Reviews with content warning for Infidelity - Mating in Captivity: In Search of Erotic Intelligence

Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

Mating in Captivity: In Search of Erotic Intelligence by Esther Perel

6 reviews

zydecovivo's review

informative reflective slow-paced

3.75

I was looking for a book to fulfill the prompt for the StoryGraph Genre Challenge 2024 “a nonfiction book about psychology.” The psychologist Esther Perel was recommended, and while this particular title was not one that initially piqued my interest, it was one of few offered on Libby by my libraries. As someone who has never been in a long-term sexual relationship, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to connect with anything in the book. I will admit I did find it difficult to get through. I began reading the ebook version and it took me over a week to get less than halfway through. I was able to get through the audiobook much quicker, though it did take a second to get used to Perel’s voice and reading style. However, I still found quite a few gems of wisdom throughout that I think apply to more than an intimate relationship. I made more highlights in this book than in any other book in the past year. Considering what we need in relationships and how they can change is helpful. Perel also roots her theories in stories of her patients, which helpfully illustrate different thoughts and situations. While I did sometimes wish there was more scientific testing to back them up, I know this is psychology and there are still many mysteries we don’t understand about the human brain. I didn’t always agree with Perel’s statements, but I found the book thought provoking. It’s also a testament to her experience that her theories and writing are just as, if not more, applicable to relationships today as it was almost 20 years ago.

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sponberry's review against another edition

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challenging funny informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

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ann_a_lytics's review against another edition

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challenging hopeful informative reflective slow-paced

4.75

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kcarney86's review against another edition

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informative medium-paced

3.0

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cindymarieo's review against another edition

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informative medium-paced

5.0

I really enjoyed this book- there were so many topics and themes regarding monogamy, marriage, sex, gender, and eroticism that I had not given much thought to before. I read this book electronically, and felt like I was highlighting something on every page in the book- I ended up highlighting 6% of the book. I think that most people would benefit from Esther Perel’s work- be it a TED talk, an article, a podcast ep, or one of her books.

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starrygoldeneyes's review against another edition

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emotional funny informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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