, thought through, funny, emotional, smart and witty all at the same time!
I've learned so many things about the root of so many of my own behaviours that it'll be hard to list them down here. To give a flavour, do you know why men are more visual than women when it comes to arousal? Why do most people prefer darkness during sex? Are all romantic relationship transactional at some level? Or did you know that men can produce higher qualities of sperm if they perceive the attractiveness of their partner to be higher and they don't even control this act!
The question of why we behave in a certain way and not others is explored in the most fascinating way possible throughout this book especially as the title indicates around the sex. This is then beautifully weaved with the social construct of power and money and how the ebb and flow of these currents determine in large part how we lead our lives and be in a relationship.
There are so many positives for me in this book, but the one that stands out is the fact that, at no point Sara tries to pontificate about any concept or the outcome. She holds your hand and walks you through the facts of life describing them with her own experience and leaves it to you as a reader to make up your mind. While reading this, I found myself multiple times just closing the book and asking myself, how do I feel about what I've just read. I love it when you read something and it challenges what you to think.
This should be a must read especially for young people.
To be honest, that's the main reason I picked up this book. Having known Sara's work from BBC, I had an expectation of high quality from her, but my o my, I was not prepared for the emotional roller coaster I'd go through reading this book. It's, extremely well researched, thought through, funny, emotional, smart and witty all at the same time!
I've learned so many things about the root of so many of my own behaviours that it'll be hard to list them down here. To give a flavour, do you know why men are more visual than women when it comes to arousal? Why do most people prefer darkness during sex? Are all romantic relationship transactional at some level? Or did you know that men can produce higher qualities of sperm if they perceive the attractiveness of their partner to be higher and they don't even control this act!
The question of why we behave in a certain way and not others is explored in the most fascinating way possible throughout this book especially as the title indicates around the sex. This is then beautifully weaved with the social construct of power and money and how the ebb and flow of these currents determine in large part how we lead our lives and be in a relationship.
There are so many positives for me in this book, but the one that stands out is the fact that, at no point Sara tries to pontificate about any concept or the outcome. She holds your hand and walks you through the facts of life describing them with her own experience and leaves it to you as a reader to make up your mind. While reading this, I found myself multiple times just closing the book and asking myself, how do I feel about what I've just read. I love it when you read something and it challenges what you to think.
This should be a must read especially for young people.
January 31, 2020
I may have given this more than the three if it didn’t dissolve into a rather tacky account of Basic Instinct. Line-by-line, and as far as I’m concerned, Ad Nauseam. I stopped mid-point through this script as I found myself constantly drifting off.
There are some genuinely funny pieces here and I so wish that the humour had been SP’s intention, but the funnies are infrequent and the sex is old. I never thought I’d say that. Ever.
I must say though; I did enjoy hearing about the journey she has travelled regarding her opinions. Open & honest.
There are some genuinely funny pieces here and I so wish that the humour had been SP’s intention, but the funnies are infrequent and the sex is old. I never thought I’d say that. Ever.
I must say though; I did enjoy hearing about the journey she has travelled regarding her opinions. Open & honest.
October 14, 2019
Really well researched and accessibly written overview of the roles of sex, power and money in society and how they intersect/influence each other. Animal is one of my favourite books and there is no second album syndrome here for Sara, she infuses her points the same wittiness and charisma as in Animal and I couldn't stop bringing this book up when talking to my friends!!! Learned loads about sex workers and I really rate the accompanying podcast too which is well worth a listen.
November 26, 2019
This book really annoyed me and it’s taken me a while to work out why. To start with there is a lot in here about evolutionary biology. Now if that is interesting to you great, but for me it just seems like there is an over reliance on this stuff to explain behaviour, and whilst i don’t doubt there is relevance, I don’t think all modern behaviour can be explained by it and it annoyed me just how much of this was in here. She gives an anecdote of how she visited a women’s shelter and she started talking to them about her theory’s as to why men beat women due to their natural instinct to protect, and how disgusted the women she was speaking too were. Thats how I feel about this whole book. It reads like someone has listed to a great podcast on a subject and now consider themselves an expert so just regurgitate what they have learnt.
