Alison Bass

I've always felt that making consensual adult sex for payment a crime makes no sense. Nor have I ever understood why the buyer of sex is rarely punished as severely as the seller.

This book supports my belief, without endorsing amnesty for those who force people into prostitution or exploit children. It addresses the benefits of legalizing sex work, which offers public health and social benefits. The author also addresses the costs of prosecuting sex workers and considers the issue from a global perspective in light of the laws of various countries.

An interesting and well-researched review of the topic.

Worth reading.… (meer)

Our war on sex is a lot like our war on drugs - long, expensive, and pointless. Let's face it: Sex sells. We, as a society, are never going to win this war, so maybe it's time we took a different approach.

This book, whether intentionally or not, offers a compelling narrative for legalizing and regulating sex work. Alison Bass makes the argument that adult, consensual prostitution should be treated as a social problem, and perhaps a bit of a public health issue. By criminalizing the act, we are actually creating far more detrimental circumstances for the women involved. Here, I think, is where this book excels. You can't read this book with an open mind, and then honestly say that our current system makes sense.

The author is careful to consistently point out that under-aged and forced prostitution, such as with human trafficking, is an entirely different entity. Trafficking is a vile and violent act that is more akin to slavery, and should be treated as such. Sadly, these victims, when caught in the act of prostitution, are often treated as criminals, pushing them further underground and into the hands of abusers.

The content does occasionally become repetitive. Still, it's well written, engaging, and certainly thought-provoking.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.*… (meer)