The best 80 Sex books

1
The 4-Hour Body

The 4-Hour Body

Timothy Ferriss
An uncommon guide to rapid fat-loss, incredible sex and becoming superhuman
3.3 (1,073 ratings)

What's The 4-Hour Body about?

The 4-Hour Body (2010) is a collection of research and findings about unconventional body-regulating methods from doctors, scientists, professional sports trainers and the world’s top athletes. These methods are personally put to the test by the author, leading him to unearth life-changing shortcuts to improving his body and overall lifestyle.

Who should read The 4-Hour Body?

  • People who want to lose weight but not give up their favorite foods
  • Those who experience insomnia
  • People looking to improve their sex life

2
The Five Core Conversations for Couples

The Five Core Conversations for Couples

David Bulitt and Julie Bulitt
Expert Advice about How to Develop: Effective Communication, a Long-Term Financial Plan, Cooperative Parenting Strategies, Mutually Satisfying Sex, and Work-Life Balance
4.0 (21 ratings)

What's The Five Core Conversations for Couples about?

The Five Core Conversations for Couples (2020) examines the five important topics every couple should talk about. It offers expert guidance on the core facets of a relationship that can help you strengthen yours. 

Who should read The Five Core Conversations for Couples?

  • Young couples looking for relationship advice
  • Older couples wanting to fix and strengthen their marriage
  • Anyone in a relationship

3
The Art of Seduction

The Art of Seduction

Robert Greene
An examination of the amoral game and techniques of seducers
4.1 (647 ratings)

What's The Art of Seduction about?

The Art of Seduction (2001) examines the amoral game of seduction, explaining how seduction always starts in the mind and that the most successful seducers know this very well indeed. It explains strategies for inciting interest, disorientating the target of seduction, stirring desire and kindling emotions. These tactics will lead to the eventual seduction of the target.

Who should read The Art of Seduction?

  • People who want to learn the art of seduction
  • Historians interested in landmark seductions
  • Psychology enthusiasts

4
She Comes First

She Comes First

Ian Kerner
The Thinking Man’s Guide to Pleasuring a Woman
4.6 (745 ratings)

What's She Comes First about?

She Comes First (2004) is a guide to improving a woman’s sexual experience through the act of cunnilingus. It emphasizes the value of the female orgasm and argues for a reduced focus on penetration.

Who should read She Comes First?

  • People intent on becoming a better lover
  • Anyone wanting to improve their cunnilingus skills
  • Those interested in female biology

5
Love More, Fight Less

Love More, Fight Less

Gina Senarighi
Communication Skills Every Couple Needs
3.8 (213 ratings)

What's Love More, Fight Less about?

Love More Fight Less provides straightforward directions on how to develop communication skills that will help you and your partner handle conflict. Various activities let you practice the skills, and this Blink details how to use these communication techniques in real-life situations.

Who should read Love More, Fight Less?

  • Couples that need help communicating
  • Those interested in improving their social skills and personal growth
  • Skilled communicators looking for new ways to connect in their relationships

6
Existential Kink

Existential Kink

Carolyn Elliott
Unmask Your Shadow and Embrace Your Power
4.1 (27 ratings)

What's Existential Kink about?

Existential Kink (2020) invites you to transform your life by embracing your deepest desires and hidden shadows. Through a radical and intriguing journey, you'll discover the power of turning your “wrongness” into personal growth and self-acceptance. With the help of seven axioms and practical exercises, prepare to unleash your true potential and create positive change.

Who should read Existential Kink?

  • Spiritual explorers seeking personal growth
  • Fans of unconventional self-help methods
  • Individuals curious about shadow work

7
Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus

Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus

John Gray
A Practical Guide for Improving Communication and Getting What You Want in Your Relationships
4.5 (368 ratings)

What's Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus about?

Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus (1992) is the best-selling relationship book that helps men and women understand each other and reconcile their differences. The book’s author, John Gray, uses the playful metaphor of opposite sexes being from different planets, and creates a translation guide that can help men, “Martians,” and women, “Venusians,” to understand each other better. This guide can help them build intimacy and create stronger relationships.

Who should read Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus?

  • Anyone interested in relationship advice
  • Men or women who want practical ideas for improving communication with their partners
  • People curious about the best-known relationship guide of the modern era

8
He Comes Next

He Comes Next

Ian Kerner
The Thinking Woman's Guide to Pleasuring a Man
4.5 (296 ratings)

What's He Comes Next about?

He Comes Next (2006) is the ultimate guide to understanding the desires of men and the intricacies of their sexual response process. This understanding that can help bring more pleasure than your male sexual partner has ever experienced before. These are tips that can help you touch his heart and know what to do when you’re touching his other parts.

Who should read He Comes Next?

  • Couples who want to improve their love life
  • Readers hoping to send their male partners into sexual ecstasy
  • Men who are curious about their sexual topography

9
The Game

The Game

Neil Strauss
Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists
3.0 (263 ratings)

What's The Game about?

The Game (2005) gives readers an inside look into the “pickup community” frequented by men desperate to convince women to sleep with them. These blinks share the advice of a leading seduction guru, and the less than great consequences of his successes.

Who should read The Game?

  • Everyone who is interested in seduction
  • People who like learning about different subcultures

10
No More Mr. Nice Guy!

No More Mr. Nice Guy!

Robert A. Glover
A Proven Plan for Getting what You Want in Love, Sex, and Life
4.3 (146 ratings)

What's No More Mr. Nice Guy! about?

No More Mr. Nice Guy (2000) is the Nice Guy’s guide to recovery. Learn how to stop seeking the approval of others, live your life the way you want to, and ultimately get the love, life, and sex that you crave but that your Nice Guy Syndrome actually stops you from achieving.

Who should read No More Mr. Nice Guy!?

  • Men who want to take control of their lives
  • Men who want to find love – and with it, good sex
  • Women who want to help their Nice Guy become the man they really want

11
Passionista

Passionista

Ian Kerner
The Empowered Woman's Guide to Pleasuring a Man
4.0 (60 ratings)

What's Passionista about?

Passionista (2008) is a guide to understanding male sexuality and satisfaction. It offers answers to the questions partners may have – and shows that giving pleasure can be just as fun as receiving it. 

Who should read Passionista?