I guess I was expecting note social and cultural commentary on power, sex, money instead of a lecture on cavemen and women.
I guess I was expecting note social and cultural commentary on power, sex, money instead of a lecture on cavemen and women.
September 3, 2019
Funny as hell and sensitively considered with really intelligent discussions about 'maleness', porn, sex work, sexual politics and nature vs. nurture.
April 19, 2021
"We think that the word 'boy' or the the word 'girl' says something about who a person is, who they will be. But that difference is much less dictated by the body they're born in than created by what we expect of them and how we treat each other."
I listened to this one on Audible and loved it! Pascoe wades into some pretty challenging topics with warmth, humour and wisdom. Her writing and narration were extremely accessible and enjoyable - I picked certain chapters to listen to with my 18 year old daughter (on various car trips) and it created some really valuable discussion.
I listened to this one on Audible and loved it! Pascoe wades into some pretty challenging topics with warmth, humour and wisdom. Her writing and narration were extremely accessible and enjoyable - I picked certain chapters to listen to with my 18 year old daughter (on various car trips) and it created some really valuable discussion.
September 6, 2019
This book is passionate and hard-hitting and *supremely* well-researched (but accessible in how she explains what she’s learned) and there are two or three proper laughs-out-loud per page, often delivered seemingly casually as asides or footnotes. I loved it greatly.
October 3, 2019
I like Sara Pascoe a lot and her work is always well-researched and amusing, but this feels slightly strange and disjointed and ultimately it's not as good as Animal. It touched on some interesting points but overall I didn’t gain much from it.
Despite referring to plenty of academic sources throughout it’s also not referenced in-text, which is one of my pet annoyances in popular science/sociology books so I’m possibly letting that colour my view. It may have been this that made me see it more as a memoir of her research than a credible overview of the topic, but it also may have been the part where she used a Facebook post and its replies as a source. I do also have some issues with biological determinism as an idea, so it’s pretty clear that this is not for me.
It’s worth a read if you want a light and readable introduction to the ideas, but it doesn’t really add much to the discussion.
Despite referring to plenty of academic sources throughout it’s also not referenced in-text, which is one of my pet annoyances in popular science/sociology books so I’m possibly letting that colour my view. It may have been this that made me see it more as a memoir of her research than a credible overview of the topic, but it also may have been the part where she used a Facebook post and its replies as a source. I do also have some issues with biological determinism as an idea, so it’s pretty clear that this is not for me.
It’s worth a read if you want a light and readable introduction to the ideas, but it doesn’t really add much to the discussion.
July 22, 2019
I tried very hard to like this book but alas I did not :(
October 13, 2019
This took me a long time to get through — even though it was fabulous. I agreed with a lot of Pascoe’s opinions and I love that she’s so honest about getting it wrong sometimes and exploring the limitations of her own experiences in relation to feminism.
November 13, 2019
Pascoe explores attitudes towards human sexuality, the evolution of homo sapiens and various aspects of gender politics. This was fascinating and amusing in equal parts. I didn't totally agree with all the points raised but it's still a thought-provoking book.
November 4, 2019
Hilarious, informative, educational, and thought provoking. What more could you want! I’ve just started listening to the podcast which is a brilliant accompaniment.
July 26, 2023
I learned a lot from this book, especially the Biology section, and I put it down for a bit after reading ⅔ of it in order to digest. Unfortunately, it loses its way a bit in the final third, where it discusses sex work, emphasising the validity of most of the views in the debate, alongside her strong personal opinions. This results in a book that is frustratingly conclusionless (though in the epilogue Pascoe concludes that this would always be the case while she was the one writing it). Nevertheless, it remains RIGOROUSLY researched and entertainingly written, and does a pretty good job of interrogating such a gargantuan thorny mass of important topics.
ily sara this review was better written then goodreads crashed and now I'm typing it from memory
ily sara this review was better written then goodreads crashed and now I'm typing it from memory
September 1, 2024
I definitely wasn’t in the right mindset for this, a much heavier and deeper read than I anticipated. But it was v insightful & made me feel quite sad actually at times, I appreciated Sara’s sprinkling of sarky storytelling and genuine laugh out loud moments peppered throughout 👍🏼
February 1, 2023
Reading a book that says sex on the front makes men stare at you on the tube.
