A Mind of Its Own: A Cultural History of the Penis

A Mind of Its Own: A Cultural History of the Penis is a non-fiction book by New York-based columnist and author David M. Friedman[1] that details the history of the human penis.

A Mind of Its Own: A Cultural History of the Penis
AuthorDavid M. Friedman
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
SubjectHuman sexuality
PublisherSimon & Schuster
Publication date
2001
Pages358
ISBN978-0-684-85320-8

Format

The book is set up in different time periods, beginning with Mesopotamia and ending with current Western beliefs about the male sex organ, ranging from being considered divine to being hidden.[2][3] Two of the major focuses of the book are Sigmund Freud's sexual theories and the erection industry such as Viagra. In the descriptions of how different religions have treated human penes, Friedman said that Christians started the trend of not liking the portrayal of the male sex organ.[3] There is a chapter about pseudoscientists who try to link penis size to race, while the last chapter of the book only focuses on the erection industry.[4]

Reception

Ian Sansom of The Guardian described the book as a work of philosophy in its own way.[5] Wisam Mansour of the Journal of Men, Masculinities and Spirituality said that the book is written "in a scholarly manner coupled with a sense of humor".[6] Marcelle D'Argy Smith, writing for the New Statesman commented that "Friedman’s book reads like a Hollywood epic" as a mix of "sex, death, torture, self-destruction, heroes, villains, love, drugs, money and high-tech machinery."[7]

A Seattle Times review said the book is "embarrassingly europhallocentric".[3]

A book review in the Journal of the History of Sexuality describes the book as "high journalism" – neither based on history nor culture in an acceptable manner.[2]

References
  1. "David M. Friedman". HarperCollins.
  2. Jeffrey M. Dickeman (2003). "A Mind of Its Own: A Cultural History of the Penis by David M. Friedman". Journal of the History of Sexuality. University of Texas Press. 12 (2): 323. JSTOR 3704621.
  3. "A Mind of Its Own: A Cultural History of the Penis, by David M. Friedman". The Seattle Times. January 2, 2002.
  4. "BOOKS IN BRIEF: NONFICTION". The New York Times Book Review. January 13, 2002.
  5. Ian Sonsom (November 8, 2002). "A Mind of Its Own: A Cultural History of the Penis". The Guardian.
  6. Wisam Mansour (January 1, 2007). "Review of David M. Friedman, A Mind of Its Own: A Cultural History of the Penis". Journal of Men, Masculinities and Spirituality.
  7. D'Argy Smith, Marcelle (December 9, 2002). "Hard times". New Statesman. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
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