  • Women looking to better pleasure their man
  • Couples who want to deepen their sex life
  • Those who want to enjoy sex to the fullest

12
Love Worth Making

Love Worth Making

Stephen Snyder
How to Have Ridiculously Great Sex in a Long-Lasting Relationship
4.2 (536 ratings)

What's Love Worth Making about?

Love Worth Making (2018) is a guide to enhancing sex and intimacy within committed partnerships. Drawing from real-life examples of sex and couples therapy sessions, it shows how both daily life and trauma affect our sexual feelings. It takes an emotional approach to untangling sexual problems and offers ideas on maintaining an erotic climate in a relationship.

Who should read Love Worth Making?

  • Partners who love each other but are struggling to keep desire alive
  • New couples who want to learn how to sustain their sexual relationship
  • Anyone interested in the emotional side of sexual connection

13
Slow Sex

Slow Sex

Diana Richardson
The Path to Fulfilling and Sustainable Sexuality
4.4 (345 ratings)

What's Slow Sex about?

Slow Sex (2011) makes a powerful case for a deceleration of our love lives in order to have more fulfilling sex and deeper, happier relationships. In our hectic and consumer-oriented society, sex is often used as a quick fix for physical satisfaction – but this can leave us feeling empty. Slow sex helps us unfold the potential of our sexuality by learning how to make love in a conscious, mindful way that is ultimately as healing as it is stimulating.

Who should read Slow Sex?

  • Couples seeking to reinvigorate their relationship
  • Anyone interested in having better sex
  • Those curious about meditation and higher states of awareness

14
30 Lessons for Loving

30 Lessons for Loving

Karl Pillemer
Advice from the Wisest Americans on Love, Relationships and Marriage
4.3 (172 ratings)

What's 30 Lessons for Loving about?

30 Lessons for Loving (2015) shares advice from hundreds of elderly people to reveal the secrets of building a long-lasting relationship, from first encounter to “happily ever after.” You’ll learn how to tell if your current crush might be “the one,” how to communicate in a healthy way and how to keep the passion alive in a long-term relationship.

Who should read 30 Lessons for Loving?

  • People looking for a stable life partner for a fulfilling relationship
  • Couples struggling with communication, respect or keeping romance alive

15
Magnificent Sex

Magnificent Sex

Peggy J. Kleinplatz and A. Dana Ménard
Lessons from Extraordinary Lovers
4.2 (525 ratings)

What's Magnificent Sex about?

Magnificent Sex (2020) is a guide to having outstanding sex, time after time. Rather than focusing on specific sexual techniques, it draws on interviews with extraordinary lovers to dive into the qualities and characteristics that make magnificent sex possible. 

Who should read Magnificent Sex?

  • Anyone who wants to become extraordinary in bed
  • Long-term partners trying to regain their sexual momentum
  • Older lovers wondering if aging and sex are incompatible

16
Deeper Dating

Deeper Dating

Ken Page
How to Drop the Games of Seduction and Discover the Power of Intimacy
4.3 (278 ratings)

What's Deeper Dating about?

Deeper Dating (2014) is a roadmap to intimacy and loving relationships. It breaks down how looking inward can help us identify the kinds of people we’ll connect with most deeply, and shares tools for finding these people and fostering relationships that will inspire and fulfill us.

Who should read Deeper Dating?

  • Singles frustrated by popular dating advice
  • Couples looking to strengthen their bonds
  • Those who want to understand attraction and relationships

17
Better Sex Through Mindfulness

Better Sex Through Mindfulness

Lori A. Brotto
How Women Can Cultivate Desire
4.2 (188 ratings)

What's Better Sex Through Mindfulness about?

Focusing on women, Better Sex Through Mindfulness (2018) explores why stress and a lack of attentiveness are the root causes for many sexual problems, and shows how mindfulness can help all women be more satisfied, both inside and outside the bedroom.

Who should read Better Sex Through Mindfulness?

  • Women struggling to stay in the moment during sex
  • Women who experience physical or psychological pain as a result of sex
  • Sexual partners who want to improve their sex lives through mindfulness

18
Eight Dates

Eight Dates

John Gottman
Essential Conversations for a Lifetime of Love
4.4 (311 ratings)

What's Eight Dates about?

Eight Dates (2019) helps couples navigate the ups and downs of a relationship. Whether you’ve been married for years or have just met the love of your life, the bedrock of any relationship is quality conversation. Uncover your partner’s innermost needs and desires by going out on the eight themed dates set out by the authors in this book. But don’t stop there – the wisdom from these eight recommended dates can be applied to any date you and your partner go on.

Who should read Eight Dates?

  • Anyone in a relationship
  • Couples looking to bring romance back into their relationship
  • Aspiring couples therapists or psychology students

19
Polysecure

Polysecure

Jessica Fern
Attachment, Trauma and Consensual Nonmonogamy
3.3 (194 ratings)

What's Polysecure about?

Polysecure (2020) unites attachment theory, which explains the different types of attachment people form with each other, with consensual nonmonogamy – the increasingly popular practice of having multiple romantic partners. By learning more about your attachment style, you can develop healthy relationship habits, even in nonmonogamy.

Who should read Polysecure?

  • Relationship geeks looking to learn about attachment theory
  • Couples considering opening up their relationships
  • Nonmonogamous folks who want to do it right

20
Mating in Captivity

Mating in Captivity

Esther Perel
In Search of Erotic Intelligence
4.5 (343 ratings)

What's Mating in Captivity about?

Mating in Captivity (2006) explores the question that everyone in a committed relationship asks: Is it possible to sustain passion over a long period of time? Author Esther Perel believes it is, but she thinks we can only generate sexual excitement by reassessing modern ideals around commitment and better understanding how our personal histories affect our behavior in the bedroom. If we can do this, we’ll fuel our relationships with the mystery and excitement that keep passion burning.

Who should read Mating in Captivity?

  • Long-term lovers wanting to reignite passion
  • Couples who are emotionally – but not physically – intimate
  • Parents with a lackluster sex life

21
Hold Me Tight

Hold Me Tight

Sue Johnson
Your Guide to the Most Successful Approach to Building Loving Relationships
4.3 (214 ratings)

What's Hold Me Tight about?

