The Science of Orgasm

by Barry R. Komisaruk, Carlos Beyer-Flores, Beverly Whipple

This fascinating and comprehensive book is the first to explore the complex biological process leading to orgasm. Here, sexuality researcher and nurse Beverly Whipple, coauthor of the international best-selling book The G Spot and Other Discoveries about Human Sexuality, joins neuroscientist Barry R. Komisaruk and endocrinologist Carlos Beyer-Flores to view orgasm through the lenses of behavioral neuroscience along with cognitive and physiological sciences.

The authors explain how and why orgasms happen, why they fail to happen, and what brain and body events are put into play at the moment of orgasm. No topic is left unexplored, as the book describes the genital-brain connection, how the brain produces orgasms, how aging affects orgasm, and the effects of prescription medication, street drugs, hormones, disorders, and diseases.

Covering every type of sexual peak experience in women and men?from intense to phantom—this informative and entertaining work illuminates the hows, whats, and wherefores of orgasm.

Genres: Sexuality, Science, Nonfiction

376 pages, Hardcover

First published October 31, 2006

Reviews

[Elise]

This book is fascinating, but (I must add the disclaimer) very very sciencey. A randomly selected excerpt: "When the axon is activated (i.e. carries an electrochemical impulse), the vesicles merge with the cell membrane of the axon terminal, open up to the outside of the neuron, and release their contents - hundreds of neurotransmitter molecules - into the synapse." I heart this kind of stuff, but it's only a sexy read to us nerds. Definitely worth a read if you're into the science behind the fun.

[Zak]

Le titre est très exact. C'est réellement un livre fait pour présenter les connaissances et les questions scientifiques autour. C'est complètement théorique, on est loin des ouvrages de développement personnel américains utilisant le mot "science" comme un argument marketing.
D'ailleurs ce sont plutôt les sciences dites "dures" qui sont couvertes: biologie, neurologie, anatomie, pharmacologie, médecine etc. Les science sociales sont peu présentes.
L’ouvrage est quand même fait pour un lectorat non spécialiste mais certains chapitres plongent dans des aspects techniques difficiles à appréhender sans connaissances spécifiques (tels neurones de telle région qui projettent vers tel noyau etc etc) mais on peut les ignorer sans trop de pertes.
Le dernier chapitre est assez particulier vu qu'il propose certaines hypothèses sur la conscience en essayant de dresser un parallèle et de lier l'orgasme et son système cérébral/neurologique avec celui de la conscience.

Seuls bémols à mes yeux: le livre date de 2006 donc presque 20ans de recherches sont absentes ; et le niveau de français des auteur.ices qui ont remplacé l'expression "la petite mort" par "le petit mort" rendant tout de suite l'ambiance plus glauque.

En dehors de ça, si on lit ce livre en espérant avoir une lecture de qualité sur les connaissances scientifiques autour de l'orgasme, on ne peut pas être déçu. Et à ma connaissance il n'y a pas 36 livres couvrant ce sujet.

[Tbuck Buck]

So the title contained two words I'm interested in...I'm not sure I would mix them together...

[Jeffrey Nichols]

A truly scientific book

I picked this book up on sale as I was interested in the title. I didn't expect it to be as scientific as the title, but I found it a very interesting read. I would recommend this to only scientific minds that are interested in where orgasms come from.

[Night]

Adventurous reading experience.

[Cláudia]

Nose and knee orgasms? That's insane but worth a shot! :)

[Aryan]

Good

[William Yip]

This was a complete slog to read with very technical terms and topics. It was very informative though; I learned about the different hormones, nerves, brain regions, and neurotransmitters involved in sexual pleasure and orgasm. Strangely, there was a random chapter that said that orgasm is not necessary and should not be the end goal of sex but then the rest of the book dealt with the mechanics of orgasm and what causes it and what it causes the brain to undergo. At the very least, that chapter could have been put at the end.

[Elizabeth]

from the library
Authors BR Komisaruk, Carlos Beyer-Flores, Beverly Whipple
From the cover:
BRK is a neuroscientist. CBF is a endocrinologist. Whipple is of course author of The G Spot...


right authors wrong book

fortunately they kept on researching and writing.

I heard on the news that they finally found that the Vegas nerve transmits sexual sensation and carries orgasm sensations in a non spinal nerve system.
So even the spinal cord injured can have orgasms.!!!!!

[Dr. Ruth Neustifter]

I will update this at the end of the book, of course. However, this is a thick yet fascinating read thus far. Did you know that 3 different nerve sets are associated female orgasms? I'm curiously to get my hands on Dr. Whipple's cervical stimulator...

[Art]

Highly technical, but quite readable, gives the reader a wonderful understanding of what is happening in the human body leading up to and at the point of orgasm.

[Laura Szumowski]

Excellent so far, very well researched.

[Olga]

It is very technical. Good compilation of all the research on orgasm. I like the last chapter when it speculate about consciousness and its relation to orgasm. Nice.

[Lynette Nickleberry]

A lot of biology and biochemistry, but if you made it through high school science (maybe undergrad biology), you'll be alright.