Manhood: The Rise and Fall of the Penis - Softcover

Mels Van Driel

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1861898665 ISBN 13: 9781861898661

Publisher: Reaktion Books, 2011

Synopsis

The ancient Greeks paraded enormous sculptural replicas in annual celebration of the penis; Freud theorized that women suffered penis envy. An undeniable, global symbol of power and virility since the beginning of humankind, the penis has been much discussed, gestured towards and depicted, yet seldom understood outside folklore and popular culture's uneasy mix of self-deprecation and aggrandizement. Despite the penis' central role in human life or perhaps due to that role, many men seem to suffer in isolation or silence from some perceived inadequacy or affliction. That's where experienced urologist and sexologist Mels van Driel comes in. In Manhood, he offers an unprecedented history of the penis - with answers to everything you ever wanted to know, and even some questions you'd never thought to ask. In Manhood, van Driel presents the history of the male sexual organ from medical, psychological and cultural perspectives. Investigating the penis and its functions, from the scrotum to the glans, van Driel's work ranges from inguinal hernia to infertility, and from impotence to the speed of ejaculation. Psychological factors that have an impact on sexual experience, as well as contemporary phenomena such as cyber sex, are given enlightening treatment along the way. With much insight and good humour, van Driel offers diverse and instructive examples. This informative guide is not just a book for men, but for women too - anyone curious to know the facts behind the many myths and stories of the penis.

About this title

Review:

'[A] lighthearted gambol through the uses and abuses of the penis and its unjustly overlooked companion organs ... a marvellous read ... Manhood is an eccentric delight' --The Observer

'The tidbits of information [van Driel] has assembled are really rather wonderful' --Sunday Telegraph

'A stiff assignment . . . [van Driel] marshals his material firmly and with aplomb. He says in his introduction he tried to keep the tone light, and he has succeeded, on the whole, ably assisted by the fluent translation of Paul Vincent . . . I learned a huge amount from this book.' --Literary Review

About the Author:

Mels van Driel is a urologist and sexologist at the University Medical Center in Groningen, The Netherlands. He has written widely for scientific publications, newspapers and magazines.

About this edition

• Publisher: Reaktion Books
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1861898665
• ISBN 13: 9781861898661
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288