Hold Me Tight (2008) focuses on one of life’s greatest challenges: building and sustaining an intimate relationship. Drawing on the author’s own highly successful couple therapy form EFT (Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy) – based on the idea that the quality of relationships are defined by key emotional moments, both positive and negative – these blinks show you how to form a deeper, and more enduring bond with your partner.

Who should read Hold Me Tight?

  • Recent singles who wonder what went wrong
  • Couples who want to sustain and nurture their relationship
  • Friends and family of people in rocky relationships

22
The Ethical Slut

The Ethical Slut

Janet W. Hardy and Dossie Easton
A Practical Guide to Polyamory, Open Relationships, and Other Freedoms in Sex and Love
4.0 (48 ratings)

What's The Ethical Slut about?

The Ethical Slut (1997) has long been the trusted handbook for anyone exploring sex, romance, and intimacy outside the constraints of monogamy. An updated 2017 edition combines time-tested strategies for navigating polyamory with advice on how to embrace an even greater diversity of orientations and relationship configurations.

Who should read The Ethical Slut?

  • Pleasure-seekers who’d like to explore a greater variety of sexual partners
  • Seasoned polyamorists who want to make multiple partnerships really work
  • Anyone who lives – or would like to live – outside the strictures of conventional monogamy

23
The Evolution of Desire

The Evolution of Desire

David M. Buss
Strategies of Human Mating
3.4 (33 ratings)

What's The Evolution of Desire about?

The Evolution of Desire (1994) drew on the largest study of human mating at the time to analyze the evolutionary foundations that lie behind our everyday desires and mating preferences. It was updated with new material in 2016.

Who should read The Evolution of Desire?

  • Psychology nerds
  • Individuals looking to attract a mate
  • Anyone curious about how our deepest desires work

24
How to Love

How to Love

Thich Nhat Hanh
Mindful lessons on love
4.3 (318 ratings)

What's How to Love about?

How to Love (2015) is an indispensable collection of teachings on the subject of love from the world-renowned Zen Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh. Packed full of wisdom and insight, this aphoristic handbook unlocks the mysteries of true love in its exploration of what it means to love ourselves, our partners and the world itself.

Who should read How to Love?

  • Star-crossed lovers
  • Singles looking for their Mr – or Ms – Darcy
  • Anyone searching for mindful answers to the conundrums of love

25
Sex at Dawn

Sex at Dawn

Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jethá
How we mate, why we stray, and what it means for modern relationships
4.2 (408 ratings)

What's Sex at Dawn about?

Sex At Dawn argues that the idealization of monogamy in Western societies is essentially incompatible with human nature. The book makes a compelling case for our innately promiscuous nature by exploring the history and evolution of human sexuality, with a strong focus on our primate ancestors and the invention of agriculture. Arguing that our distorted view of sexuality ruins our health and keeps us from being happy, Sex At Dawn explains how returning to a more casual approach to sex could benefit interpersonal relationships and societies in general.

Who should read Sex at Dawn?

  • Anyone who wants to know what kind of sex life is intrinsic to human nature
  • Anyone who has experienced the strains of preserving monogamy over time, and wonders how lifelong relationships can work out
  • Anyone interested in biology and evolutionary psychology

26
Marriage Be Hard

Marriage Be Hard

Kevin and Melissa Fredericks
12 Conversations to Keep You Laughing, Loving, and Learning with Your Partner
3.8 (327 ratings)

What's Marriage Be Hard about?

Marriage Be Hard (2022) offers advice on how to effectively communicate important topics with your partner. Chronicling the ups and downs of the authors’ own marriage, it shows how to form loving, lasting relationships.

Who should read Marriage Be Hard?

  • Married couples
  • People who want to repair their relationships
  • Anyone looking for general relationship advice

27
Relationship Goals

Relationship Goals

Michael Todd
How to Win at Dating, Marriage, and Sex
3.1 (217 ratings)

What's Relationship Goals about?

Relationship Goals (2020) offers a blueprint for developing long-lasting relationships with your friends, your spouse, and God. Narrating his own experiences of heartache and healing, author Michael Todd examines common obstacles in modern relationships and gives tips for overcoming them. He also demonstrates how to set precise goals to help you aim for the right relationships.

Who should read Relationship Goals?

  • Single people concerned about choosing the right partner
  • People of faith seeking to strengthen their relationships with God
  • Individuals struggling to maintain a healthy marriage

28
Sex for One

Sex for One

Betty Dodson
The Joy of Selfloving
4.3 (151 ratings)

What's Sex for One about?

Sex for One (1987) is a part-memoir, part-guidebook by Betty Dodson, a pioneering pro-sex feminist and masturbation advocate. Dodson recounts her own erotic journey and offers a step-by-step approach to embracing self-love.

Who should read Sex for One?

  • Anyone who masturbates
  • People interested in sexual politics and feminist history
  • Anyone who wants to learn how to embrace pleasure and sex positivity

29
Sheet Music

Sheet Music

Kevin Leman
Uncovering the Secrets of Sexual Intimacy in Marriage
3.9 (11 ratings)

What's Sheet Music about?

Sheet Music (2002) helps Christian couples unlock the secrets to marital bliss. It will have you and your spouse dancing and laughing, as you master the art of harmonizing your sex life.

Who should read Sheet Music?

  • Love maestros in training
  • Intimacy virtuosos-in-progress
  • Faith-driven couples

30
Labor of Love

Labor of Love

Moira Weigel
The Invention of Dating
3.5 (39 ratings)

What's Labor of Love about?

Labor of Love (2016) is your guide to the history of dating. These blinks walk you through the social, cultural and economic shifts that have shaped modern rituals of courtship and explain the curious fads and fashions of flirtation that have come and gone through the ages.

Who should read Labor of Love?

  • People who love to flirt or are serial daters
  • Students of psychology or the social sciences
  • Anyone who uses Tinder

31
Resurrecting Sex

Resurrecting Sex

David Schnarch
Solving Sexual Problems and Revolutionizing Your Relationship
4.3 (203 ratings)

What's Resurrecting Sex about?

Resurrecting Sex (2002) is a guidebook for couples struggling to connect intimately and emotionally due to sexual dysfunction. It offers a holistic approach to addressing these issues – and to exploring the erotic potential of your relationship.

Who should read Resurrecting Sex?

