Reviews for Impotence: A Cultural History

The average rating for Impotence: A Cultural History based on 2 reviews is 2.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2017-09-16 00:00:00 Mikhail Prokhin FYI - Only read relevant chapters to my research Book is an long chronological look at male impotence in the Western world. McLaren's research ranges from Ancient Greece and Rome to medieval Christian texts, sexual humor in 17th-century England, 19th-century medical texts, and the modern day coverage of Viagra. He focuses primarily on England and the United States, drawing from other related periods and places as needed. McLaren is correct that more attention needs to be paid to male sexuality and male bodies throughout history; he posits his work against the many works that have interrogated female sexuality and bodies, leaving (and some even arguing) that male sexuality and bodies have remained static throughout history. McLaren follows this focus throughout the book by only looking at male impotence and how people and cultures have explained it and given it meaning in society, but this presents the same problem McLaren charged others with. I wish he had made connections between male and female "sexual problems" and why male impotence, opposed to female sexual "problems", became dominant in society. Or, while explaining how impotence had different diagnoses and lack of a clear definition over the centuries, how it was different to or similar to female barrenness or other "sexual problems". McLaren's work is accessible and clearly organized; each chapter covers a different period and with a well-crafted argument. It is a strong overview of this little studied subject, providing a good starting point for anyone interested in the topic or needs to know where to find other existing scholarly work on the subject.

Review # 2 was written on 2015-04-23 00:00:00 Beverly Packer Started out with great potential, but got hung up on the sex angle of men and relationships. This was especially funny because early on in the book he goes on a bit of a tirade about the fact that men are not obsessed with sex. I finally quite reading it the tone shifted from, "ladies, here is a way to understand and work with your man" to "This is just the way he is so get used to it and don't expect any better". The other frustrating chapter was the discussion on what constitutes cheating, that included the suggestion that early in the relationship you should have a discussion about what each of you considers cheating so no one gets their feelings hurt later on. I personally think, here is a good rule of thumb, if you are going to get hurt if your partner behaves in a certain way, then guess what you shouldn't do those things either. "It was a stupid drunk kiss, just a silly mistake" is not a viable defense.