Found this so interesting and wish I had written it
Found this so interesting and wish I had written it
June 21, 2020
The narrative skirted around the subject in a poorly structured stream of consciousness instead of saying anything conclusive. Funny and compelling at times, but the books in the bibliography look way more interesting.
January 9, 2020
Sara Pascoe is a really good writer. I have read quite a lot of books by comedians about serious subjects and they tend either to be full of jokes but not really going anywhere or else they're collections of interesting science facts thrown together in no particular order and dotted about with enough humour to stop you falling asleep.
This, on the other hand, is a proper argument, bringing facts together in an order, evaluating them and going into some uncomfortable intellectual territory in pursuit of understanding around the ethics of sex, with particular reference to prostitution and pornography. And at the same time, it's really funny without ever feeling like the argument is a scaffolding for the jokes. I read "Animal" a year or two back and that was pretty good, but this is even better. Whether or not you agree with her conclusions, (and as it happens I mostly do, but not 100%) it's interesting to see her go through the process of turning these things over, constructing thought experiments, wrestling with dilemmas and having a laugh at the same time. At the end, there's a bibliography and (in keeping with what I said about honesty) she recommends a series of books that contradict each other, explains where they stand in the argument without trying to bias the reader against a particular author whose views happen to be different from her own. Julie Bindell for example, is someone it's fashionable to hate, but she's done important work in this area so she gets props for that without SP mentioning that she also holds views on some other issues that are wildly divergent from her own.
So... This is probably a slightly disjointed and gushy review but basically I liked this a lot and would recommend it to anyone interested in the subject, or anyone who just likes watching someone wrestle with a subject in an entertaining way and doesn't mind a bit of rudity.
This, on the other hand, is a proper argument, bringing facts together in an order, evaluating them and going into some uncomfortable intellectual territory in pursuit of understanding around the ethics of sex, with particular reference to prostitution and pornography. And at the same time, it's really funny without ever feeling like the argument is a scaffolding for the jokes. I read "Animal" a year or two back and that was pretty good, but this is even better. Whether or not you agree with her conclusions, (and as it happens I mostly do, but not 100%) it's interesting to see her go through the process of turning these things over, constructing thought experiments, wrestling with dilemmas and having a laugh at the same time. At the end, there's a bibliography and (in keeping with what I said about honesty) she recommends a series of books that contradict each other, explains where they stand in the argument without trying to bias the reader against a particular author whose views happen to be different from her own. Julie Bindell for example, is someone it's fashionable to hate, but she's done important work in this area so she gets props for that without SP mentioning that she also holds views on some other issues that are wildly divergent from her own.
So... This is probably a slightly disjointed and gushy review but basically I liked this a lot and would recommend it to anyone interested in the subject, or anyone who just likes watching someone wrestle with a subject in an entertaining way and doesn't mind a bit of rudity.
September 10, 2019
Wow.
This book is SO well researched, incredibly sensitive to all, completely accessible, and genuinely quite funny. Anybody who’s spoken to me in the past week will have had a million stats, facts, and theories surrounding sexuality, gender and porn thrown at them. Not sorry.
It’s rare to find a book that discusses such complex and often uncomfortable theory written in a way that is both entertaining AND accessible to people with understandings of all levels. To manage to keep the humour through some very dark topics is a skill, and one Sara definitely possesses.
I honestly would go as far as to say everybody should read this. It’s furthered my depth of understanding of theory as well as real life sympathies towards men, masculinity, sex workers, femininity, porn, sexual assault, and my own feminism. Men and women alike can gain so much from it.