  • Couples struggling in the bedroom
  • Emotionally committed partners who want to enhance intimacy
  • Those looking for sex and relationship insights

32
Your Brain on Porn

Your Brain on Porn

Gary Wilson
Internet Pornography and the Emerging Science of Addiction
4.2 (169 ratings)

What's Your Brain on Porn about?

Your Brain on Porn (2014) examines the explosion of internet pornography addiction. In the age of high-speed internet, porn is more widespread than ever. And although excessive porn consumption can negatively affect mental health and sexual function, the damage can be reversed. 

Who should read Your Brain on Porn?

  • Anyone who thinks they might be suffering from porn addiction
  • Students of psychology or medicine
  • Internet connoisseurs seeking to understand the effects of excessive porn consumption

33
Intimacy & Desire

Intimacy & Desire

David Schnarch
Awaken the Passion in Your Relationship
4.3 (454 ratings)

What's Intimacy & Desire about?

Intimacy & Desire: Awaken the Passion in Your Relationship (2009) explains why all people in committed, long-term relationships run into sexual problems. Driven by case studies of real couples in sex therapy, the book demonstrates how people in relationships can transform their perspective – and confront themselves and each other – to reawaken sexual passion.

Who should read Intimacy & Desire?

  • Anyone interested in relationship advice
  • Couples looking to overcome sexual problems
  • Partners who want to deepen their connection

34
The Science of Kissing

The Science of Kissing

Sheril Kirshenbaum
What Our Lips Are Telling Us
4.2 (222 ratings)

What's The Science of Kissing about?

Kissing: it’s a normal part of life. But few people understand its true significance. The Science of Kissing (2011) explains why kissing is so rooted in both human and animal biology, what happens physiologically when we do it and why it’s a lot more important than you may realize.

Who should read The Science of Kissing?

  • Anyone who enjoys a passionate kiss
  • Students of biology, sociology or history

35
The State of Affairs

The State of Affairs

Esther Perel
Rethinking Infidelity
4.2 (190 ratings)

What's The State of Affairs about?

The State of Affairs (2017) tackles the tough subject of infidelity. Cheating is widely condemned as immoral, and yet, at some point or another, many people do it anyway. This book offers a fresh look at infidelity and asks a difficult question: Is it such a bad thing after all?

Who should read The State of Affairs?

  • Faithful lovers
  • Unfaithful lovers
  • Mistresses and manstresses

36
How to Think More About Sex

How to Think More About Sex

Alain de Botton
Sage sex advice from a philosophical polymath
4.2 (196 ratings)

What's How to Think More About Sex about?

In How to Think More About Sex (2012), Alain de Botton dives into the strange and often uncomfortable world of sex. A nuanced reflection on the true meaning of sex and its place in our lives, these blinks are full of both insights into the psychology of desire and practical advice, such as how to maintain sexual interest within long-term relationships. Sex, de Botton ultimately concludes, will never be simple, but it can be enjoyable. All we need to do is think about it more.

Who should read How to Think More About Sex?

  • Anyone who wants to understand their own sexual desires
  • Fans of Freudian psychology and would-be philosophers of sex
  • Anyone who’s ever felt sexually deprived or been stung by rejection

37
Improving Your Relationship For Dummies

Improving Your Relationship For Dummies

Paula Hall
The hands-on, practical guide for couples
4.3 (81 ratings)

What's Improving Your Relationship For Dummies about?

Improving Your Relationship For Dummies (2010) provides simple techniques for couples hoping to boost their intimacy, sharpen their communication and overcome challenges in a productive, healthy way. It offers advice for both new couples that want to start off on the right foot and long-term couples that hope to get things back on track.

Who should read Improving Your Relationship For Dummies?

  • Couples going through a rough patch
  • Partners hoping to improve communication
  • Anyone thinking about entering a relationship

38
The Four Noble Truths of Love

The Four Noble Truths of Love

Susan Piver
Buddhist Wisdom for Modern Relationships
4.6 (436 ratings)

What's The Four Noble Truths of Love about?

The Four Noble Truths of Love (2018) brings ancient Buddhist wisdom out of the monastery and into the bedroom. By adapting the timeless insights taught by the Buddha 2,500 years ago to the nature of love, it shines a light through the murky mess of modern romance.

Who should read The Four Noble Truths of Love?

  • Long-term couples who want to rejuvenate their love life
  • Singles who want to improve their dating experiences
  • Anyone who wants to experience a deeper, more mature love

39
The Rational Male

The Rational Male

Rollo Tomassi
Sexual Strategy for Men and Insight Into the Red Pill Ideology
3.0 (59 ratings)

What's The Rational Male about?

The Rational Male (2013) implores men to adopt a pragmatic view of intersexual relationships founded on evolutionary and behavioral concepts. Waking up to the evidence, it argues, will set men on a course to prioritizing their needs over the survival instincts of women who currently (covertly) rule the roost.

Who should read The Rational Male?

  • Members of the Manospehere and Red Pill movement
  • Anyone trying to understand the key concepts of the Manosphere 
  • People looking to understand today’s gender conflicts

40
The Book of Humans

The Book of Humans

Adam Rutherford
A Brief History of Culture, Sex, War and the Evolution of Us
4.3 (192 ratings)

What's The Book of Humans about?

The Book of Humans (2018) is an accessible tour of evolutionary history. It illuminates both the many qualities we share with animals and the many others that set us apart. Incorporating the latest scientific discoveries from genetics and archaeology, it provides a thrilling compendium of the rich variety of life on Earth.

Who should read The Book of Humans?

  • People seeking a primer on evolutionary biology
  • Darwin enthusiasts
  • Animal lovers

41
Urban Tantra

Urban Tantra

Barbara Carrellas
Sacred Sex for the Twenty-First Century
4.2 (105 ratings)

What's Urban Tantra about?

Urban Tantra (2007) is a no-nonsense, dogma-free guide to Tantra – a spiritual practice that will give you a fresh look at your sex life. It shows that Tantra can work for anyone; it’s as useful to a BDSM practitioner who wants to intensify her rituals as it is for a hurried parent seeking to reconnect with his sexuality. To practice Tantra, you don’t need to master complex positions or learn to chant in Sanskrit. All you need are a few simple tools that’ll help you become more mindful and drop into your body.

Who should read Urban Tantra?

