With the Hand

the long version

"Most women do it at home; men, it seems, do it everywhere. Some consider it a health treatment, others as love for themselves. Yet despite everyone doing it, no one actually talks about it: masturbation is still taboo, and even today the subject is not discussed at dinner parties or soirées. To help the world overcome its diffidence towards solo sex Mels van Driel has written With the Hand. Consulting theologians, historians, classicists, doctors, sexologists, connoisseurs, artists, philosophers, writers, poets, musicians, feminists and chauvinists, Van Driel answers questions about what masturbation actually is, and describes the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Covering a great number of topics, from the physical, to the mythical, to the mythological, to the artistic, this book explores masturbation in all its astonishing variety. From statistics of age, location and frequency, to the effects of circumcision, to multiple orgasms, he also explores masturbation in art, literature, poetry, song, religion and philosophy. Frequently astounding, often humorous and always informative, With the Hand refutes the many myths and confusion surrounding this universal, yet unmentionable pursuit. Making an unusual gift, this is perhaps the ultimate bedtime book."--Publisher's website.