I’m really glad I went for the audio book (although I am going to buy the book because there are a lot of parts I need to highlight to be able to come back to), having Sara read her own words to me just added to the accessibility of it all. And after 11 hours of her talking in my ear I am now fully convinced we’re best friends.
Read it, listen to it, allow me to perform it in the style of an interpretive dance - just consume this incredible book.
It is worth noting that it isn’t a scholarly work, and Sara gives an extended list of further reading if you do need something more that way, but it’s a great introduction to some really difficult topics. Topics Pascoe herself admits to not fully figuring out yet, because it’s bloody complicated and contradictory!
Everybody I know is getting this for Christmas. (If you haven’t read her first book Animal, you should definitely read that too!)
This book is SO well researched, incredibly sensitive to all, completely accessible, and genuinely quite funny. Anybody who’s spoken to me in the past week will have had a million stats, facts, and theories surrounding sexuality, gender and porn thrown at them. Not sorry.
It’s rare to find a book that discusses such complex and often uncomfortable theory written in a way that is both entertaining AND accessible to people with understandings of all levels. To manage to keep the humour through some very dark topics is a skill, and one Sara definitely possesses.
I honestly would go as far as to say everybody should read this. It’s furthered my depth of understanding of theory as well as real life sympathies towards men, masculinity, sex workers, femininity, porn, sexual assault, and my own feminism. Men and women alike can gain so much from it.
I’m really glad I went for the audio book (although I am going to buy the book because there are a lot of parts I need to highlight to be able to come back to), having Sara read her own words to me just added to the accessibility of it all. And after 11 hours of her talking in my ear I am now fully convinced we’re best friends.
Read it, listen to it, allow me to perform it in the style of an interpretive dance - just consume this incredible book.
It is worth noting that it isn’t a scholarly work, and Sara gives an extended list of further reading if you do need something more that way, but it’s a great introduction to some really difficult topics. Topics Pascoe herself admits to not fully figuring out yet, because it’s bloody complicated and contradictory!
Everybody I know is getting this for Christmas. (If you haven’t read her first book Animal, you should definitely read that too!)
November 20, 2019
As a non-sciencey person I love evolutionary theory, and so both of Sara's books float my boat in terms of subject matter; I like learning about how are animal selves are sometimes at odds with how we are expected to behave in society and why we've grown into the shapes and sizes we are today. As the book suggests, we are just meat machines trying to make copies of ourselves.
The thing I really like about how Sara writes is that she is not laying down facts when there is doubt, even in her own opinions of things. This is especially true of the section on sex-work where Sara struggles with the two principles that a) people can be free to do what they like and b) sex work is sometimes horrific and exploitative and harmful.
Humour is mixed with facts (i know how long it would take to complete Pornhub and how I measure up against the average male porn star*) but overall it is very thought-provoking and will have you thinking about where you stand on important issues.
The only very slight downside for me was that there is a very occasional interjection by "sneery man". I would have preferred this to be a Sara Pascoe voice like she did in Animal with the schoolkids asking questions. Hence the 4 star given.
Sara is so completely honest and authentic; i think if we could all try and emulate her and have a good chat about what we all feel and why then the world would be a better, safer and more equal place.
*spoiler: not that well
The thing I really like about how Sara writes is that she is not laying down facts when there is doubt, even in her own opinions of things. This is especially true of the section on sex-work where Sara struggles with the two principles that a) people can be free to do what they like and b) sex work is sometimes horrific and exploitative and harmful.
Humour is mixed with facts (i know how long it would take to complete Pornhub and how I measure up against the average male porn star*) but overall it is very thought-provoking and will have you thinking about where you stand on important issues.
The only very slight downside for me was that there is a very occasional interjection by "sneery man". I would have preferred this to be a Sara Pascoe voice like she did in Animal with the schoolkids asking questions. Hence the 4 star given.