  • Sexual explorers interested in trying something new
  • People seeking to learn about embodiment as a spiritual practice
  • Anyone curious about how to have a full-body orgasm

42
Sex, Murder and the Meaning of Life

Sex, Murder and the Meaning of Life

Douglas T. Kenrick
A Psychologist Investigates How Evolution, Cognition, and Complexity Are Revolutionizing Our View of Human Nature
3.9 (73 ratings)

What's Sex, Murder and the Meaning of Life about?

Sex, Murder and the Meaning of Life (2011) looks at the many ways in which our evolutionary survival and reproductive instincts influence our behavior in the modern world. From conspicuous consumption to cold-blooded murder, it often seems that humans will do just about anything to survive and reproduce, and these blinks takes a closer look at what drives these profound desires.

Who should read Sex, Murder and the Meaning of Life?

  • People interested in a deeper understanding of human behavior
  • Students of social psychology
  • Men frightened by their own dark thoughts

43
Why We Love

Why We Love

Helen Fisher
The Nature and Chemistry of Romantic Love
4.4 (154 ratings)

What's Why We Love about?

Helen Fisher’s Why We Love (2004) is not only a report on her latest astonishing research but a sensitive description of the infinite facets of romantic love. This book is a scientifically grounded examination of love that reveals how, why and who we love.

This is a Blinkist staff pick

“Curious to find out why love affects our brains the same way as cocaine? Want to understand how evolution is linked to the prevailing structure of monogamy? A perfect title for those interested in the biological side of love.”

– Justyna, Web Product Designer

Who should read Why We Love?

  • Anyone who wants to understand romantic love
  • Anyone interested in emotions and the brain
  • Anyone who wants to maintain the feeling of romantic love in their relationship

44
We Over Me

We Over Me

Khadeen & Devile Ellis
The Counterintuitive Approach to Getting Everything You Want from Your Relationship
3.8 (171 ratings)

What's We Over Me about?

We Over Me (2023) is the story of the podcasting-and-influencing power couple Devale and Khadeen Ellis – in their own words. With trademark disarming honesty, the Ellises lay bare the struggles and successes that have shaped them as a couple, and share the strategies that allow them to thrive as a partnership. 

Who should read We Over Me?

  • Single people looking for love that lasts
  • Couples who’ve lost sight of each other’s needs
  • Anyone who could do with a dose of unfiltered relationship advice

45
Why is Sex Fun?

Why is Sex Fun?

Jared Diamond
The Evolution of Human Sexuality
3.7 (153 ratings)

What's Why is Sex Fun? about?

Everybody thinks about sex. However, we seldom consider the extent to which human sexuality differs from the reproductive habits of other species. In Why is Sex Fun? (1998), Jared Diamond presents an exploration of humans’ sexual history, and explains how our unusual sexual behavior might be the reason we ascended to the top of the food chain.

This is a Blinkist staff pick

“This curious look into human sexual behaviors is a great read for anyone wanting to gain a deeper understanding of, for example, why we can flip from hot under the collar to “not tonight, honey,” in a flash.”

– Julian, Customer Support

Who should read Why is Sex Fun??

  • Anyone wondering about the differences between animal and human sexuality
  • Anyone curious about our sexual evolution

46
Opening Up

Opening Up

Tristan Taormino
A Guide to Creating and Sustaining Open Relationships
4.1 (109 ratings)

What's Opening Up about?

Opening Up (2008) demystifies nonmonogamous relationships, and shows that there are many different ways of creating loving partnerships and building alternative families. By opening up their relationships, people can explore hidden desires, have lots of fun, and radically improve their self-awareness and communication skills.

Who should read Opening Up?

  • Open-minded thinkers who want to learn how to improve their relationships
  • Lovers who want to learn to communicate their desires more honestly
  • People exploring their sexuality

47
Dirty Minds

Dirty Minds

Kayt Sukel
How Our Brains Influence Love, Sex, and Relationships
3.8 (116 ratings)

What's Dirty Minds about?

Dirty Minds (2012) is about the human brain and how it influences our relationships to love and sex. These blinks use neuroscience to explain the deepest intricacies of human connection, from our ability to attract others to our sense of commitment.

Who should read Dirty Minds?

  • Students of neuroscience, biology and psychology
  • Partners and lovers
  • Readers looking for love

48
Boys & Sex

Boys & Sex

Peggy Orenstein
Young Men on Hookups, Love, Porn, Consent, and Navigating the New Masculinity
3.8 (109 ratings)

What's Boys & Sex about?

In Boys & Sex (2020), acclaimed journalist Peggy Orenstein asks young men all about their sex lives – and gets the uncensored answers. Drawing on two years of interviews with young men, academics, psychologists, and sex educators, Orenstein offers an unfiltered yet informed perspective on young men’s relationship to sex, from the pleasurable to the problematic.

Who should read Boys & Sex?

  • Parents who are wondering how to give their teen boys “the talk”
  • Educators who see firsthand how boys struggle with toxic masculinity
  • Adolescent boys navigating the complex landscape of sex and relationships

49
The All-or-Nothing Marriage

The All-or-Nothing Marriage

Eli J. Finkel
How the Best Marriages Work
3.7 (132 ratings)

What's The All-or-Nothing Marriage about?

The All-or-Nothing Marriage (2017) shows us the many ways in which the institution of marriage has changed over the years. Supported by a wealth of data and sociological studies, these blinks explain what makes the best marriages work and what causes the vulnerable ones to fall apart.

Who should read The All-or-Nothing Marriage?

  • Married people
  • Couples considering marriage
  • Singles who want to improve their relationship skills

50
Untrue

Untrue

Wednesday Martin
Why Nearly Everything We Believe About Women, Lust, and Infidelity Is Wrong and How the New Science Can Set Us Free
4.3 (140 ratings)

What's Untrue about?

Untrue (2018) aims to challenge the long-held assumption that women are less interested in sex than men. Diving into history and the details of the human body, Untrue reveals that not only do women have strong sexual desires, they’re wired to seek satisfaction from a variety of partners.

Who should read Untrue?

  • Women curious about female sexuality 
  • People who want to learn more about sexuality, gender, and society
  • People with an interest in social anthropology

51
The Red Queen

The Red Queen

Matt Ridley
Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature
4.5 (67 ratings)

What's The Red Queen about?

