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The Soul of Sex: Cultivating Life as an Act of Love

by Thomas Moore

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445559,753 (3.78)1
In our age of science and psychology, it's tempting to think of human sexuality in terms of biology and interpersonal relationships. But in The Soul of Sex, Thomas Moore regards sex as an experience of the soul and emphasizes the more human themes of fantasy, desire, meaning, and morality. Moore turns especially to the religious traditions of the world, to rites, stories, and visual imagery that see in sex some of the most profound mysteries of life. He finds spirituality inherent in sex, and at the same time explores the many ways in which spiritual values can sometimes wound our sexuality. He recommends chastity and celibacy for everyone, as aspects of sexuality, and presents them as a means of developing a sensuous spirituality. Moore also establishes the principle that one can't have a fully satisfying sex life in an asexual and anti-erotic world. He spells out an Epicurian way of life where the simple, deep pleasures of good food, friends, family, home and intimacy with nature provide an appropriate sensual base for a fulfilling sex life. This is an audiobook for any individual, of whatever gender or lifestyle, who is trying to integrate sex into the rest of life. It is also a tool for couples, helping them to explore their sexuality with honesty, with appropriate emotional complexity, and with civility and comfort. Moore argues that sex should be at the center of life and at the top of our priorities, and if we don¹t give sex its due, it will haunt us and take us over. But when sex has soul, deep pleasure and meaning find a common home, and in that sense this audiobook is a sex manual for the soul. Thomas Moore reads on two cassettes.… (more)
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Showing 5 of 5
Pages 199 and 201 were interesting, as I noted the pages numbers only, and recall his comment on "the pleasures that build slowly" being lost to our society.

Coop
MEOW Date: 14 Aug 12,014 H.E. ( )
  FourFreedoms | May 17, 2019 |
Pages 199 and 201 were interesting, as I noted the pages numbers only, and recall his comment on "the pleasures that build slowly" being lost to our society.

Coop
MEOW Date: 14 Aug 12,014 H.E. ( )
  ShiraDest | Mar 6, 2019 |
Liked _Care of the Soul_ much better; this one doesn't have the same unity. Still, he provides insight for the naive. ( )
  dbsovereign | Jan 26, 2016 |
This isn't the best book to start with if you're not familiar with Thomas Moore's writings. Based on reading others' reviews, whatever many readers expect this book to be about when they start reading it, this isn't it. On the other hand, if you have read Moore before, you probably won't be surprised, but you may not find all that much that's new to you in here. Basically, Moore takes the general theme that runs through all his works—that we can add depth, richness, and meaning to our lives by taking care of the soul as well as the body and the spirit—and applies it to sex and the sensual.

Moore covers a wide variety of topics. Some are probably "expected" in a book on sex, like beauty, the sex organs, and morality. Although I found these chapters to be interesting as I read them, I'm not sure how long they'll stick with me. Other topics were more of a surprise, and because they were unexpected, I'm guessing I'll remember them for some time to come. For instance, Moore devotes a chapter to chastity and celibacy, not only discussing those chaste periods most of us go through, but also finding a spirit of celibacy in marriage. In other chapters, Moore looks at the eroticism (or lack thereof) in everyday things like roads and the workplace, or Epicureanism as a means of adding meaning to life. Of course, by this point, he's broadened the meaning of eroticism to include just about anything that involves desire and the sensual. This may annoy some readers as being too much of a catch-all approach; other readers will appreciate having a different way to look at these topics. ( )
1 vote Silvernfire | Jul 31, 2010 |
The best book on sex and sexuality I have ever read. Wonderfully comprehensive and holistic, this book describes sex as I truly believe it to be. A must read for anyone and everyone. ( )
1 vote commonvee | May 28, 2006 |
Showing 5 of 5
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Quella che 'mparadisa la mia mente (Dante, Paradiso, xxviii)
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To Hari Kirin
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This is a book about human sexuality, but it contains no information on biology, anatomy, or health, and it has little to say about techniques and relationship.
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In our age of science and psychology, it's tempting to think of human sexuality in terms of biology and interpersonal relationships. But in The Soul of Sex, Thomas Moore regards sex as an experience of the soul and emphasizes the more human themes of fantasy, desire, meaning, and morality. Moore turns especially to the religious traditions of the world, to rites, stories, and visual imagery that see in sex some of the most profound mysteries of life. He finds spirituality inherent in sex, and at the same time explores the many ways in which spiritual values can sometimes wound our sexuality. He recommends chastity and celibacy for everyone, as aspects of sexuality, and presents them as a means of developing a sensuous spirituality. Moore also establishes the principle that one can't have a fully satisfying sex life in an asexual and anti-erotic world. He spells out an Epicurian way of life where the simple, deep pleasures of good food, friends, family, home and intimacy with nature provide an appropriate sensual base for a fulfilling sex life. This is an audiobook for any individual, of whatever gender or lifestyle, who is trying to integrate sex into the rest of life. It is also a tool for couples, helping them to explore their sexuality with honesty, with appropriate emotional complexity, and with civility and comfort. Moore argues that sex should be at the center of life and at the top of our priorities, and if we don¹t give sex its due, it will haunt us and take us over. But when sex has soul, deep pleasure and meaning find a common home, and in that sense this audiobook is a sex manual for the soul. Thomas Moore reads on two cassettes.

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