Sara is so completely honest and authentic; i think if we could all try and emulate her and have a good chat about what we all feel and why then the world would be a better, safer and more equal place.
*spoiler: not that well
October 24, 2019
Sara Pascoe’s SEX POWER MONEY is a book about feminism, porn, our biologies, and how all of these intersect. Pascoe explains how things are, which may not be a surprise to many, but she also explains the why - and that is what makes this book an essential read. It’s also very funny.
I’ve always been fascinated by discovering why things are sexist, why men are the way they are, why women are they way we are, and how far back we have to go to begin to understand how we got here. Pascoe delves into evolution and biology in very new and humorous ways. She gets to the heart of why things are the way they are, and does it in an entertaining and easily digestible way. This is why I think all teenagers should read her books. She is frank, extremely smart, and seems like someone you would truly want to be friends with.
It’s not always an easy book to read - she drops hard truths, stomach-churning facts, and frustrating statistics. But her explanations of things, and framing her reasons for how men and women interact today, are what make it worth all that. You’ll get angry, and agree, but you’ll also learn a lot and perhaps even gain some sympathy for the opposite gender. She is gracious in her writing, and I hope she keeps writing these truly un-missable books about gender and sexuality for many years to come.
I’ve always been fascinated by discovering why things are sexist, why men are the way they are, why women are they way we are, and how far back we have to go to begin to understand how we got here. Pascoe delves into evolution and biology in very new and humorous ways. She gets to the heart of why things are the way they are, and does it in an entertaining and easily digestible way. This is why I think all teenagers should read her books. She is frank, extremely smart, and seems like someone you would truly want to be friends with.
It’s not always an easy book to read - she drops hard truths, stomach-churning facts, and frustrating statistics. But her explanations of things, and framing her reasons for how men and women interact today, are what make it worth all that. You’ll get angry, and agree, but you’ll also learn a lot and perhaps even gain some sympathy for the opposite gender. She is gracious in her writing, and I hope she keeps writing these truly un-missable books about gender and sexuality for many years to come.
November 10, 2019
This is an interesting idea for a book but it has a few major problems, firstly why exactly is a comedian writing this, it's the sort of book an expert might write, or someone with experience of the sex industry might write with examples from their own life, instead we get a serious book by someone who's most famous for telling jokes, which leads to a second problem whichis a lack of jokes, now I can understand why she thought there was not a lot of humour in the subject but this is a wasted opportunity of a book contract, it feels like hiring Bill Murray as an after dinner speaker and then he gives dissertation on the pre raphaelites, the third major problem is one that plagues many of these which is that many chapters tend to be "I read this report on (subject)" and then simply summarizing the report, which leads it to feel less like a researched tome and more like a book report.
Other problems include treating Indecent Proposal as a main source for a discussion on consent and prostitution, the lack of a coherent focus to lead us through, and the constant statements reminding the reader that she is an amateur at science writing.
All in all a book on a subject that isn't discussed in the mainstream enough but one that would have benefited enormously from.being written by anybody other than this particular writer.
Other problems include treating Indecent Proposal as a main source for a discussion on consent and prostitution, the lack of a coherent focus to lead us through, and the constant statements reminding the reader that she is an amateur at science writing.
All in all a book on a subject that isn't discussed in the mainstream enough but one that would have benefited enormously from.being written by anybody other than this particular writer.
September 20, 2019
Pascoe explores complex issues with sensitivity, humanity, and a clear desire to understand diverse perspectives. She does so in her frank, down-to-earth style and her explanations and revelations are rife with humour and insight.
The book is well-researched and some chapters are extremely illuminating on topics of social behaviour and expectations surrounding sex and dating, the science and psychology behind our concepts of masculinity and femininity, as well as exploring issues such as pornography and sex work. I learned a lot that helped me to challenge my prejudices and try to see things from the point of view of others.
Pascoe makes it clear that this is not designed as a pure and objective work of research: it's her personal examination of subjects that fascinate her, and her interest is part of what makes this book so very interesting (and very funny!).