The Red Queen (1993) takes a close look at evolutionary trajectories and how they have been guided more by reproduction than by survival. These blinks describe how the search for suitable mates has produced such remarkable phenomena as the spectacular tails of peacocks and the powerful intelligence of humans.

Who should read The Red Queen?

  • Students of biology and anthropology
  • Fans of popular science
  • Unfaithful partners looking for a scientific justification for cheating

52
The Truth

The Truth

Neil Strauss
An Uncomfortable Book About Relationships
3.7 (88 ratings)

What's The Truth about?

The Truth (2015) takes a close look at relationships, sex and trust, unpacking our assumptions about sex and arguing that monogamy may not be right for everyone.

Who should read The Truth?

  • Couples
  • People seeking a partner
  • Anyone who has questioned monogamy

53
Women Who Love Too Much

Women Who Love Too Much

Robin Norwood
When you keep hoping and wishing he'll change
4.5 (136 ratings)

What's Women Who Love Too Much about?

Women Who Love Too Much (1985) explores the unhealthy relationships that some women find themselves in again and again. Using real-life case studies and devastating insights, the blinks explain the true reasons behind women’s fascination with unsuitable men and describe how we can move past our insecurities for good.

Who should read Women Who Love Too Much?

  • Women feeling trapped in an unhappy relationship
  • Self-help buffs looking for a fresh perspective
  • Those trying to move on from a traumatic childhood

54
The Curious History of Dating

The Curious History of Dating

Nichi Hodgson
From Jane Austen to Tinder
4.0 (33 ratings)

What's The Curious History of Dating about?

The Curious History of Dating (2017) guides readers through the history of dating and relationships in the United Kingdom. From the formal dances and rules of the 1700s to the growth of online dating in recent years, these blinks show that dating and finding true love has always been a difficult affair. But thankfully, today it’s easier than ever before.

Who should read The Curious History of Dating?

  • Non-Brits confused about the etiquette for dating a Brit
  • Long-term couples looking for some historically-based date inspiration
  • Curious fans of British social history

55
What Do Women Want?

What Do Women Want?

Daniel Bergner
Adventures in the Science of Female Desire
4.0 (118 ratings)

What's What Do Women Want? about?

In What Do Women Want? (2011) Daniel Bergner casts doubt on common preconceptions about women’s desires. Drawing on history and recent scientific research, Bergner exposes the myths about, and the ingrained societal norms that often dictate, women’s sexuality. We may only just be beginning to uncover what women really want.

Who should read What Do Women Want??

  • Anyone who wants to understand women better
  • People seeking different perspective on sex and relationships
  • Women with questions about their own sexuality

56
Girls & Sex

Girls & Sex

Peggy Orenstein
Navigating the Complicated New Landscape
3.7 (59 ratings)

What's Girls & Sex about?

Girls & Sex (2016) illuminates the shadowy landscape of sex and sexuality that girls and young women struggle to navigate today. Many developing women are trying to find the right balance between who society wants them to be and who they want to be themselves. This is no easy task, but we can make it easier by changing the way we talk about sex and by empowering girls to shape their own future.

Who should read Girls & Sex?

  • Parents of young daughters
  • Teenagers uncertain about sex and its consequences
  • Teachers eager to help girls lead a better life

57
Pleasure Activism

Pleasure Activism

adrienne maree brown
The Politics of Feeling Good
3.2 (145 ratings)

What's Pleasure Activism about?

Pleasure Activism (2019) offers an introduction to the politics of pleasure. It explores the ways in which we can break free of repression and marginalization – and instead embrace the feelings of freedom. It offers ways in which we can gain a better understanding of past traumas and move forward with a deeper connection to our bodies and our communities.

Who should read Pleasure Activism?

  • Anyone dealing with past trauma or oppression 
  • People interested in the politics of pleasure and sexuality
  • Marginalized people looking for tools of empowerment

58
The Complete Kama Sutra

The Complete Kama Sutra

Vātsyāyana
The First Unabridged Modern Translation of the Classic Indian Text
3.8 (92 ratings)

What's The Complete Kama Sutra about?

The Complete Kama Sutra (1994) is a translation of the classic Indian text, which was compiled in the fourth century. It’s an enduring guide to the pleasures of love and sex.

Who should read The Complete Kama Sutra?

  • History buffs fascinated by ancient cultures
  • Lovers looking for wisdom and advice
  • People enthralled by erotica

59
Modern Romance

Modern Romance

Aziz Ansari and Erik Klinenberg
Texting, sexting and more: How Aziz Ansari sees love in the 21st century
3.7 (85 ratings)

What's Modern Romance about?

The internet and modern technology have revolutionized the way we communicate, learn, work and live. They’ve even revolutionized our concept of love. Modern Romance (2015) explains how our idea of “love” has changed in recent generations, and how you can make the most of today’s technology in your quest to find it.

Who should read Modern Romance?

  • Seekers of romance
  • Aziz Ansari fans
  • Anyone interested in technology or the internet

60
Sacred Marriage

Sacred Marriage

Gary L. Thomas
What If God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than to Make Us Happy?
3.2 (256 ratings)

What's Sacred Marriage about?

Sacred Marriage (2000) is an exploration of how to bring God into your marriage. Probing the boundaries of love, it provides practical advice and spiritual wisdom to help you and your marriage transcend to a holier place.

Who should read Sacred Marriage?

  • Christian newlyweds seeking long-term marriage advice
  • Spiritual spouses struggling to find happiness in their relationship
  • Couples craving a deeper connection and higher purpose

61
Unscripted

Unscripted

James B Stewart and Rachel Abrams
The Epic Battle for a Media Empire and the Redstone Family Legacy
3.6 (18 ratings)

What's Unscripted about?

Unscripted (2023) is the outrageous true story of Sumner Redstone, the former chairman and controlling shareholder of ViacomCBS (now Paramount Global). It focuses on the eventful final years of Redstone’s life, as well as the downfall of his successor at CBS, Les Moonves.

Who should read Unscripted?

  • Fans of TV dramas like Succession
  • People who enjoy juicy nonfiction and true crime
  • Anyone who wants a behind-the-scenes glimpse of corporate America

62
The No Contact Rule

The No Contact Rule

Natalie Lue
A guide to surviving your breakup with your self-respect in tow
4.4 (74 ratings)

What's The No Contact Rule about?

