Women and Kink

by Jennifer Rehor, Julia Schiffman

Based on original research from nearly 1,600 women from the kink community, this book takes you on a journey into the motivations, meanings, and benefits of kink, in these women’s own words. Women and Kink presents a diverse range of personal and intimate stories about life, love, relationships, kink, sex, self-discovery, growth, resilience, community, and more. The book offers insight into the breadth of the kink community, with chapters discussing different aspects of kink and forms of engagement, both individually and within relationships. Filled throughout with personal vignettes and examples, the authors provide commentary, reflection questions, and thought-provoking considerations to readers who are looking to explore a new area of their life. By exploring personal stories of love, alternative sexualities, and reasons for participating in the "unconventional," the book supports and empowers each reader to build a relationship and life that best suits their needs. It is also an illuminating resource for sex therapists, counselors, and other mental health professionals interested in developing a kink-affirmative practice.

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, Sexuality

256 pages, Paperback

Published July 20, 2021

Reviews

[kory. · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The women in our study do not enjoy kink in a vacuum, disconnected, acting out a bad script in a grainy film. Rather, kink is intertwined in their lives, loves, passions, philosophies, professions, and adventures, in the sacred and in the mundane, in their hearts and in their souls.”

generally an interesting read. but i very much don’t care for the authors saying parenting is the “most obvious example of owning people” because what the actual fuck that’s not what parenting is.

[A. Housewife]

Opened my eyes to a lot of different ways that women are currently living and being sexual. I'm glad this kind of research gets done and I'm glad it gets written up and shared. Basically, the author was doing a study and found that the "what comments do you have to add" sorted themselves into a number of categories that were worthwhile to share with the world. Expanded concepts of what is a relationship, what sort of arrangements do you have sexually, what sorts of things do you do, what does kink mean to you and why do you do it.

Personally I wasn't riveted by the book but I found it interesting and important. 3.5

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would be a book on kink for people that don’t know much about it.
The book consists of…
A true sentence about kink.
And then a list of quotations about that topic from women who participated in a kink study.
If u r new and don’t know much u may hear titillating things, but… otherwise, there is nothing new here.

[Lot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here for the survey answers, not to learn about kink.

I like to think of myself as having a good knowledge of kink and I am well established in my local scene.
I just wanted to get to know what the survey said!

[Carlee Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anonymous confessions and insightful commentary, I loved this book.

[Viv JM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and respectful look at the lives of women who engage in kink.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

book club read