Definitely worth reading!
The book is well-researched and some chapters are extremely illuminating on topics of social behaviour and expectations surrounding sex and dating, the science and psychology behind our concepts of masculinity and femininity, as well as exploring issues such as pornography and sex work. I learned a lot that helped me to challenge my prejudices and try to see things from the point of view of others.
Pascoe makes it clear that this is not designed as a pure and objective work of research: it's her personal examination of subjects that fascinate her, and her interest is part of what makes this book so very interesting (and very funny!).
Definitely worth reading!
September 30, 2019
Really important reading looking at the relationship dynamics between money, sex and power. Sara has an amusing writing style without alienating the reader by bombarding them with facts as would be in an academic text. If you enjoyed/found her first book Animal: The Autobiography of the Female Body enjoyable/interesting then I would wholly recommend (I would suggest reading Animal first however, as there are reference to the findings in that book throughout Sex Power Money). Written from her point of view and opinion, with a lot of grounding in academic studies and confronting her own biases, it is a great way to start looking into the topics of porn and sex work from a fresh feminist perspective. Sara gives you lots to think about and consider going forward.
November 8, 2019
I listened to this as an audiobook and found it incredibly easy to listen to - Sara Pascoe is an excellent narrator and manages to make a balance between comedic observations and hard hitting facts/ opinions on sex and sex work.
I found that the book didn't always maintain a focused and consistent argument, but as Pascoe alludes to herself, the whole topic of sex, sex work and porn are not so easily defined, and twist and turn with complexities on both sides of the coin. Her belief that women should be allowed to sell sex but men shouldn't be allowed to buy it highlights some of the hypocricies which derive from different women's experiences of the sex industry - with questions such as, is sex work ever a choice, and can consent be bought?
I found the book interesting, enlightening and thought provoking. Definitely worth a read if you're into feminist literature, women's issues and experiences, or gender/ social studies on sex and the wider sex industry.
I found that the book didn't always maintain a focused and consistent argument, but as Pascoe alludes to herself, the whole topic of sex, sex work and porn are not so easily defined, and twist and turn with complexities on both sides of the coin. Her belief that women should be allowed to sell sex but men shouldn't be allowed to buy it highlights some of the hypocricies which derive from different women's experiences of the sex industry - with questions such as, is sex work ever a choice, and can consent be bought?
I found the book interesting, enlightening and thought provoking. Definitely worth a read if you're into feminist literature, women's issues and experiences, or gender/ social studies on sex and the wider sex industry.
November 7, 2019
"Sex Power Money" is so intelligent, witty and captivating, and is written with such care and consideration for both reader and subject - something not be downplayed or overlooked. Often I find that books akin to this one are either extremely patronising to us as readers, or take away any humanity and empathy from the subject being discussed. It seems to be a difficult balance to strike but Sara Pascoe does it brilliantly here.
This book has made me question everything I thought I knew about sex, power and money and the connectivity of it all. I would wholeheartedly recommend this for anyone who wishes to examine their own views on sex work, the relationship between power and money, and take a peek behind the curtain of the porn industry.
This book has made me question everything I thought I knew about sex, power and money and the connectivity of it all. I would wholeheartedly recommend this for anyone who wishes to examine their own views on sex work, the relationship between power and money, and take a peek behind the curtain of the porn industry.
September 13, 2019
This book is thoroughly well researched and the information explained in a way that is accessible and understandable without being patronising.
Sara's comedy comes through- relatable, charming, sometimes crude without being gross or demeaning.
The information in this book is essential- it's understanding of all sides, compassionate and although protective of women it does so without hating or blaming men. It's what feminism should be- says women deserve better, tries to understand the other side and encourages empathy all round.
Sara's comedy comes through- relatable, charming, sometimes crude without being gross or demeaning.
The information in this book is essential- it's understanding of all sides, compassionate and although protective of women it does so without hating or blaming men. It's what feminism should be- says women deserve better, tries to understand the other side and encourages empathy all round.
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