"[Lister] distills her encyclopedic knowledge and years of research into a gloriously raunchy yet informative read. From masturbating medieval gargoyles, to Victorian bicycle porn, to the etymology of the ‘c-word,’ the book shows us all of the ways in which there is nothing new when it comes to sex." — New York Magazine
"Buckle your trousers, fasten your seatbelts, here comes Kate Lister. Her curious history of sex is a wild ride, made all the more enjoyable by a wonderfully irreverent approach . . . I’ve never had so much fun learning stuff." — The Times
"A wonderful cornucopia of deviance and desire." — The Times books of the year
"Had Victoria Wood decided to write a scholarly book about sex, it would be like this. Lister has a saucy wit . . . I laughed out loud." — Daily Mail
"Lister romps her way through masturbation, menstruation and prostitution, the invention of condoms, the use of vibrators to cure hysteria and much more . . . Glorious." — Evening Standard
"An anecdote-rich chronicle that uncovers layer on layer of oppression . . . vivid and playful." — Guardian
"A riot to read." — New Statesman