The No Contact Rule is the tough-talking guide you need if you’re feeling battered by a breakup, can’t seem to let go of your ex, or are stuck in an on-again off-again relationship. Here you’ll find tips and tricks on how to find emotional distance, refocus on yourself, and finally attain closure.

Who should read The No Contact Rule?

  • Anyone who’s just been dumped;
  • Anyone who’s just dumped someone; 
  • Everyone who just can’t seem to stop texting their ex.

63
Shameless

Shameless

Nadia Bolz-Weber
A Sexual Reformation
3.4 (105 ratings)

What's Shameless about?

Shameless (2019) explores how the church’s view of sex and sexuality as sinful has guilted and shamed its congregants. Through personal stories and those shared with her by members of her church, the author demonstrates the harmful effects of the church’s teachings. She offers a new, inclusive way of approaching sexuality and ensuring fulfilling sex lives for everyone.

Who should read Shameless?

  • Christians struggling to reconcile their sexuality with their faith
  • People with an interest in theology
  • Anyone interested in the role of religion in a changing world

64
Mr Unavailable & the Fallback Girl

Mr Unavailable & the Fallback Girl

Natalie Lue
The Definitive Guide to Understanding Emotionally Unavailable Men and the Women that Love Them
4.5 (118 ratings)

What's Mr Unavailable & the Fallback Girl about?

Mr Unavailable & the Fallback Girl (2008) provides a lifeline for anyone who keeps getting messed around by emotionally unavailable partners. With searing personal insights, tough love, and a large dose of humor, Mr Unavailable is an essential guide to breaking destructive relationship patterns and finding love.

Who should read Mr Unavailable & the Fallback Girl?

  • Anyone who feels chronically unlucky in love but can’t seem to break the cycle
  • Women who want to get to know themselves better and develop their self-esteem
  • Men recovering from bad relationships who want to avoid becoming “Mr. Unavailable”

65
The Fourth Trimester

The Fourth Trimester

Kimberly Ann Johnson
A Postpartum Guide to Healing Your Body, Balancing Your Emotions, and Restoring Your Vitality

What's The Fourth Trimester about?

The Fourth Trimester: A Postpartum Guide to Healing Your Body, Balancing Your Emotions, and Restoring Your Vitality (2017) is the ultimate resource for postpartum women who are navigating life with a newborn and want to discover how to reclaim their health, their bodies, and their spirits.

Who should read The Fourth Trimester?

  • New and expectant mothers
  • Women seeking to reclaim their bodies following a traumatic birth
  • Women suffering from postpartum depression

66
The Menopause Manifesto

The Menopause Manifesto

Jen Gunter
Own Your Health with Facts and Feminism
4.4 (14 ratings)

What's The Menopause Manifesto about?

The Menopause Manifesto (2021) is your roadmap to health and happiness before, during, and after menopause. Despite being the most important transition for uterus-owners after puberty, menopause is shrouded in mystery and prejudice. This guide combats ignorance with scientific facts, expert advice, and a healthy dose of feminism. 

Who should read The Menopause Manifesto?

  • Menstruators and ex-menstruators
  • Science communicators and health educators
  • Anyone invested in women’s health

67
American Savage

American Savage

Dan Savage
Insights, Slights and Fights on Faith, Sex, Love and Politics
3.9 (29 ratings)

What's American Savage about?

American Savage (2014) explores some of the most contentious social and political issues in the US today, ranging from religion to gay rights, and from health care to education. It offers a fresh, humorous and unconventional perspective on today’s most divisive subjects, while also sounding a rallying cry to fight oppression and stand up for human rights.

This is a Blinkist staff pick

“Podcast fans will no doubt know Savage from shows like This American Life and his own wildly popular podcast, Savage Love. His unflinching, playful style provokes honest thought about gender, orientation, love, sex, and why we all have a blinkered view of what constitutes a healthy relationship. Read, think, enjoy — and never, ever Google “Santorum”. ”

– Carrie, Managing Editor of Blinkist Magazine

Who should read American Savage?

  • Advocates of LGBT issues
  • Partners looking for relationship and sex advice
  • Readers interested in health care, gun laws and gay rights

68
Vagina

Vagina

Lynn Enright
A Re-education
4.2 (123 ratings)

What's Vagina about?

Vagina (2019) aims to offer a greater understanding of the female sex organs, which have been misunderstood and neglected by science, education, and culture at large. From debunking the persistent myth of the hymen to exposing the economic and social forces that make getting your period even more of a nightmare, Lynn Enright explores and illuminates everything we weren’t taught about women’s sexual health.

Who should read Vagina?

  • People with vaginas
  • Those seeking a deeper understanding of women’s sexual health
  • Anyone interested in learning about positive sex education

69
The Dreamer and the Fantasy Relationship

The Dreamer and the Fantasy Relationship

Natalie Lue
How to have happier relationships and stop being drawn to unavailable men
4.3 (49 ratings)

What's The Dreamer and the Fantasy Relationship about?

The Dreamer and the Fantasy Relationship (2012) is aimed at women who expect too much from unavailable, unreliable men, and want to change their ways. By examining the reasons that women delude themselves about men, as well as the specific lies they believe, it ultimately points the way toward happier relationships and more realistic dreams.

Who should read The Dreamer and the Fantasy Relationship?

  • Women tired of kidding themselves about undeserving men
  • Amateur agony aunts who love giving relationship advice
  • Unreliable men willing to mend their ways

70
The Mathematics of Love

The Mathematics of Love

Hannah Fry
Patterns, Proofs, and the Search for the Ultimate Equation
3.7 (62 ratings)

What's The Mathematics of Love about?

Love is full of patterns – from the number of sexual partners we have to the way we select potential mates from dating websites. In The Mathematics of Love (2015), Hannah Fry sheds some light on these patterns and teaches you how to calculate your chances of finding The One, make a mathematical argument to justify approaching someone in a bar, and to use a mathematical trick to plan your wedding.

Who should read The Mathematics of Love?

  • Anyone interested in how mathematics can help them in the dating world
  • Romantics looking for The One

71
Sex and the Citadel

Sex and the Citadel

Shereen El Feki
Intimate Life in a Changing Arab World
3.9 (37 ratings)

What's Sex and the Citadel about?

