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The Big Book of Masturbation: From Angst to Zeal by Martha Cornog
Reviewed by TammyJo Eckhart
The cover of Martha Cornog’s The Big Book of Masturbation: From Angst to Zeal makes it look like another “encyclopedic”- or “dictionary”-style reference. That is misleading. Instead, this is a book that attempts to summarize research for the layperson.
Martha Cornog is not a sexologist or a sex researcher or even a human sexuality educational activist. She’s a librarian who uses her training and resources to explore topics about human sexuality. Because of her position as both a scholar and a professional, she can understand most of the research she read for this book while at the same time using language that is accessible to the majority of readers.
The book is divided into six basic sections with a total of 16 chapters written by Cornog and two chapters written by other authors, experts in their fields. There are no illustrations in this book, though there are occasional charts and highlighted quotations. This is a not a sexy book unless you find reading about sex to be sexy.
The first section tackles two basics topics: language and history. Chapter 1 looks at the language used to describe masturbation. While I understand the focus on English and the inclusion of English slang, the few pages spent on foreign words seem a bit out of place. It would be better to focus on one culture or common cultures instead of distracting the reader.
Chapter 2 summarizes the history of how masturbation was viewed in ancient, medieval, and modern times. This covers religious, philosophical and medical opinions. As most of you know from my earlier reviews, I tend to be quite harsh on historical information in books, but Cornog’s librarian skills shine through here, and she documents as well as understands what she is reporting.
Section 2 of the book gets into the basic studies on the subject of masturbation. How masturbation works and the effects it has are explored in chapter 3. First, the basics of sexual arousal and orgasm are described. This is the place where drawings would be very useful for some readers. Second, the idea of positive results of masturbation is explored, but frankly, as Cornog herself admits, this hasn’t been a big area of study. Finally, some myths about the dangers of masturbation are dispelled by medical and psychological studies.
Beyond the sex drive, chapter 4 looks at sociological studies that attempt to explain why humans masturbate. Not just in Western societies, but chapter 5 looks at cross-cultural studies on the same topic. Human beings, chapter 6 reports, are not the only animals that use masturbation. Finally, chapter 7 attempts to understand it all from an evolutionary viewpoint.
One technique that Cornog uses that I appreciate is the use of researchers’ own words first, then a breakdown of what they’ve said in simpler language. This allows readers at different levels of knowledge and preparation to use the same text while giving us clear references for our own further exploration.
The third section of the book looks more deeply into the question of how masturbation is viewed in human culture. Chapter 8 uses seven psychologists’ and psychiatrists’ views along with a glance into what is considered problematic about masturbation today in these fields. Chapter 9 examines legal codes and masturbation, with the surprising finding that, frankly, it isn’t regulated very much in America today. Chapter 11 examines Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and the Unification Church’s doctrines on masturbation.
Two of the five chapters in section 3 are written by guest authors: chapter 10 by Alan Soble, who looks at philosophical theories, and chapter 12 by Harold Ivan Smith, who looks at modern Christianity’s approach. Both have their own unique views on the subject but also provide a good overview of other views.
Section 4 tackles what Americans are being taught about masturbation via education and scholarship. Chapter 13 looks at samples of information for ages preschool to adult. Chapter 14 looks at the types of therapy that use masturbation as part of their therapeutic regime. Overall there is a great deal of variety.
The fifth section of this lengthy book looks at types of written entertainment. Remember, Cornog is a librarian; she’s searching written sources, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that there aren’t visual resources even though that certainly would have added a more complete view of masturbation in American culture. Chapter 15 looks at literature, not pornography or erotica or even popular fiction, but the poetry and prose of several well-known authors. Oddly, chapter 16 looks at popular comedic representations, including the only illustrations in the book at all in the form of 6 cartoons.
Section 6 has two chapters. Chapter 17 is organized around two subjects. The first is a look at three celebrities whose views on or habits with masturbation made the topic mainstream conversation. The second claims to look at popular culture but really discusses the Internet, sex clubs, and mass media far too briefly. Chapter 18 concludes with Cornog’s own opinions about where the topic of masturbation will be in a generation or two.
The book is well referenced, and there is a bibliography with short summaries of what each reference focuses on. Likewise the glossary and index are well organized and easy to use.
The Big Book of Masturbation isn’t racy or sexy; it isn’t pornographic or a series of test cases. It is exactly what Cornog promised it would be in her introduction: a guide for the average person interested in human masturbation in over 300 pages. For accomplishing what she set out to do in a clear and interesting fashion, I strongly recommend The Big Book of Masturbation: From Angst to Zeal for anyone interested in the history of and the current practice of jacking or jilling off.
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