Sexual Behavior in the Human Female

by Alfred C. Kinsey, Wardell B. Pomeroy, Clyde E. Martin

Originally published in 1953, the material presented in Sexual Behavior in the Human Female was derived from personal interviews with nearly 6,000 women; from studies in sexual anatomy, physiology, psychology, and endocrinology. The study revealed the incidence and frequency with which women participate in various types of sexual activity and how such factors as age, decade of birth, and religious adherence are reflected in patterns of sexual behavior. The authors make comparisons of female and male sexual activities and investigate the factors which account for the similarities and differences between female and male patterns of behavior and provide some measure of the social significance of the various types of sexual behavior.

Genres: Psychology, Sexuality, Nonfiction, Science, Sociology, History, Feminism

896 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1953

About the author

Noted American biologist Alfred Charles Kinsey published his studies as Sexual Behavior in the Human Male (1948) and Sexual Behavior in the Human Female (1953).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_...

Reviews

[Danielle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nothing is more amusing than a man writing a humongous book about how women are frigid, or don't put out enough. It's like screaming out the window "Why the f**k can't I get laid? What's wrong with me?!" Let me tell ya... "A lot."

This man studies BEES, and presented his findings on FEMALE SEXUALITY (or frigidity, as he saw it) based on that. He blamed women's innate frigidity for repressing men's natural and utterly necessary sexuality with 'social structures'. I believe there was something in there about women using marriage as a means of controlling men, as well, through their 'sexual needs'. The man was so full of useless tripe and resentment that I doubt he would recognize an actual woman if he stumbled over her breast. "Is it a bee-hive?"

Thanks for representin', dumbf**k. Next time talk about bees, though, plz. Thx.

[Raphael Lysander · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gets a lot of criticism, more than Louann Brizendine's The Female Brain for instance, though the last one is barely quarter the size of Kinsey's while it's discussing much bigger subject, the report is all about statistics and Brizendine's all about personal stories and random things from the Internet which were removed in later editions, and though the man doesn't force his opinions like in comfortable- chair psychology or like Brizendine do. Still, he gets much criticism!
I think this happens because people don't want to read scientific studies but rather something easy without all the statistics and numbers.
Anyway, one should admits those who add to science new branches for the first time, even if they had some mistakes. I mean, before Kinsey, sex was a subject of customs, habits, myths, and religion but not of facts and science.
And the statistics in this book might be found right or wrong. But, the chapter at the beginning about the scope of the study which contains "the right to know" and "the right to investigate" plus to all the comments about religious and social effects on the sex are priceless.

[Maja Jeppesen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like it's counterpart, I used this book to cement the foundation basis of my pedagogi bachelor exam, I find this greatly under appreciated. When I lived in the states, my sexual education ran for 6 years through the school system and get I found I learned more from this book then I ever did from school. For example, I never knew that it's perfectly natural that a woman feels nothing within the vaginal walls, that only about 15 to 20% have any nerve endings there. This book helped me get a better understanding of my on femininity as well as some of the odd twists and turns that I not only went through, but also my friends, family, and fellow colleges have experienced in their life.

Like it's counterpart, if you're curious about the physiological developement of women, I would suggest reading this book greatly.

[Joshua Nomen-Mutatio · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't read the whole incredibly lengthy thing but I did read the majority of it over the course of several months (along with the prequel/companion study Sexual Behavior in the Human Male) while working at a used bookstore where I had a lot of time on my hands and not much of a selection of books to choose from.

I like that it is based on one-on-one interviews and after seeing the subsequent biopic film version of Kinsey's life (Kinsey) I somehow developed a greater admiration for the sheer diligence, time and effort put into both of these landmark studies of human sexuality. Not to mention the iconoclastic wrecking ball it swung out against the sexual repression and puritanism of its day.

[Frederick Bingham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alfred Kinsey's classic treatise on female sexual behavior. I decided to go through it after reading 'The Inner Circle'. It is dense and filled with charts, tables and statistics, which is why I only skimmed it. Although some of the findings are undoubtedly dated, I would guess that much of it still applies, especially the anatomical descriptions of the female sexual response.

[Leonardo]

El Informe Kinsey fue el resultado de un estudio científico publicado en dos libros, Comportamiento sexual del hombre (1948) y Comportamiento sexual de la mujer (1953).

[HeavyReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

My copy of this book is a really old, hardcover version, given to me by my friend Chris Robinson. Thanks, Chris!

I'm finally facing the fact that I may never read this book cover to cover. Oh well. Maybe I will read it all one day, but as of now, I'm putting it on the Will Never Finish shelf.

[Jafar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would you believe me if I told you that this was the first book that I read in Egnlish?

[Петко · Rating 1 out of 5]

Inhuman.

[Isaac Lambert · Rating 4 out of 5]

really interesting! so many graphs and charts, for things l've never seen before. more UXR than pure science, but so much data and so many references. I wish I could know what is updated knowledge in the 21st century -- whether because of the sciences, or our morals / culture / world today

[Rebecca Crunden]

⤑ research tag: in an effort to organise my shelves, I'm going to be labelling the books I'm using for study purposes as I tend to dip in and out of these.

[Teo · Rating 5 out of 5]

School Assigned. Anecdotal interviews. Informative and dry.

[jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

certainly groundbreaking and interesting information, with a bunch of practically hilarious graphs and charts. is all of it socially acceptable now? definitely not.

[Torbin Kittleson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall a very good and informative book. I enjoyed reading it.

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this because I was 13 years old and curious about women and their sex lives.