The Ooze sent along another interesting book among a few others I have not been able to get to yet.  My wife, who is a behavioral health counselor (M.A., NCC) snatched it up and devoured it.  So she posted a review of the book that I am reposting here.  I have a few thoughts that follow.

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I recently read Porn Nation: Conquering America’s #1 Addiction by Michael Leahy. You may not know Michael Leahy’s name, but if you saw a picture of him, you would know exactly who he is. He has appeared on the 20/20 and The View discussing America’s problem with sexuality. He also has been on Oprah - who is the one who stated that sex is America’s #1 addiction.

The book is interesting in that it starts out explaining his journey to becoming a sex addict. He starts out like every kid does - seeing porn for the first time as a preteen. But from there, it progressed. First, slowly. But then as he reached college age and beyond, the addiction grew rapidly.

As a counselor, what was most interesting to me was that his childhood was not extraordinary. No sexual abuse. His parents were present. But it was able to happen just based on life experiences and what became available to him.

This led me to really reflect on our culture, which is what I believe is his hope from this book. I live in a town where under a mile from me is an “Adult Store.” Drive up and down the highway in the area and you are sure to find an Adult Novelty Store. How long will it take my sons to go from trying to rent movies on our blocked channels to going to see live dancers at a local establishment?

Our culture is truly inundated with sexuality. Watch any tv show. Pick up any magazine. Go to the beach. You can buy a bikini for your 9 month old daughter. And in the internet age, all you need to do is search. It’s there.

Leahy willingly opens his heart to us to tell us all about his dirty laundry. There is even a chapter that is journal articles written by his exwife about what they were going through. What a strong woman she must be to be willing to have her name and her life exposed in such a way. I admire their courage!

The end of the book reads a lot like a self-help manual, but even those not in the depth of addition can glean some wisdom. Anyone who counsels people with addiction should take a look at this book.

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I find this to be a fascinating topic because of the way that we tend to understand sex in the US and perhaps elsewhere.  Sex is a private matter, especially when it is between two consenting adults, and further when those adults are married.  It is not a topic that we discuss in church that much, not something that we discuss at work all that often, and not something that we tend to disclose.  It is often taboo, dirty, and embarrassing hence the exaggerated issue of talking to kids about “the birds and the bees” rather than having an honest discussion about sexuality and how sperm comes from a penis to fertilize an egg and that is what tends to happen with sex.

Yet we are very public with our consumption habits with sexuality.  From Hooters billboards that might feature a student or two of yours if you happen to be a college instructor (one stared at me for three months this past year), the top shelf magazines at the convenience store, daytime soap operas, Axe commercials, car magazines, the latest men’s underwear billboard in Times Square, or Sex and the City, sex is everywhere to be consumed.

This book highlights that issue.  Sex is private unless we are consuming it.  Sex is not sold as something related to love, but as something that is sold like the cars and alcohol it wraps up in its innuendo packed gift boxes of pleasure.  This is a book worth reading to see just how intense the marketing of porn is everywhere whether you choose to ignore it or not.

It seems to be one of many continual lessons in just how media illiterate we are in a time when we should be far more cognizant of the politics and marketing of desire.  The social effects of such consumption habits cannot be ignored.

Go to the book website here and the author’s blog here for additional information.