Philippe Brenot

The text by Philippe Brenot, French psychiatrist specializing in sexology, is brought to life in the often quite funny images by the graphic artist Leatitia Coryn. It is a cultural history of changing sexual attitudes, morals and practices throughout the centuries from the very beginnings deduced from pre-historic images and artifacts to a speculative look into the future concentrating on European societies (circumcision and female genital mutilation, customs that may have originated in ancient Egypt are mentioned). Very thorough and well founded in every detail as far as I can tell, and as old and wise as I am, I was still able to learn something new. The authors are certainly not caught in moral prejudices, in any social vices or in religious dogmatism: only by fully and joyfully experiencing sexual and erotic pleasures including masturbation one becomes fully human. Playful seriousness and serious playfulness – and ironic sarcasm at the all too often incomprehensible human foolishness in giving others a miserable life and elevating oneself to an infinitely superior being by wallowing in one’s own misery. It’s a playful pleasure this book! (XII-16)… (mehr)