Sex and the Citadel (2013) offers a revealing look at the sex lives of people in Muslim countries, especially Egypt, which, about 200 years ago, was a hotbed of sensual and sexual activity, but has since become a conservative and sexually repressed society. These blinks take you through the taboos, censorship and gender discrimination that many Muslims continue to resist.

Who should read Sex and the Citadel?

  • Non-Muslims hoping to learn more about the diversity of Muslim society
  • Muslims interested in their culture’s sexuality
  • Feminists who want a better understanding of the struggles Muslim women face

72
Playing the Whore

Playing the Whore

Melissa Gira Grant
The Work of Sex Work
3.5 (143 ratings)

What's Playing the Whore about?

Playing The Whore (2014) busts the myths still surrounding the topic of sex work and explores how and why society continues to shame the chosen profession of the sexually liberated. Unfortunately, society’s attitudes and laws often endanger, rather than protect, those who work in the sex industry. Discover why that is and why it’s time to change our perspective on one of the oldest professions in the world.

Who should read Playing the Whore?

  • Sexually liberated people tired of being judged
  • Conservative people curious about the opinion of a sex worker
  • Social workers looking for a different perspective

73
Our Inner Ape

Our Inner Ape

Frans de Waal
A Leading Primatologist Explains Why We Are Who We Are
4.6 (38 ratings)

What's Our Inner Ape about?

Human beings are just as closely related to the gentle bonobos as they are to the aggressive chimpanzees. Frans de Waal compares the lifestyle of these two species of apes, in whose groups opposing characteristics such as sympathy and violence, fairness and greed, and dominance and community spirit clash with one another. Their sexual behavior tells us that we need to rethink the origins of our morality.

Who should read Our Inner Ape?

  • Anyone interested in behaviorism
  • Anyone interested in how morality is established
  • Anyone who wants to know who our ancestors were and what that means for us

 


74
Galileo’s Middle Finger

Galileo’s Middle Finger

Alice Dreger
Heretics, Activists, and One Scholar’s Search for Justice
3.5 (30 ratings)

What's Galileo’s Middle Finger about?

Galileo’s Middle Finger (2015) tackles head on the controversial issue of transgender research, intersex issues, and the conflicts that have arisen between academics, scientists and activists. It offers a behind-the-scenes look at just how dangerous an idea can be when it challenges a familiar narrative or an established ideology and  reminds us that, in the face of harmful threats and accusations, it’s important to be open, honest and persevering—and that science and social justice need each other in order to work.

Who should read Galileo’s Middle Finger?

  • Activists fighting for controversial causes
  • Scholars studying ground-breaking subjects
  • People who want to transcend identity politics

75
Asking for It

Asking for It

Kate Harding
The Alarming Rise of Rape Culture – and What We Can Do about It
3.9 (16 ratings)

What's Asking for It about?

Asking for It (2015) is about rape culture, the social and cultural practices that normalize rape by diminishing the experiences of victims and vindicating perpetrators. These blinks outline the various manifestations and effects of rape culture, and the steps we can take to dismantle it.

Who should read Asking for It?

  • Anyone whose life has been affected by sexual violence
  • Romantic partners looking to understand more about consensual sex
  • Policy makers and sex educators

76
Dollars and Sex

Dollars and Sex

Marina Adshade
How Economics Influences Sex and Love
4.1 (55 ratings)

What's Dollars and Sex about?

Dollars and Sex (2013) demystifies the complex issues of sex and love by looking beyond the raging hormones and cultural mores and exploring the driving force behind most of the world’s sexual trends: economics. By applying simple economic theory, we can better understand why we regard romance the way we do as well as why contemporary relationships face so many challenges.

Who should read Dollars and Sex?

  • Economists and cognitive scientists
  • Readers curious about the relationship between money and love
  • Couples hoping to learn more about sexual and marital behavior

77
In Praise Of Love

In Praise Of Love

Alain Badiou
An Ode to Romance, Relationships, and Sex
4.3 (258 ratings)

What's In Praise Of Love about?

In Praise of Love (2012) is a passionate defense of love in an age when romance is threatened from all directions. The product of a dialogue between French philosopher Alain Badiou and journalist Nicholas Truong, the book lays bare how our sex-obsessed media, our individualistic striving, and our online-dating culture are all setting love up to fail. Its thesis: love needs to be reinvented for the modern world.

Who should read In Praise Of Love?

  • Restless singles afraid of commitment
  • Hopeless romantics longing for more than just shallow hook-ups
  • Long-term couples who want to rekindle their bond

78
The Boundaries of Desire

The Boundaries of Desire

Eric Berkowitz
A Century of Bad Laws, Good Sex and Changing Identities

What's The Boundaries of Desire about?

The Boundaries of Desire (2015) explores the checkered history of sexual relations and the law in the United States. These blinks show how women have struggled with sexual harassment and abuse, pointing out that a system run by men for men has simply perpetuated systemic injustice. What’s more, you’ll learn how US law historically has failed black people, homosexuals and children, too.

Who should read The Boundaries of Desire?

  • Women of all ages interested in civil rights
  • Lawyers who deal with issues of gender and equality
  • People interested in the US legal system

79
Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism

Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism

Kristen Ghodsee
And Other Arguments for Economic Independence
3.7 (39 ratings)

What's Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism about?

Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism (2018) makes an argument that’s even more provocative than its title suggests. More than just better sex, it claims that women have better lives in general under socialism. To prove this claim, it compares and contrasts women’s lives under state socialism, democratic socialism, and neoliberal capitalism. 

Who should read Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism?

  • Socialists wanting ammunition for their next argument 
  • Capitalists wanting food for thought 
  • Women and men wanting a fresh take on gender equality

80
The Invisible Orientation

The Invisible Orientation

Julie Sondra Decker
An Introduction to Asexuality
4.5 (17 ratings)

What's The Invisible Orientation about?

The Invisible Orientation (2014) provides a helpful introduction to asexuality, including valuable information on both what it is and what it is not. You’ll also learn about how people experience this sexual orientation, the difficulties that come with it, and why there is no need to cure it, condescend to it or consider asexual people as being any different from you or me.

Who should read The Invisible Orientation?

  • Anyone interested in how sexual attraction works
  • Adults who are wondering about their sexual orientation
  • Sociologists interested in the variety of human life

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